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> I get it, you don't like his politics or share his sense of humor but don't pretend like he's some unhinged twitter personality. He called Vernon Unsworth a

> I get it, you don't like his politics or share his sense of humor but don't pretend like he's some unhinged twitter personality. He called Vernon Unsworth a "pedo guy" in a tweet after he rescued all of those kids in Thailand and criticized Musk's plan to build a small submarine to get them out. That wasn't a joke, it wasn't meant to elicit a humorous response, it was clearly meant to defame someone. Notice that accusing folks of pedophilia has become a pretty common tactic for the right nowadays. Calling someone a pedo seems pretty unhinged for a billionaire responsible for running major companies, it honestly surprised me how Musk would spend his public energy saying that kind of stuff, and especially when you consider the power dynamics involved, it's hard to interpret his actions as anything other than driven by insecurity. But I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

bko 4y ago
It's slang. Maybe not tasteful or obscure but it is just an insult. You ever have someone attack you and call them a name? It's pretty human. Someone's life isn't defined by an insult he used years ago. You need to get over it... https://www.businessinsider.co.za/elon-musk-pedo-guy-really-was-an-insult-in-south-africa-but-not-common-2019-9 https://www.businessinsider.co.za/elon-musk-pedo-guy-really-...
- otterley 4y ago
  No. A person in Musk’s position should know better than to behave this way, and perhaps to even bounce drafts of his communications off a trusted confidant for feedback before hitting “send.” Heck, I do this myself a couple times a month, and I’m nowhere near his level of power and influence. It’s not like he can’t afford an army of comms people.
- thr0wawayf00 4y ago
  You know, it's funny to me how often the "just kidding, it's slang" argument gets used. You'd think someone as smart and talented as Musk would've figured somewhere along the way to actually say what they mean. Which strangely enough, he seems to do just fine most of the time. But you're right, it's all my fault and I should really get over it and be more empathetic towards the billionaires that can't seem to communicate clearly.
- thrwy_918 4y ago
  When you have tens of millions of Twitter followers and are an international celebrity, it's reasonable expect a modicum of care when making public statements about a private individual. I don't really care how that phrase would be interpreted at a private school in South Africa in the 1980s. What matters is how it can reasonably be expected to be interpreted by the millions upon millions of people who heard it as a result of Musk using it. It doesn't really matter if this was intentional malice or reckless negligence. It was wildly, wildly unacceptable either way.
- kelseyfrog 4y ago
  > You ever have someone attack you and call them a name? No, I'm a mature adult. Sure, I'll disagree with someone. Hell, I'll even say things like, "that was a bigoted statement", but I will never make up an insult to avenge an attack. I work every day to prevent that behaviour in my kids. I'm not going to replicate it in my life. It's also not up to you to decide when someone "needs to get over it."
- gspr 4y ago
  Slang?! What is it slang for, pray tell?
- Cthulhu_ 4y ago
  Why are you springing to the defense of the richest person in the world? Are you hoping to get in his good graces or... something?
- medler 4y ago
  He didn’t just call him a pedo guy. Elon also emailed a bunch of journalists to make serious (and untrue) accusations that the guy was a “child rapist.”

bko 4y ago

It's slang. Maybe not tasteful or obscure but it is just an insult. You ever have someone attack you and call them a name? It's pretty human. Someone's life isn't defined by an insult he used years ago. You need to get over it... https://www.businessinsider.co.za/elon-musk-pedo-guy-really-was-an-insult-in-south-africa-but-not-common-2019-9 https://www.businessinsider.co.za/elon-musk-pedo-guy-really-...

otterley 4y ago
No. A person in Musk’s position should know better than to behave this way, and perhaps to even bounce drafts of his communications off a trusted confidant for feedback before hitting “send.” Heck, I do this myself a couple times a month, and I’m nowhere near his level of power and influence. It’s not like he can’t afford an army of comms people.
thr0wawayf00 4y ago
You know, it's funny to me how often the "just kidding, it's slang" argument gets used. You'd think someone as smart and talented as Musk would've figured somewhere along the way to actually say what they mean. Which strangely enough, he seems to do just fine most of the time. But you're right, it's all my fault and I should really get over it and be more empathetic towards the billionaires that can't seem to communicate clearly.
thrwy_918 4y ago
When you have tens of millions of Twitter followers and are an international celebrity, it's reasonable expect a modicum of care when making public statements about a private individual. I don't really care how that phrase would be interpreted at a private school in South Africa in the 1980s. What matters is how it can reasonably be expected to be interpreted by the millions upon millions of people who heard it as a result of Musk using it. It doesn't really matter if this was intentional malice or reckless negligence. It was wildly, wildly unacceptable either way.
kelseyfrog 4y ago
> You ever have someone attack you and call them a name? No, I'm a mature adult. Sure, I'll disagree with someone. Hell, I'll even say things like, "that was a bigoted statement", but I will never make up an insult to avenge an attack. I work every day to prevent that behaviour in my kids. I'm not going to replicate it in my life. It's also not up to you to decide when someone "needs to get over it."
gspr 4y ago
Slang?! What is it slang for, pray tell?
Cthulhu_ 4y ago
Why are you springing to the defense of the richest person in the world? Are you hoping to get in his good graces or... something?
medler 4y ago
He didn’t just call him a pedo guy. Elon also emailed a bunch of journalists to make serious (and untrue) accusations that the guy was a “child rapist.”