Elon Musk has yet again triggered an online storm, urging the public to “take the red pill.” The Matrix reference got him showered in praise from conservatives, but the creators of the iconic movie were not amused.
The new cryptic message from the billionaire, who has been repeatedly tweeting out bizarre things lately, arrived on Sunday afternoon. Unlike the lengthy and even less coherent threads Musk produced in the past, this time he stuck to a short form worthy of a true masterpiece.
“Take the red pill,” he stated, posting a red rose emoji.
Take the red pill ?
The obvious Matrix reference has been a popular meme for years already, associated with getting “woke” one way or another, but recently it’s been linked to a shift towards more conservative views. Followed by another obscure Matrix-related meme, the message exploded on Twitter, getting over 300,000 likes and more than 20,000 replies, outdoing even the ‘success’ of his recent “Tesla stock price is too high” rant.
pic.twitter.com/2hC7ABkErW
A lot of conservative-minded individuals, including Ivanka Trump, descended on Musk’s feed to tell him they already took the red pill.
Fuck both of you
The red pill storm invoked one of the Matrix co-creators, Lilly Wachowski, who was not quite happy with Musk – and Donald Trump’s daughter – quoting her movie. The director, well-known for her leftists views, bluntly scolded both of them.
Of course the billionaire wants you to take red pill. Means less taxes, less regulation, lower wages, and less accountability for how he manages his workforce. Take that red pill at your own peril. I’d rather ride that blue ? & have a government working for people, not the 1%. pic.twitter.com/p8w2GrHRDo
Many, however, wondered whether the motives behind this red-pill call were genuine, pointing fingers atthe wealth of Musk and his family. Quite a few suggested that it might be just another PR and marketing stunt.
Honestly Elon you should probably not be taking any pills. Have you seen your tweets lately? pic.twitter.com/yiwIxro3Y5
Some even questioned Musk’s condition, wondering if various pills – and other substances – might be to blame for his repeated Twitter outbursts.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
