‘Cancel Netflix‘ Campaign Gains Steam Following Elon Musk‘s Criticism
A campaign to ”cancel Netflix” is gaining traction online, fueled by Elon Musk’s public criticism of the streaming service and amplified by conservative media figures. The controversy centers on recent content featuring LGBTQ+ portrayal in children’s programming,prompting accusations of “propaganda” and calls for a boycott.
The backlash began after Libs of TikTok,a prominent anti-LGBTQ+ social media account,highlighted a cocomelon episode featuring a boy in a tutu with two dads and a Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous clip depicting a kiss between two female characters. Musk responded to the posts on X (formerly Twitter), questioning Netflix’s content choices and suggesting the platform was prioritizing “wokeness” over entertainment. This ignited a wave of criticism from conservative commentators and users, leading to the #CancelNetflix hashtag trending on social media.
Hamish Steele, a writer and animator whose work has appeared on Netflix, became a central figure in the controversy after a years-old post of his resurfaced, appearing to show support for criticism of Charlie Kirk. Steele has vehemently denied allegations that he celebrated Kirk’s death and stated on Bluesky that Netflix is “NOT promoting [the show] at the moment!” He also reported receiving “extremely nasty weird [homophobic] and antisemitic emails.” Steele further clarified on Bluesky that his Instagram comments were flooded with false claims identifying him as Charlie Kirk.
The situation highlights a growing trend of politically motivated boycotts targeting companies perceived as embracing progressive values. While the long-term impact on Netflix’s subscriber base remains to be seen, the campaign underscores the ongoing culture war surrounding LGBTQ+ representation in media and the influence of social media in shaping public opinion. Netflix has not yet issued a formal response to the boycott calls.
