Overview of Elon Musk Has TOTAL MELTDOWN Over The Odyssey
This Crooked Media segment satirizes the right-wing backlash to Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, focusing on Elon Musk’s angry posts about the film’s casting, visual style, and perceived “wokeness.” The hosts argue that the criticism is less about fidelity to Homer and more about race, masculinity, and identity politics—while pointing out that the movie itself became a major critical and box-office success.
Key Points
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Right-wing outrage centered on casting
- Critics attacked the inclusion of actors like Lupita Nyong’o and Elliot Page, framing the film as “woke” and historically inaccurate.
- The hosts mock the idea that these commentators suddenly care about “fidelity” to Greek mythology.
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Elon Musk’s social-media meltdown
- Musk is highlighted for posting that Christopher Nolan “desecrated Homer” and bent to “woke rules” to win an Oscar.
- The hosts note that Oscar diversity rules are flexible and that there’s no evidence Nolan cast people for award eligibility.
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The complaints are really about race and identity
- The segment argues that critics treat “Greek” as synonymous with “white,” exposing how central race is to their worldview.
- The hosts point out the irony that these same people are upset by casting choices while ignoring the mythological absurdity already built into the story.
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Another wave of backlash focused on masculinity
- Streamer Asmongold is shown complaining about costumes, armor, and the “look” of the movie.
- The hosts mock the idea that the problem is not just diversity, but that the men aren’t “hotter,” more muscular, or sufficiently macho.
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PTSD and war trauma were also criticized
- Right-wing commentators reportedly disliked the film’s depiction of Odysseus/Matt Damon showing emotional damage from war.
- The hosts ridicule the notion that war trauma undermines masculinity.
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The film’s success undercuts the backlash
- Despite the online campaign against it, the movie is described as a massive hit, with strong reviews and audience scores.
- The hosts say Christopher Nolan appears largely impervious to the outrage.
Main Takeaways
The outrage is more ideological than cinematic
The segment frames the backlash as a predictable anti-“woke” reaction rather than a serious critique of the movie’s quality.
Conservative critics are inconsistent
The hosts argue that the same people who idolize Nolan are quick to turn on him the moment they perceive a political slight.
The film’s themes are being missed
They emphasize that The Odyssey is fundamentally about:
- suffering and homecoming
- the consequences of war
- identity, transformation, and endurance
The hosts argue these themes are central to the original epic and should not be treated as “unmanly” or politically suspect.
Notable Moments / Quotes
- Elon Musk is mocked for calling Nolan “Chris” and accusing him of “grovel[ing] on his knees” for Oscar rules.
- A recurring joke is that the critics seem to think the only acceptable version of the story is one where everyone is jacked, happy to kill, and proudly violent.
- The segment repeatedly returns to the phrase: “Look what they’ve taken from us” to parody the grievance-driven tone of the backlash.
- Ben Shapiro is quoted as conceding that a multiracial cast does not take him out of the film, and that “white people and Greek are not quite the same thing.”
Closing Message
The hosts end by stressing that the movie’s success shows the right-wing backlash failed, and they turn the moment into a call to action: support progressive media, watch the film, and vote.