Charlie Kirk’s death, LGBTQ shows and diversity hiring: Why Elon Musk wants you to cancel Netflix subscription

Elon Musk has opened a new front in his culture war battles, this time targeting Netflix. Over the past week, he has urged his millions of followers on X to cancel their subscriptions, saying the platform promotes content harmful to children and hires based on ideology rather than talent. His campaign has gained momentum after a controversy involving Hamish Steele, the creator of Dead End: Paranormal Park, and comments linked to the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Why Musk is calling to cancel Netflix

On Wednesday, Musk posted, “Cancel Netflix,” and in another message warned, “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids.” These comments followed outrage over Steele’s alleged remarks about Kirk, who was shot dead during a public event in September. Screenshots circulating online showed Steele reacting to a tribute for Kirk by writing, “A random nazi gets shot and it’s a public statement.” Critics accused Steele of mocking Kirk’s death, though he later denied celebrating it and said his words were taken out of context.

Kirk’s death shook US conservative circles and even drew tributes from Musk and Donald Trump. Steele’s remarks ignited anger, which quickly spread to his former Netflix show.

Spotlight on Dead End: Paranormal Park

The animated series, cancelled by Netflix in 2023 after two seasons, featured a transgender protagonist. Supporters praised its representation, but conservative groups flagged it as inappropriate for children. One viral clip showed the character Barney saying, “I’m trans, Norma… I can just be Barney, and I can choose if and when I tell people.” Musk reshared posts attacking such scenes, bluntly declaring, “This is not ok.”

Critics also pointed to other Netflix shows with LGBTQ storylines, accusing the company of pushing an agenda.

Steele responds to backlash

Steele has pushed back against the allegations. He wrote, “Netflix is NOT promoting [the show] at the moment!” and described the online campaign against him as “all lies and slander.” He added that he had started receiving “extremely nasty weird homophobic and antisemitic emails,” which he said had become “a little scary.” Steele stressed, “I never celebrated Charlie Kirk’s death.”

Musk’s wider attack on Netflix

Beyond Steele, Musk has focused on Netflix’s corporate practices. He highlighted the company’s diversity report, which showed an increase in non-white directors and lead actors, suggesting it amounted to discrimination. “Cancel Netflix,” he wrote after resharing a post accusing the company of hiring based on race.

Netflix has defended its policies in the past, saying diverse stories and creators are vital for a global audience. Musk and his allies, however, argue this reflects what they call a “woke agenda.”

Musk’s culture war crusade

This campaign against Netflix is part of Musk’s broader fight against what he calls the “woke mind virus.” He has accused schools, Wikipedia, and advocacy groups of spreading progressive ideology, particularly around gender. He has often linked this to personal experience, blaming the education system for influencing his estranged transgender daughter.