Billionaire mogul Elon Musk is leading a conservative push to cancel Netflix over Dead End: Paranormal Park, a now-canceled animated series featuring a transgender main character.
The show, which ran for two seasons from 2022 to 2023, follows Barney Guttman — a gay, trans teen with a blue tuft of hair — and his bisexual co-worker Norma as they navigate life and work at a haunted theme park.
Musk’s campaign against the streaming service began last week when he reposted a message from the right-wing Libs of TikTok account condemning Barney Guttman’s coming-out storyline.
“Dead End: Paranormal Park, a show on Netflix, is pushing pro-transgender on CHILDREN. This show is advertised for 7-YEAR-OLDS,” Libs of TikTok posted, citing the show’s TV-Y7 rating, which indicates content suitable for viewers ages seven and up.
Musk replied, “This is not ok,” and urged followers to “Cancel Netflix for the health of your kids.”
Since then, Musk — whose transgender daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, is reportedly estranged from him — has continued reposting attacks on so-called “pro-trans” themes in other Netflix children’s programs, including CoComelon and The Baby-Sitters Club, according to Variety. He also amplified a Libs of TikTok claim that 100% of Netflix employee political donations in 2024 went to Democrats.
Dead End: Paranormal Park is no longer being promoted on Netflix but remains available to stream for those who seek it out.
Musk has continued to post and repost calls to “Cancel Netflix,” telling followers he has already canceled his own subscription.
Netflix has not commented on the controversy. However, in its well-known “culture memo” — the company’s guiding document outlining workplace principles — Netflix emphasizes its commitment to artistic freedom and a diverse slate of programming.
Because Netflix no longer reports subscriber totals each quarter, the impact of Musk’s boycott is difficult to gauge. Still, the company’s stock dropped roughly 53 points in the week after his campaign began, according to Variety.
Dead End: Paranormal Park creator Hamish Steele posted to followers on Bluesky that he was being flooded with hateful messages after Musk targeted the series.
“It’s probably going to be a very odd day,” Steel posted after Musk amplified Libs of TikTok’s rant about the show’s trans character. Later, he wrote that while he’d “mostly been very ok today” and appreciated messages of support, he had begun receiving “extremely nasty, weird, homophobic and antisemitic emails,” adding that the situation was “getting a little scary.”
As the harassment intensified, Steele posted another update on Bluesky announcing that he would be taking a break from social media.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) has called for Netflix executives to be subpoenaed to testify before Congress over Dead End: Paranormal Park. Appearing on Benny Johnson’s podcast — where the right-wing host accused Netflix of exposing children to “pornography,” “propaganda,” and “indoctrination” — Burchett, who has a long anti-LGBTQ voting record, pledged to pursue a congressional hearing on the issue.
“I said the Chinese and the devil are working hand in hand. I’m not sure which is which,” Burchett said. “But that is exactly what is going on. The demonic thing is a power of suggestion. We can’t allow it. It is indoctrination, and it needs to stop.”
Right-wing influencers are throwing tantrums after the National Football League announced that Puerto Rican rapper, singer, and LGBTQ ally Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show on February 8 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Sept. 28 announcement, made jointly by the NFL, Apple Music, and Jay-Z's Roc Nation, noted that the show will be co-produced by Emmy-winning Jesse Collins and directed by Hamish Hamilton.
Bad Bunny has won three Grammys and 12 Latin Grammys, and leads this year's Latin Grammy nominations with 12 heading into the Nov. 13 ceremony at the MGM Grand in Nevada. The 31-year-old recently wrapped a record-setting Puerto Rico residency at San Juan's El Choli, drawing more than half a million fans, with the final show breaking livestream viewership records on Prime Video and Twitch, according to CBS News.
Elon Musk has waded into the Virginia governor's race to attack Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, accusing her of "trying to weasel out" of a question about transgender students accessing bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Musk shared a post on X highlighting Spanberger's response to WJLA reporter Nick Minock, who asked whether she supports "biological males who say they're women using women's locker rooms and bathrooms and competing in women's sports."
Spanberger stumbled in her response, noting that any attempt by a future Virginia governor or the Trump administration to impose a bathroom ban could run afoul of a 2020 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision allowing transgender students in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to use bathrooms matching their gender identity.
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