A segment on the popular daytime talk show The View has sparked nationwide outrage after hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar mocked Elon Musk’s 4-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii, during a live broadcast. What started as a typical discussion quickly took a controversial turn, provoking intense backlash from the public and a heated response from Musk himself.
During the episode, Goldberg and Behar ridiculed the child’s unique name, with Goldberg joking, “You can’t name a kid after a captcha code and expect them to be normal,” prompting laughter from some co-hosts and audience members. Behar joined in, sarcastically saying, “Can you imagine the poor kid at school roll call? ‘X-Ash-A-12, present!’”
The segment quickly drew sharp criticism on social media, with viewers accusing the show of crossing a line by targeting a child too young to defend himself. Many parents and public figures expressed their dismay, emphasizing that children should be protected from public ridicule, irrespective of their parents’ public status.
Elon Musk immediately responded on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), condemning the comments: “Mocking a 4-year-old child on national television is disgraceful and cowardly. @TheView should be ashamed. I demand an immediate apology—not just to my son, but to every parent watching.”
The billionaire’s statement rapidly gained viral attention, prompting widespread support from the public and celebrities who voiced solidarity with Musk’s stance. Critics argued that this kind of behavior from mainstream media could set a troubling precedent, normalizing personal attacks on family members of prominent individuals for entertainment or ratings.
In response to the mounting backlash, producers of The View issued a brief and ambiguous statement the following day: “We understand that our recent comments about Elon Musk’s family have generated strong reactions. The View has always stood for open conversation and satire. While we may push boundaries, our intent is never to cause harm. We move forward with love and humor.”
Notably absent from the response was any direct apology to Musk’s son or acknowledgement from the hosts involved. This vague statement only intensified public anger, triggering further criticism and spawning trending hashtags such as #BoycottTheView, #ApologizeToX, and #FireWhoopi across multiple social media platforms.
Elon Musk, unsatisfied with the show’s response, swiftly followed up with another pointed statement on X: “What a cowardly non-apology. Hiding behind ‘satire’ to mock a child? That’s the lowest of the low. This isn’t over.”
Sources close to Musk suggest he is considering legal action or leveraging his significant influence to hold the media accountable for such incidents, potentially urging advertisers to withdraw support from programs engaging in similar behaviors.
The incident has rekindled a broader national conversation about media responsibility, the ethics of satire, and the protection of children from becoming collateral damage in adult disputes. Parents and advocacy groups have expressed concern about normalizing attacks on minors, while others argue about the limits of satire and freedom of speech.
As this controversy continues to unfold, the debate over media ethics and the boundaries of acceptable public commentary is likely to persist, potentially reshaping standards of broadcast behavior and public discourse in an increasingly polarized environment.
