Elon Musk has been roundly mocked for calling Gladiator 2 “woke”.
When a fan posted a meme suggesting that the visual design was strong but the script was poor, the X owner responded by writing: “Woke lies kill art”.
He failed to elaborate or ascertain exactly what element of Gladiator 2 he thought was “woke” or if he has even seen the film.
His comment received a backlash from fans, with one writing: “I’ve never seen this chap understand a single film he’s watched. How is a film about a straight white man, with little to no roles for women and minorities, woke?”
Woke lies kill art https://t.co/aIzKzxKBgr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2024
Another joked: “The only remotely political message of Gladiator II is that emperors are bad and wealthy plutocrats who whisper in their ear are even worse…oh wait I see what he’s mad about,” while one other added: ““Gladiator 2′ is not woke, sir. If anything, it’s a traditional depiction of masculinity.”
A fourth person continued: “The movie is about a warrior learning to love and improve the empire he’d grown up hating and protect it from an enterprising queer African freed slave, who wants to destroy the empire using the chaos of a public riots. Difficult to call that plot woke.”
I've never seen this chap understand a single film he's watched.
How is a film about a straight white man, with little to no roles for women and minorities. Woke? https://t.co/51RIolPZlZ
— Andy McCarroll (@Andymc1983) November 24, 2024
Gladiator 2 is not woke, sir.
If anything, it's a traditional depiction of masculinity.
— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) November 24, 2024
The movie is about a warrior learning to love and improve the empire he'd grown up hating, and protect it from an enterprising queer african freed slave, who wants to destroy the empire using the chaos of a public riots. Difficult to call that plot woke.
— Ronen▼ (@RonenV) November 24, 2024
Wrong movie for the this, the entire barely-concealed subtext of GII is explicitly anti-woke. It will be a cult classic and considered a masterpiece in a decade, mark my words! https://t.co/tAfIh3FjUZ
— AKIRA THE DON (@akirathedon) November 25, 2024
Elsewhere, Gladiator 2 actor Fred Hechinger recently played down the same-sex kiss storm surrounding the movie.
Denzel Washington, who portrays Macrinus in the sequel to the 2000 blockbuster, recently told Gayety he kissed a male co-star in a since-deleted moment.
But director Ridley Scott said that was “bullshit” and “they acted the moment – it didn’t happen”.
Washington has also since rolled back his comments, later saying: “It really is much ado about nothing. They’re making more of it than it was. I kissed him on his hands, I gave him a peck and I killed him.”
In other news, the release of Gladiator 2 and Wicked hasn’t had the same impact as last year’s Barbenheimer phenomenon at the cinema, but it has breathed new life into the box office with huge takings, it was recently confirmed.