“Matrix” co-creator Lilly Wachowski wasn’t happy that Elon Musk and Ivanka Trump were quoting her movie.
On Sunday morning, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO posted a cryptic tweet, saying “Take the red pill” with an emoji of a red rose.
As most movie buffs know, “take the red pill” is a reference from the Wachowski sisters’ sci-fi blockbuster “The Matrix.” In the movie, Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburne) reveals to the protagonist Neo (Keanu Reeves) that he’s been living in a computer simulation. He offers Neo a choice: Take a blue pill and go back to his life and forget about everything, or take a red pill to learn the truth about the Matrix and his fake reality.
However, the phrase “take the red pill” has taken on a new meaning in Internet subculture, and it usually refers to conservative political beliefs. It can now mean shifting one’s political alignment to the right, and it’s often used in Internet forums related to Donald Trump or men’s rights groups.
Musk’s tweet drew plenty of controversy in the comments, and had more than 190,000 likes by Sunday afternoon. Ivanka Trump then quoted “Taken!” on Musk’s tweet, prompting Wachowski to reply “F— both of you”Ivanka Trump✔@IvankaTrump ·
Musk’s tweet is the latest in a string of bizarre social media posts. Last week, he threatened to relocate Tesla’s headquarters and sue San Francisco’s Alameda County for maintaining its shelter-in-place guidelines, despite other counties relaxing them.
Wachowski is currently working on a fourth installment in the “Matrix” franchise, with Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss both returning. Production on the film halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the team added eight more weeks to the schedule to hopefully resume in July.
