You have to admit, the bromance between Tech Overlord Elon Musk and Orange Overlord Donald Trump has been quite a spectacle to behold. The saga has seen its share of dizzying highs and cringe-worthy lows, reminiscent of a reality TV show that you can’t help but watch despite your better judgment.
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Since Elon’s break-up with Grimes, his sugar levels have been on the rise from the saccharine exchanges with Trump, who has been more than a shoulder to cry on. And as Trump’s niece pointed out, these two lovebirds have “only 17 children with 6 different women” between them. It was only a matter of time before their pent-up passion brought them together, especially with the former president dangling a shiny new job offer in a “government efficiency commission” in Musk’s face.
In a recent campaign spree, Musk even referred to himself as DARK MAGA while bouncing around like DORK MAGA with the energy of a toddler. Everything seemed to be aligning perfectly, and the two most toxic, belly-jiggling right-wing juggernauts were about to consummate their relationship… until Will Smith swooped in to ruin the mood. Again. Just like he did with that infamous slap heard around the world at the 2022 Oscars.
On October 10, Musk attempted to momentarily shift the spotlight from his bromantic woes by unveiling the latest iteration of Tesla’s Optimus robot. Standing nearly six feet tall, the robot’s unveiling echoed scenes from 2004’s sci-fi thriller I, Robot, a little too closely for comfort. The event, cheekily titled “We, Robot,” was a blatant nod to the film, and the similarities between Tesla’s metal monstrosities and the movie’s malevolent machines were impossible to ignore.
For those unfamiliar with the film, I, Robot takes place in a world where highly advanced robots serve humanity, bound by the Three Laws of Robotics to prevent them from causing harm. However, when a murder is committed and all signs point to a robot as the culprit, Detective Del Spooner (played by Smith) must confront the chilling possibility that these mechanical servants may not be as benevolent as they appear. Elon is promising us a similar robot that can do anything we want, from making us a sandwich to walking our dogs.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to welcome our new robot overlords just yet. Who’s to say when these mechanical minions might go off the rails, concocting nefarious schemes in between dusting our shelves and folding our laundry? On the bright side, Musk’s robot reveal has gotten people talking about Will Smith for something other than The Slap. Since that fateful night at the Oscars, Smith has been the subject of ridicule and memes, with his name forever linked to the incident and no matter how many years passed, his name could not be discussed without remembering the infamous evening.
Now, however, people are applauding Smith’s portrayal of a techno-skeptic hero in I, Robot and the appreciation is unanimous, with no space left for the slap to mark its presence.
There’s an underlying concern that isn’t entirely dismissible. With the Optimus unveiled to essentially be interactive in all ways, it’s quite evident that Elon is in desperate need of a new partner, perhaps one with a tech uterus or two, as he seems eager to impregnate anything with a pulse (and now, apparently, without one), given how he recently threatened to “give a baby” to Taylor Swift. And in case, Detective Will is still itching to dish out another slap, I’ve got a pretty good idea of where he should aim.