Topline
Billionaire Elon Musk on Friday issued a review for ‘The Boys,’ calling its series finale “fake and gay,” as the show has drawn anti-”woke” criticism in recent years for its satirical portrayal of right-wing politics and President Donald Trump.
Series creator Eric Kripke, who has acknowledged his show is a right-wing critique, said he would “never get a better review ever.”
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Key Facts
Musk said the series finale for “The Boys” was “pathetic” in response to an X post on Thursday, which argued the show used Antony Starr’s Homelander as an analogue for Trump as part of a “deranged sexual humiliation fantasy.”
Series creator Eric Kripke, in response to Musk, wrote on X: “OMG this is his review of what [The Boys] did to Homelander, I’ll never get a better review ever.”
Musk responded by noting he did not watch the show and shared another post he wrote in response to another user who criticized the series finale, in which Musk said, “Kripke probably got [flak] from his wife’s [boyfriend] for Homelander being used in based memes and had to write that ending as a groveling apology.”
In response to one X user who asked Musk why he was upset by the finale, Musk concluded he was “not upset, just remarking that the ending sounds fake and gay.”
Why Is Elon Musk Upset About ‘the Boys’ Finale?
Musk’s responses appeared to be a broader criticism of how “The Boys” portrayed Homelander in its series finale. Kripke has acknowledged that the show’s antagonist has “always been” a metaphor for Trump, telling Rolling Stone that Homelander represents a “combustible mix of complete weakness and insecurity, and just horrible power and ambition.” Musk’s posts did not reference “The Disruptor,” a character introduced in the finale who discussed an affinity for space and white fertility rates while wearing a black-on-black embroidered hat in an apparent reference to Musk. Kripke, when asked if the character represented Musk, told Deadline the show needed “one last satirical target before the end of the show.”
Forbes Valuation
Musk ranks as the world’s richest person with a net worth of $817.1 billion as of Friday, according to Forbes’ estimates. He is widely expected to become the world’s first trillionaire once his SpaceX goes public.
Key Background
“The Boys,” which premiered in 2019, has drawn criticism from some viewers as having an anti-right-wing tilt. Kripke has called his series a “story about the intersection of celebrity and authoritarianism and how social media and entertainment are used to sell fascism.” The show has referenced several real events, and during its fourth season, a right-wing character gives a speech about children being forced to become transgender with references to the QAnon-affiliated adrenochrome conspiracy theory. Before that season premiered, Kripke said viewers who think the show is too “woke” should “go watch something else.”