Neil Gaiman isn’t taking any guff from Elon Musk and has clapped back at him for Musk’s criticism of Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power. Recently, Elon Musk slammed Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, saying that “Tolkien is turning over his grave.” The harsh criticism made its way around the internet and caused quite the commotion. Critics gave Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes but the audience score is less than generous at 39%. The show has been mired in the negative press since it came out and it doesn’t appear to be letting up any time soon.
Neil Gaiman is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, and films. He is best known for his work on Coraline, Good Omens, The Sandman series, and American Gods. Many of his works have been turned into TV shows such as American Gods and Good Omens. Others have been turned into feature-length films like Coraline. Elon Musk is best known as a business magnate and investor. He is the CEO and founder of SpaceX and is also a billionaire. Musk is known for having strong opinions which he shares regularly. Gaiman on the other hand is more reserved but has been known to voice his opinions from time to time.
Recently, Neil Gaiman responded to Musk’s criticism of Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power on Twitter. Gaiman’s response was apt and tactful. Nothing too extreme or obscene; however, it did get his point across. The point is that Musk should stick to what he’s good at and leave well enough alone when it comes to TV and literature. The tweet received over 325 thousand likes and was retweeted over 35 thousand times. The story quickly became news and Gaiman’s tweet received a lot of support from fans. You can see the full quote and tweet below:
“Elon Musk doesn’t come to me for advice on how to fail to buy Twitter, and I don’t go to him for film, TV or literature criticism.”
Elon Musk doesn't come to me for advice on how to fail to buy Twitter, and I don't go to him for film, TV or literature criticism. https://t.co/WpyXhQlqIh
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) September 6, 2022
Neil Gaiman’s response was spot on. The critical response to Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power is solid and it’s only fans that seem to have a problem with it. I haven’t seen the show myself, nor do I plan to in the near future, but I was never a Lord of the Rings fan. Many fans of Lord of the Rings are calling the TV show a “disgrace”. Musk seems to agree with that but he’s also not a critic. He’s a billionaire who appears to have way too much time on his hands. I do think it’s interesting that Gaiman doesn’t reveal his own opinion, he only discredits Musk. The line about failing to buy Twitter is hilarious and not surprising given Gaiman’s legendary wit. Maybe Gaiman’s response is a one-off but given Elon Musk’s tenacity, it’s likely that this “feud” is far from over. You can catch Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Season 1 on Amazon Prime now.
Source: Neil Gaiman via Twitter
