COMICSANDS
percolately
georgetakei
secondnexus
george's picks
Most Read
stem
Elon Musk Just Made A Juvenile Sexist Joke On Twitter—And People Are Calling Him Out
Elon Musk is getting dragged on Twitter--yet again.
Tesla CEO and world's richest man Elon Musk is receiving backlash on Twitter for posting a sexist tweet that encapsulates the harassment that women face in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.
Musk posted the tweet on October 29 and has been getting called out ever since.
Am thinking of starting new university:
Texas Institute of Technology & Science
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 29, 2021
In the tweet, Musk jokes that he wants to create a new University, named the Texas Institute of Technology and Science. Musk even leaned into the bit, stating that the University "will have epic merch, universally admired."
Sounds fancy right? Well, if you read over it again, you might notice that the initials of the supposed school spell "TITS."
Musk wasn't seriously proposing building a new University, but rather making a crude and sexist joke about boobs.
One person earnestly suggested that Musk switch the final two letters of the acronym, putting "science" before "technology" under the premise that "technological breakthroughs almost always follow scientific breakthroughs."
Musk retorted:
"Nope, T is def first."
Nope, T is def first
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 29, 2021
Musk's jokes received criticism not just because it was sexist, but because it represents how difficult it is to work as a woman in the STEM field and the kinds of harassment that these women have to put up with in their professional careers.
In fact, a survey conducted by Accenture and Girls Who Code found that half of the women in technology related careers quit their jobs by the time they turn 35 years-old. Out of this 50% who leave their careers, a whopping 37% of those women cite their reason for leaving as "noninclusive company culture."
Tesla especially has been known to be a toxic work environment for women. The company has an abysmal female employment rate, with only one in five employees being female.
What's more, Tesla was the target of a sexual harassment lawsuit in 2017, where engineer AJ Vandermeyden, along with other female employee, alleged that women in the workplace faced "inappropriate language, whistling, and catcalls."
Musk's joke didn't land and offended many Twitter users. Namely, Cher Scarlett, a leader of the Apple corporation's AppleToo anti-harassment group, who left a scathingly sarcastic response to Musk's offensive tweet.
Scarlett responded:
"I heard sexualizing women is a top-down, systemic issue in tech. Might be wrong though idk."
Eric Wenger, the senior director for technology policy and government affairs at Cisco and Tesla shareholder, also criticized Musk for his inappropriate joke.
Honestly. As a shareholder and customer, this is really a puzzling and disappointing attempt at humor. We are trying to encourage more women to pursue technology degrees and careers. I cannot see how this helps that effort in any way.
— EricWenger (@EricWenger) October 30, 2021
He said:
"Honestly. As a shareholder and customer, this is really a puzzling and disappointing attempt at humor."
"We are trying to encourage more women to pursue technology degrees and careers. I cannot see how this helps that effort in any way."
Scarlett and Wenger are far from the only people criticizing Musk. In fact, it seems like all of Twitter has been calling him out for his cringey sense of humor.
So I guess the name Hooters was already taken so @elonmusk settled for TITS. Misogyny University more like it.
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) October 30, 2021
Imagine being a woman and working your whole life to land a job in the aerospace industry just to have the CEO of one of the most prominent aerospace organizations say that he wants to make a university called TITS. https://t.co/PcypVzVKUG
— Dr. Jaclyn A. Siegel (@jacasiegel) October 31, 2021
Not cool, dude. I don't mind off color jokes in general, but given how much harassment women in STEM fields can get, this isn't a good joke for the leader of several STEM fields to be putting out there
— Andy Shearouse (@AndyShearouse) November 1, 2021
HURR DURR BOOBS! I guess money can't buy class.
— Danielle (@_Dani_Kay_) November 1, 2021
Do better please. You are in an excellent position to encourage women to pursue STEM careers, and should be doing everything you can to promote that, and breaking barriers and silencing the systemic sexism in tech companies.
— Jim (@TraderJim) November 1, 2021
These facts make this tweet even more repugnant.
— GirlPower🦄 🏳️🌈 (@GirlPower2023) November 2, 2021
Not the best encouragement for women in STEMS.
— Ludovic Leforestier #AdTech #ARchat (@lludovic) November 1, 2021
Pay some taxes bro https://t.co/wbpKELsZ7L
— Anand Giridharadas @ The.Ink (@AnandWrites) October 29, 2021
this is the most pathetically divorced guy of all time https://t.co/H1OFsesREF
— eve 6ix (@Eve6) October 29, 2021
“why are there so few women in STEM" https://t.co/PcPdGL43eB
— Notorious RBoOOoo👻MK 📡🌌 (@ComradeRobot) October 29, 2021
now do you all believe me when i say the tech industry is a boys' club? (hint: acronym) https://t.co/ZWnIbwlaQ4
— boymeetsmini 🏎✊🏽🌹 (@boymeetsmini) November 2, 2021
It's really disgusting coming from someone in a position of power to behave like this. Punching down isn't a good look.
— GirlPower🦄 🏳️🌈 (@GirlPower2023) November 2, 2021
Wish you'd stand up for women's rights little more…
— Antonija00385 (@Antonija00385) November 1, 2021
At this time, neither Musk nor Tesla has made a statement responding to the situation.