Elon Musk backs Dave Chappelle’s scathing review of S.F. as ‘zombie apocalypse’
Twitter, now X. Corp, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk was in Paris Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. In a late-night tweet, he endorsed Chappelle’s scathing criticism of San Francisco during a stand-up comedy set in Nob Hill last week. Photo: Michel Euler/Associated Press Photo: Michel Euler/Associated Press
Elon Musk has backed comedian Dave Chappelle’s assertion that San Francisco has taken on the characteristics of a “zombie” movie.
In a late-night tweet in response to a post by right-wing commentator Ian Miles Cheong, who attributed San Francisco’s woes to its progressive leadership, the Tesla and Twitter CEO endorsed Chappelle’s scathing criticism of the city during a recent stand-up comedy set in Nob Hill last week.
“The disaster that is downtown SF, once beatiful [sic] and thriving, now a derelict zombie apocalypse,” the billionaire entrepreneur lamented to his 140 million Twitter followers.
Chappelle’s comments about the city were made during his sold-out show at the Masonic on May 11, where he recounted witnessing someone defecating in front of a restaurant he was entering in the Tenderloin neighborhood. The comedian rhetorically asked the crowd, “What the f—k happened to this place?”
Comedian Dave Chappelle slammed San Francisco as “a derelict zombie apocalypse” in a stand-up show last week. Photo: c. Mathieu Bitton/Netflix Photo: c. Mathieu Bitton/Netflix
According to a review of Chappelle’s set by SFGATE (the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but operate independently), the controversial comedian described San Francisco, where he frequently visits for sold-out surprise shows and Golden State Warriors games, as “half ‘Glee,’ half zombie movie.”
Citing the widespread homelessness and addiction on the streets, he added, “Y’all n—s need a Batman!”
Musk, known for his candid opinions and active presence on Twitter, lent his support to Chappelle’s portrayal of the city. In his tweet, he attributed the downfall of downtown San Francisco to what he referred to as the “woke mind virus,” a right-wing catchphrase frequently used to dismiss progressive ideologies and their perceived negative impact on society.
In December, Chappelle invited Musk onstage at his Chase Center performance, where the Twitter boss was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd.
Rightly so. The disaster that is downtown SF, once beatiful and thriving, now a derelict zombie apocalypse, is due to the woke mind virus. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 16, 2023
Musk’s dissatisfaction with San Francisco is not a recent development. In April, he compared the city’s streets to the bleak landscapes depicted in the popular TV series “The Walking Dead.” And earlier this month, he remarked that downtown felt “post-apocalyptic” following the announcement that Nordstrom was closing both of its stores near Union Square.
District Attorney Brooke Jenkins previously condemned Musk’s statements as “reckless and irresponsible,” particularly in light of the murder of Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App, by one of his associates.
Musk had asserted that “violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.” Jenkins countered Musk’s claims, arguing that they were based on incorrect information regarding Lee’s death and “serve to mislead the world in their perceptions of San Francisco.”
Source: SF Chronicle Datebook
