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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   6312 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of January 20, 2025

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Does anyone else find Elon Musk supremely anti-photogenic, in the sense that every photo of him looks awkward and unappealing?

I respect his business skills, but he could have used some time at a finishing school. Needs a Princess Diaries makeover.

He looks ridiculous and he's a terrible public speaker. It's oddly reassuring.

he's a terrible public speaker.

The funny thing is, he's an OK public speaker in some older interviews, he even has some charisma. Which means either he gets more nervous now that the stakes are higher, those interviews do a dozen takes per question or he legitimately fried his brain over the last couple of years.

I think he has in the past used that to disarm investors, the same way Gates sometimes used to play the bumbling nerd. But his age and lifestyle catching up to him has definitely made him hit the wall.

You can produce terrible photos of any public figure these days. Given how fast modern digital cameras shoot, even the normal act of speaking will produce awkward frames with eyes closed, moth open, or seemingly in a grimace. Musk has pissed off the majority of the journalist class, so they will do him no favors with regards to photos. These photos are just more evidence that no, you do not in fact hate journalists enough, and they are still really, really pissed at him for spoiling their little clubhouse on twatter.

But its a good sign, as my new favorite phrase goes "you only take flak when you're over the target."

But it's also apparent in videos, and people who support Elon Musk keep sharing photos of him looking awkward as heck while talking about how "exuberant" and "joyful" he is.

Someone can be exuberant and joyful while also being awkward; people of goodwill extend generosity of spirit to people like this and just say they're being joyful.

Goodness, reply to one thing and the goalposts get moved by the referee.

Yes, Musk is both exuberant and awkward, and I don't harbor him ill will for his appearance. I was responding to the idea that his awkwardness was only an artifact of malicious media. Instead, it seems like his supporters are likewise incapable of finding nice-looking images of Musk.

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