Super fans of the Netflix show Black Mirror who saw the Tesla Cybertruck (the ugly Elon Musk Mobile) for the first time said to themselves, “I’ve seen that before; it’s Metalhead.”
Metalhead was the name of episode 5 of Black Mirror season 4. Metalhead was a machine with no conscience, no emotion, no empathy… a perfect symbol of Musk, who famously told Joe Rogan in a February interview, “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.”
Empathy is that human quality (ability) that makes us most human, compassionate and understanding, and Musk defines it as Western civilization’s “fundamental weakness.”
That should say it all about Musk, but Bill Gates’ words describing Musk’s impact when he led DOGE (the Department of Governmental Efficiency) are even more to the point. Gates said, “The picture of the world’s richest man killing the world’s poorest children is not a pretty one.”
That’s Musk, though, and his temperament and practices as a businessperson and supposed human being: ruthless, heartless, cold, unthinking, destructive.
That’s Metalhead, too. Zero empathy. Total destruction.
Musky reflections
And that’s the Elon Musk Cybertruck, as well.
Musk apparently built the vehicle with the same lack of care for humanity he expressed in his quote. Those vehicles have been described as death traps and accidents waiting to happen, cheaply made to maximize profit and minimize humane safety.
Crazier still is the fact that these Metalhead Musk Mobiles do something rarely accomplished in the history of companies making stuff. It’s a product that eerily reflects the heart and soul of the person(s) who purchased it.
The Metalhead Musk Mobiles reflect their creator’s cold, callous, inhumane aura. There have been thousands of complaints about the exterior panels of those vehicles flying off while being driven, endangering everyone on the road—so much so that there was a national recall. Not surprisingly, Musk has not expressed a peep of concern for his customers’ safety or that of the general public.
To be fair, there have been countless products in the past that mirror the personality and countenance of their creators. For example, Apple, known for its sleek design and user-friendly interface, aligns with Steve Jobs’s vision for a product that is both beautiful and intuitive.
Match made in MAGA heaven
But how many times has a product so reflected the heart of its buyers to the degree that the Tesla Cybertruck does?
Cold, heartless, ugly, destructive and dangerous are all words social scientists use to describe the psychological profile of economically higher-end MAGA members. This demographic tends to be upper-middle-class, white and male, with a median age of 54. That’s the same profile of the Metalhead Musk Mobile’s most ravenous customers.
The Tesla Cybertruck, with its Metalhead design and high price point, seems to appeal to those who are tech-savvy, affluent and interested in cutting-edge technology (whether that technology is really cutting-edge, or at least functional, is debatable). Again, Donald Trump supporters are mainly white, mainly male, mainly socially conservative (ie, anti-empathy), with the wealthier ones being heavily into all things cutting-edge tech (and mega-fans of all the Tech Bros, Elon Musk included).
If any combination of Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Harvey Weinstein, Jeff Bezos, Pete Hegseth, Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, Megyn Kelly, Marjorie Taylor Green, Laura Ingraham, Jeanine Pirro, Justice Clarence Thomas and fascist guru Curtis Yarvin had a baby, it would be the Tesla Cybertruck.
Literally any combination.
So, unlike most folk who want all those ugly monstrosities off the road, I’m all for them being sold and driven on city streets and highways in plain sight (as long as they’re at a safe distance away). This lets us humans know exactly who we’re dealing with once the owners step out of those ick-mobiles.
