Satire and Inequality

Satire’s potency cannot be overlooked, especially now, in an era where brands have become inextricably linked to the individuals leading them. Tesla, the prime example of a brand turned toxic because of its founder, has stooped so low that one JPMorgan analyst cited the “unprecedented brand damage” in their estimates. But as easy as it is to attribute Tesla’s swift crash and burn to their founder’s “roman salute”, it’s important to remember that there was a pattern of unhinged behavior well before the salute.

In 2018, Elon called the British cave diver who rescued 12 boys and their soccer coach from an underwater cave a pedo. After he took over twitter in 2022 there was a dramatic and measurable rise in hate speech on the platform. And in 2024 Tesla settled a racial discrimination lawsuit with a former black employee.  But despite the incompetence and blatant racism, Elon and Tesla seemed untouchable. At one point in December of 2024, Tesla reached a market cap of $1.5 trillion, or 5% …