I admit it, I once assumed Elon was a genius.
(events happen)
Okay, not a genius, but a good businessman.
(events happen)
Okay, a bad businessman, a good PR person.
(events happen)
Okay, a bad PR person, but not a Nazi.
(events happen)
Well fuck, he’s a Nazi supporting conspiracy theorist.
God damn, if I was that wrong about one person. I’m just gonna stop having opinions about famous people. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
There was a time where Elon Musk (EM) was pretty much a nerd darling. The real life Tony Stark.
I don't know where you are, but in the UK the positive image dropped quite quickly once he called a British cave diver a pedophile over the remarks said cave diver (Vernon Unsworth) said that EM offering his small submarine to help the Thai cave boys was a "PR stunt" and also to "stick his submarine where it hurts" (link). Admittedly the latter was harsh words, but to then go ahead and call a British person in Thailand a pedophile (obviously referencing Gary Glitter) was incredibly childish, petty, and virtually made a lot of Brits distrust EM as well as see him for who he really was from the online tantrum.
I do feel sorry for those who have been suckered into thinking EM isn't some narcissistic arsehole, although the number is dwindling (a personal highlight was when he got booed after Dave Chappelle introduced him to his audience in San Fransisco)
I'll admit to assuming he must be kind of a cool nerd for naming some of his SpaceX things after Culture ships (from Iain M. Banks' novels), but now I feel sullied by association from having enjoyed the same books.
If you were from California you probably knew he was full of shit because he duped the state out of a bullet train, promising the Hyperloop like from Futurama.
Of course the Hyperloop got voted for and nothing ever came of it because if it is possible, Elon would not be part of finding that out.
I’ve recently got suckered into a group that turned out to consider calling people “narcissistic” is an “ableist slur… because narcissism is a disability”.
EM is still kind of a real life Tony Stark, the character is not exactly an altruistic philanthropist either.
In 2017 his name was mentioned as a visionary comparable to the Wright Brothers and Zefram Cochrane (inventor of the warp drive) on a Star Trek episode set in the 2250s. It felt at the time that this line risked dating the episode but I don’t think anyone could have expected just how much he would go on trash his own reputation.
The only thing that saves this line is that we found out a few episodes later that the character who spoke it secretly came from the Mirror Universe - where he grew up Musk’s embrace of Nazism was probably seen as a virtue.
All people have to do is keep their mouth shut and people will create a positive image for them. So many open their mouth and then break the illusion showing how unhinged they are.
Yeah it’s a weird thing about parasocial relationships. You like someone based on things you’ve seen about them on TV and then you start feeling like you know them. But really, nope you don’t.
I think it’s fine to like famous people, but just understand that you don’t really know them. If you later find out they’re a horrible person well then don’t like them anymore and it’s no big deal. You only like the things you know about the person, but if you avoid going down the road of feeling like you really know them, it’s fine.
I think he was at the very least rather gifted in some ways.
Then his brain declined and then declined again and again. Substances + alcohol + covid fog + aging?
stembolts@programming.dev 3 months ago
Another one bites the dust.
I admit it, I once assumed Elon was a genius.
(events happen)
Okay, not a genius, but a good businessman.
(events happen)
Okay, a bad businessman, a good PR person.
(events happen)
Okay, a bad PR person, but not a Nazi.
(events happen)
Well fuck, he’s a Nazi supporting conspiracy theorist.
God damn, if I was that wrong about one person. I’m just gonna stop having opinions about famous people. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
beepnoise@piefed.social 3 months ago
There was a time where Elon Musk (EM) was pretty much a nerd darling. The real life Tony Stark.
I don't know where you are, but in the UK the positive image dropped quite quickly once he called a British cave diver a pedophile over the remarks said cave diver (Vernon Unsworth) said that EM offering his small submarine to help the Thai cave boys was a "PR stunt" and also to "stick his submarine where it hurts" (link). Admittedly the latter was harsh words, but to then go ahead and call a British person in Thailand a pedophile (obviously referencing Gary Glitter) was incredibly childish, petty, and virtually made a lot of Brits distrust EM as well as see him for who he really was from the online tantrum.
I do feel sorry for those who have been suckered into thinking EM isn't some narcissistic arsehole, although the number is dwindling (a personal highlight was when he got booed after Dave Chappelle introduced him to his audience in San Fransisco)
andrew_s@piefed.social 3 months ago
I'll admit to assuming he must be kind of a cool nerd for naming some of his SpaceX things after Culture ships (from Iain M. Banks' novels), but now I feel sullied by association from having enjoyed the same books.
averyminya@beehaw.org 3 months ago
If you were from California you probably knew he was full of shit because he duped the state out of a bullet train, promising the Hyperloop like from Futurama.
Of course the Hyperloop got voted for and nothing ever came of it because if it is possible, Elon would not be part of finding that out.
jarfil@beehaw.org 3 months ago
I’ve recently got suckered into a group that turned out to consider calling people “narcissistic” is an “ableist slur… because narcissism is a disability”.
EM is still kind of a real life Tony Stark, the character is not exactly an altruistic philanthropist either.
FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org 3 months ago
It’s wild how much he’s done to piss on his own legacy. Just a few short years ago he was considered a quirky visionary.
Not anymore, but it’s not like anyone will ever be honest with him to his face, which must be really nice.
inspectorst@feddit.uk 3 months ago
In 2017 his name was mentioned as a visionary comparable to the Wright Brothers and Zefram Cochrane (inventor of the warp drive) on a Star Trek episode set in the 2250s. It felt at the time that this line risked dating the episode but I don’t think anyone could have expected just how much he would go on trash his own reputation.
The only thing that saves this line is that we found out a few episodes later that the character who spoke it secretly came from the Mirror Universe - where he grew up Musk’s embrace of Nazism was probably seen as a virtue.
Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 months ago
Remember the flamethrower? This thing looked like actual fun. Even the name was/is hilarious
baggins@beehaw.org 3 months ago
I can’t make the lyrics fit the tune ☹️
stardust@lemmy.ca 3 months ago
All people have to do is keep their mouth shut and people will create a positive image for them. So many open their mouth and then break the illusion showing how unhinged they are.
SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 3 months ago
Yeah it’s a weird thing about parasocial relationships. You like someone based on things you’ve seen about them on TV and then you start feeling like you know them. But really, nope you don’t.
I think it’s fine to like famous people, but just understand that you don’t really know them. If you later find out they’re a horrible person well then don’t like them anymore and it’s no big deal. You only like the things you know about the person, but if you avoid going down the road of feeling like you really know them, it’s fine.
Sina@beehaw.org 3 months ago
I think he was at the very least rather gifted in some ways. Then his brain declined and then declined again and again. Substances + alcohol + covid fog + aging?