--- title: "As He Calls for “Positivity” on Twitter, Elon Musk Keeps Using a Disgusting Slur Against the Intellectually Disabled as a Bullying Insult" description: "In a fight on social media, Elon Musk decided to use a slur against disabled people — and it's far from the first time. " date: "2025-01-07" modified: "2025-01-07" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-disability-slur" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "Disability" - "elon musk" - "the digest" - "twitter" --- # As He Calls for “Positivity” on Twitter, Elon Musk Keeps Using a Disgusting Slur Against the Intellectually Disabled as a Bullying Insult ![In a fight on social media, Elon Musk decided to use a slur against disabled people — and it's far from the first time. ]() *\Image: Jim Watson / AFP via Getty / Futurism\* ## FUbar In a run-of-the-mill fight on social media — you know, the type that the ultra-wealthy used to remain aloof from — Elon Musk deployed an appalling slur against disabled people. "F u r\*tard," the 53-year-old billionaire quipped on X-formerly-Twitter after a user [accused him of spreading disinformation]() on the platform he owns. That childish retort is, it seems, one of the Donald Trump advisor's favorite words. A quick analysis of Musk's tweets reveals that [over the past year](), he's repeatedly used the disability-denigrating slur. He seemed particularly in its thrall in Decemeber, when he dished it out at least six times — [half of which]() came [on a single day](), [December 18](). Derived from the antiquated "[mental retardation]()" terminology to [describe people with intellectual disabilities](), the [so-called "r-word" has increased in popularity]() over the past few years as right-wing, fascist rhetoric has gained a greater foothold both online and in [real life](). Along with Musk, folks that populate what used to be known as the "alt-right" — like fellow traveler Laura Loomer — have also embraced the term as a catch-all for those who support ideas they oppose. Last year, for instance, the "[proud Islamophobe]()" directed it at "Thrift Shop" artist Macklemore after he [released a video supporting Palestine](), calling him a "[straight-up r\*tard]()." ## Positivity, Please Beyond the ableist term's gross resurgence, it's also ironic that Musk has lobbed it so repeatedly given that in recent weeks, the site's owner has called for less "negative" rhetoric and even announced that he [plans to change X's algorithm]() to promote "positivity." After first issuing his plea for pleasantry on December 30, folks on the platform and its increasingly popular competitor, Bluesky, [clowned on Musk]() for failing to embody his own newfound ideal. With his penchant for slur usage once again going on main, those jabs only continued. "No wonder this algorithm is so messed up," [tweeted one observer](). "So does this come under 'positive', or 'informative'?" [pondered another](), quote-tweeting Musk's "[F u]()" tweet. For all his [terrible rhetoric](), flinging this horrendous slur is yet another jarring mask-off moment for Musk that reminds us who he really is. When it comes to negativity on X, the call is clearly coming from inside the house. **More on Muskian missives**: [*Elon Musk Endorses Nazi-Linked German Party, Even Though It Opposed Tesla’s Gigafactory*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()