Elon Musk, the owner of X, has stirred up a social media storm after posting a Grok-generated video featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. The video showcases Sweeney delivering a blunt line: “You are so cringe.” Musk generated the video using the prompt, “She smiles and says, ‘I will always love you,” creating a juxtaposition that has drawn mixed reactions from users of the platform.
The debate bubbled to the surface again when acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates joined the fray, commenting on Musk’s new digital stomping ground. In his comments, Oates took direct aim at Musk, saying that he was “totally uneducated, uncultured.” Her comments followed an incoherent thread by Musk on a chain of messages he received from his acquaintances and family members. Others found these posts to be cringey or out of touch. Oates’s comments resonated amid a growing chorus of criticism directed at Musk’s recent posts, with one user labeling them “the saddest post in the history of this website” and another calling them “the most divorced post of all time.”
In reaction to Oates’ criticism, Musk unleashed his wrath. He defended himself on X, stating, “Oates is a liar and delights in being mean. Not a good human.” This back-and-forth exposes a chasm of misunderstanding between Musk and those who are deeply influential in literary and cultural circles.
The dialogue surrounding Musk’s posts reflects broader discussions about social media’s influence on public discourse. Oates, an 87-year-old award-winning author, had previously commented on the disparity between wealth and access to beauty and meaning, remarking, “The poorest persons on Twitter may have access to more beauty & meaning in life than the ‘most wealthy person in the world.’”
As the public discourse around harmful content continues to develop, X’s users are still largely dissatisfied with Musk’s content so far. Some laud his creativity and engagement, others worry about what the content of his messages portend.