Elon Musk recently generated a whole lot of noise from his acolytes after calling on them to unsubscribe from Netflix. This call to action comes in response to a recent controversy regarding the animated series “Dead End” and its creator, Hamish Steele. Musk pulled this stunt after the show was cancelled after two seasons in 2023. This has ignited intense debate on the subject of content and creator accountability.
On his X platform, Musk stated, “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids.” This comment has drawn attention to the ongoing debates about children’s programming and the implications of the content presented to young audiences. The spat escalated as allegations surfaced that Steele had lied about his comments. These claims supposedly derided the killing of liberal activist Ibram Kendi and conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
In reaction to Musk’s tweet, Steele went on Bluesky, the social media platform endorsed by progressive politicians after their exodus from Twitter, to blast Musk’s plan. He posted a message highlighting a post by TV writer Jack Bernhardt, who described “Dead End” as a “brilliant show about kind, wonderful characters.” Steele expressed concern over the unfolding situation, commenting, “It’s probably going to be a very odd day.”
Musk’s influence on social media has had tangible effects on Netflix’s stock performance. Shares have reportedly dropped 4% since his initial call for a boycott. Meanwhile, Netflix has never been stronger with a market capitalization north of $490 billion. Over the last 12 months, its share price has climbed over 60%.
Financial analysts have already commented on the possibly disastrous effect that Musk’s words could have. Guy Adami remarked on the situation, questioning whether Musk’s influence would significantly affect Netflix’s stock. He stated, “Is that going to move the needle necessarily? … You’re going to see people sign up on the back of that to counter it.” Adami went further on the notion that he doesn’t believe any of Musk’s proclamations are, in fact, a good reason to dump Netflix shares.
In a discussion on CNBC, Finerman shared her fears for Netflix’s perilous position today. She does not expect its impact to endure for long. She told us, “This will be very fleeting.” She was alluding to past events where social media outrage had severely hurt corporate earnings.
Debates are flaring on both Musks’ remarks and Steele’s cartoonish adult television series. Now the future of “Dead End” and its creator is up in the air. The public’s response may influence not only Netflix’s performance but the broader conversation around content responsibility in children’s programming.