Elon Musk's controversial meme on DOGE sparks accusations of fatphobia and misogyny

BOCA CHICA, TEXAS: Elon Musk has sparked a heated debate on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) by sharing a meme that many interpreted as fatphobic and misogynistic. 

The Tesla CEO, known for his frequent use of memes to express his opinions on various topics, re-shared a cartoon strip originally posted in 2024 on the Instagram page SKS Cartoon on Friday, February 7. 

Elon Musk shares controversial meme about DOGE

The meme, which touches on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a newly formed agency under Donald Trump's second administration, has caused a significant backlash.

The cartoon strip is divided into three panels. The first shows an overweight woman wearing a T-shirt with the X logo, standing beside a character resembling Musk. The second panel portrays the woman, now wearing a T-shirt with the X logo, with a significantly slimmer physique. 

In the third panel, a man is seen sitting in a chair wearing a T-shirt that reads "Federal Government," while the character resembling Musk stands beside him with a suitcase labeled "DOGE" and the now-thin woman. 

Musk's meme quickly gained attention, sparking a heated conversation about the expectations placed on individuals based on their appearance, particularly in relation to professional efficiency and body image.

The tech billionaire, who has a history of sharing controversial content, has yet to comment further on the backlash.

Elon Musk's meme on DOGE sparks backlash

Elon Musk, who shared the meme without any caption, faced heat for the post, with many calling the cartoon strip a reflection of the tech billionaire's controversial perspectives and others accusing him of fatphobia and misogyny. 

One wrote, "This One image speaks many truths about not just the image itself or the meme. Perspectives of Elon Musk not just about Govt but also about Women. I spent 20 yrs in Cinema industry. I observe stories and characters. It has become kind of addiction. But, it brings out many truths."

"Do you have something against fat women?" asked a critic.

"Trying to understand this cartoon. Is it: Overweight lady is fired for being overweight and therefore must be inefficient? Slim lady is hired because she is slim and therefore must be efficient? Slim lady and Musk dont like overweight guy for being overweight?" wondered another. 

Musk's own history with weight was brought up, as one more wrote, "So now Elon has to fat shame (even though he is overweight himself) and feed into that unless you are thin, you are not efficient. Great meme, Elon."

One took it further writing how through the meme Musk was reflecting what he wanted out of X: "Moral story all the FAT boys and girls are not welcome to X wow thats a faster way to kill your company."

"Gross depictions. How old are you?" another critic wrote. 

However, there were some who defended Musk, with one writing, "I love this visual Analogy! Truth always wins in its due time."

Another said, "Obesity is a real chronic disease. I've had bariatric surgery to help my health , and am a success story unfortunately my beloved brother passed a way recently from Obesity and alcoholism. This cartoon only reminds me of trauma, grief, and loss."

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