‘0 to 1939 in 3 seconds’: Why Anti-Elon Musk Satire Is Flourishing in Britain - The New York Times


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Anti-Elon Musk Satire in Britain and Europe

The article discusses the surge in anti-Elon Musk satire across Britain and parts of Europe. This wave of political expression is manifested through various forms of street art and public displays.

  • London's Satirical Posters: Examples include a bus stop advertisement depicting Musk giving a Nazi salute and a mock movie billboard titled "The Fast and the Führer."
  • European Protests: While some protests have involved vandalism, much of the opposition is expressed through political satire, a tradition with deep roots in British culture.
  • Berlin Projection: The Center for Political Beauty projected “Heil Tesla” onto a Tesla factory, accompanied by an image of Musk saluting.
  • Italian Street Art: Street art in Italy depicts Musk with Hitler's face beneath a mask, with the text “Elon Mask” above.

These actions highlight a significant level of political anger directed at Musk and his companies, extending beyond isolated incidents of vandalism to encompass widespread satirical campaigns across several European nations.

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The mischievous posters began appearing all over London in the past two months.

On the side of an East London bus stop, one of them shows Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, emerging from a Tesla’s roof with his hand pointing upward in a straight-armed salute. “Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds,” the ad reads. “Tesla. The Swasticar.”

Another mock ad shows Mr. Musk and President Trump in front of a red Tesla with the words: “Now With White Power Steering.” In North London, a fake movie billboard blares: “The Fast and the Führer,” with a picture of Mr. Musk saluting beside a Tesla with a DOGE license plate, a reference to the budget-slashing federal agency he currently leads on behalf of Mr. Trump.

“Parental Guidance,” warns the billboard, put up by a group calling itself Overthrow Musk. “Tesla’s CEO is a far-right activist. Don’t give him your money.”

Across the British capital and in several European cities, Mr. Musk’s signature business has become the target of the same kind of political anger that has fueled vandalism of Tesla cars in the United States and sometimes violent protests at his dealerships.

There have been some instances of unruly protests and vandalism in Europe. But much of the anti-Musk sentiment has taken the form of political satire, of the kind that has flourished in Britain since at least the 18th century.

Just outside Berlin, a group called the Center for Political Beauty used high-power lights to project the word “Heil” onto the side of a Tesla factory so that it read “Heil Tesla,” along with a picture of Mr. Musk saluting during a speech in Washington. In Italy, street art depicts Elon Musk taking off a mask to show Adolf Hitler’s face underneath. The words “Elon Mask” appear above the picture.

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