Overview
- Oates’ Nov. 8 post on X questioned Musk’s apparent lack of joy in everyday culture and called him “uneducated, uncultured,” drawing millions of views and extensive media pickup.
- Musk replied with personal insults, labeling Oates a “lazy liar” and deriding her writing while claiming her assertions were “demonstrably false.”
- Following the criticism, Musk began replying to film and book posts with brief approvals and references, which many observers interpreted as image defense.
- Oates later clarified she was posing a values question about great wealth and empathy, and she noted it was notable that critical commentary of Musk remains visible on X.
- Public reaction remains polarized, with memes and commentary surging on X and Bluesky, users noting ads that say Musk “reads a lot,” and some framing the spat as art-humanities versus engineering-tech priorities.