Meet Joyce Carol Oates, 87, the Literary Legend Taking Elon Musk to Task

Joyce Carol Oates tossed a grenade into X (formerly Twitter) and, somehow, it turned into a mini film discourse. She questioned whether Elon Musk ever shows he enjoys basic human pleasures. He fired back. Then he started posting about movies. Yes, really.

What set this off

This dust-up followed a separate political flare-up: after Senator Roland Gutierrez accused Musk of trying to become a trillionaire off American taxpayers, Musk posted about it on X. Oates jumped in on November 8, 2025, wondering why someone that rich never shares the usual personal stuff most people do online: nature shots, pets, shout-outs to a movie or a song, a book recommendation (she even jabbed that she doubted he reads), or pride in friends and family. She also labeled him 'uneducated, uncultured.' Subtle, it was not.

The reaction

The replies split fast: some applauded Oates for saying the quiet part out loud; others defended Musk, pointing out he has talked about films and books before.

Oates tries to clarify

On November 10, the 87-year-old author walked it back a half-step, saying she never named anyone and was thinking about the archetype of 'the wealthiest man in the world' more than a specific person. She mused that extreme wealth can feel unreal or ironic, and she even noted it’s noteworthy that Musk lets criticism live on his platform. That’s the vibe she was going for, according to her follow-up thread.

Musk fires back

Musk did not take it well. He quote-posted responses about Oates and went straight for the jugular:

'a liar and delights in being mean'

He also said she is not a good human being. His fans largely had his back in the replies.

Then came the movie posts

Here’s where it gets a little weird: not long after Oates’s critique, users noticed Musk engaging with an account that pumps out movie clips, dropping quick comments that amounted to 'I like this.' Critics argued it looked like he was trying to disprove Oates’s point by suddenly talking about films he watched ages ago. One viral post basically said Oates, at 87, got him so good he spent the day posting about his old movie favorites.

To be fair...

Musk has occasionally posted about books and movies before. He once recommended the audiobook of 'The Iliad.' He also had a very public slip-up when he described the Tesla Cybertruck as something 'Bladerunner' would drive, prompting film nerds everywhere to remind him the 1982 sci-fi classic is called 'Blade Runner' and there isn’t a character named 'Bladerunner.' Not the end of the world, but not ideal if you’re trying to look like a cinephile either.

Who Oates is, in case you’re new here

Oates is not some random commentator. Born June 16, 1938, she’s a novelist, playwright, critic, professor, and editor with hardware to match. Her mantel includes the O. Henry Award in 1967 and again in 1973, the National Book Award in 1970, the National Humanities Medal in 2010, the Stone Award for Lifetime Literary Achievement in 2012, and the Jerusalem Prize in 2019. She’s 87 and still extremely online.

The quick timeline

• Nov 8, 2025: Oates posts that Musk seems 'uneducated, uncultured' and never shares the simple joys most people do; this follows his post after Sen. Roland Gutierrez accuses him of chasing trillionaire status on taxpayers’ backs.
• Immediate reaction: praise for Oates from some corners; pushback from others who say Musk has shared movie/book tastes before.
• Nov 10, 2025: Oates clarifies she was talking about the idea of extreme wealth, not naming anyone directly, and even credits Musk for allowing critical voices on his platform.
• Same day: Musk calls Oates 'a liar' who 'delights in being mean' and says she is not a good person.
• Afterward: Users spot Musk chiming in on a movie-clip account with quick-fan comments; the internet debates whether he proved Oates’s point or undermined it.

My read: This started as a pointed critique about how a mega-wealthy public figure presents himself and briefly morphed into a film-nerd referendum. It’s messy, a little funny, and absolutely on-brand for the platform.

What do you think about Oates’s observation and Musk’s response? Drop your take below.