Elon Musk Sparks Backlash With Gendered Instagram Posts to X’s 2 Billion-User Rival
Updated
Updated · tmv.in · May 16
Elon Musk Sparks Backlash With Gendered Instagram Posts to X’s 2 Billion-User Rival
2 articles · Updated · tmv.in · May 16
Summary
May 15 posts by Elon Musk on X said “Instagram is for girls” and mocked men who share Instagram profiles, drawing tens of thousands of likes and reposts.
The remarks came in response to a viral thread comparing social media platforms and were followed by Musk’s claim that “only X is open” while other platforms manipulate results.
Critics said the comments were misogynistic and transphobic, while supporters framed them as satire and others called them rage-bait aimed at boosting engagement on X.
The episode fits Musk’s broader pattern of attacking Meta’s apps and other rivals while casting X as the venue for “unfiltered conversation” despite his own outsized influence over the platform.