Elon Musk blasts Netflix over subscriber losses, claims 'woke mind virus' is making service 'unwatchable'

After Netflix reported that company shares dropped more than 20% in after-hours trading on Tuesday, tech giant Elon Musk took to Twitter to blast the streaming service’s “woke mind virus,” claiming it makes the platform “unwatchable.”

The woke mind virus is making Netflix unwatchable

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2022

Although Netflix previously projected that it would add 2.5 million subscribers, the company released a statement on Tuesday admitting that it lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 and estimated that it would lose an additional 2 million subscribers before the end of the quarter.

Shortly after, Slashdot released a report analyzing Netflix’s financial troubles, to which Musk responded, “the woke mind virus is making Netflix unwatchable.”

Later, when machine learning engineer Pranay Pathole argued that the “woke mind virus is the biggest threat to civilization,” Musk simply replied, “yes.”

In recent months, Netflix has come under fire from viewers who have criticized the service for favoring content related to “woke politics” and sexually explicit content.

One example of such content is the Netflix adaptation of Boston University academic and critical race theory advocate Ibram X. Kendi’s book “Antiracist Baby,” which was made into an animated children’s show with the help of Chris Nee – the creator of Disney Junior’s hit “Doc McStuffins.”

According to a statement from Netflix, “Antiracist Baby” introduces “the youngest readers and the grown-ups in their lives to the concept and power of antiracism.”

A report from the Daily Wire also noted that Netflix plans on adapting other works by Kendi into family programming, including “Stamped from the Beginning” and “Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, & You” – both of which argue that “racist thought is alive and well in America.”

In October 2020, Netflix also began filming a show about the life of Colin Kaepernick – he former San Francisco quarterback who gained notoriety after kneeling during the national anthem after suggesting that the NFL draft is similar to slavery.

“With his act of protest, Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation about race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture, and for him, personally,” the series’ director said in a press release. “Colin’s story has much to say about identity, sports, and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience. I couldn’t be happier than to tell this story with the team at Netflix.”

Netflix has been struggling to maintain viewership for some time now and in the fall of 2020, cancellations jumped by 800% amid backlash to the company’s release of the erotic French film “Cuties,” which depicts adolescent girls in sexually provocative situations.

Netflix has since defended the film as a “social commentary against the sexualization of young children.”