Great new Tom Nichols column for the Atlantic: Elon. Trump. Resentment.

[dweller]

2. PS (at the end of the article)

Elon Musk using Twitter as his personal clubhouse is a bad development, but now and then, it’s also hilarious—especially because Musk’s skin is thinner than phyllo dough. There are some very funny memes circulating, but I am surprised no one has drawn the most obvious parallel here: Elon Musk is Homer Simpson in “Homer the Great,” a Season 6 episode of The Simpsons in which Homer tries to join the cool secret fraternity in Springfield known as the Stonecutters. It turns out that Homer has a birthmark denoting him as their Chosen One, and he’s given absolute power over the club. Homer, as he often does, screws everything up, and the Stonecutters, fed up, disband and form a new society: the Ancient Mystic Society of No Homers. The episode is worth it just for the greatest song ever done on The Simpsons: “We Do (The Stonecutters’ Song).” I dare you to watch it without thinking of Musk.

One other parallel, far less humorous, that comes to mind is with the millionaire Paul Radin in the Twilight Zone episode “One More Pallbearer.” I can’t explain why without spoiling the surprise for you, but the comparison is obvious—and sad. It’s a classic episode, and again, I challenge you to watch it without thinking of Musk (or Donald Trump)



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