Seemingly unprompted, Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared a photo of his bedside table in a tweet. What’s seen is a random collection of miscellaneous wares that no one could predict; a nearly empty water bottle, a Tibetian meditation bell, a Revolutionary War pistol in a box displaying a painting of George Washington crossing Delaware, a replica handgun from the video game “Deus Ex: Human Revolution”, and (most controversially) four cans of caffeine-free Diet Coke.
At first and most prominently, people were offended by the caffeine-free soda. Diet Coke has loyal followers online and to see a billionaire tech CEO choose no caffeine is “disturbing”. “Diet Coke” trended in the US on Twitter.
of all the troubling things about him, drinking caffeine-free Diet Coke has gotta be the biggest red flag. might as well drink some alcohol-free beer while you’re at it pic.twitter.com/aHBk0mlCqV
— the thicc husband & father (@lukeisamazing) November 28, 2022
everyone will focus on the guns of course but i am personally quite disturbed by the four cans of caffeine-free diet coke
— Brandy Jensen (@BrandyLJensen) November 28, 2022
The firearms were another topic of conversation and memes. Musk previously endorsed tighter background checks for gun sales and limiting the sale of assault weapons in an email to CNBC after the Uvalde, Texas shooting in May of this year.
“I strongly believe that the right to bear arms is an important safeguard against potential tyranny of government. Historically, maintaining their power over the people is why those in power did not allow public ownership of guns,” Musk said to CNBC.
Some conservative fans of Musk found the post as a way to intimidate liberal critics of Musk.
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Many were quick to recognize both guns as props. The Diamond Back .357 handgun is known as one of the weapons the character Adam Jensen uses in “Deus Ex: Human Revolution”, the third game in the “Deus Ex” franchise. The post-apocalyptic game shows a world controlled by megacorporations and the implementations of artificial human tech enhancements. Jensen is given advanced tech augmentation against his will and must uncover a government conspiracy.
Many Twitter users found Musk’s possession of the video game replica highly ironic.
The dude has two nonfunctional guns on his bedside table and one of them's an illegal reproduction of a gun from Deus Ex: Human Revolution and you can tell it's an illegal reproduction because the cylinder is badly misaligned
— VƎX Werewolf (@vexwerewolf) November 28, 2022
Anyone curious the gun is a modified replica from a game series called Deus Ex. A series about a dystopian future where corporate elites basically destroy the world through technology and humans hate being human. https://t.co/WG0FECjGkC
— ????DeathMetalViking???? (@DeathMetalV) November 28, 2022
Musk has only replied to one aspect of his bedside table photo. His utter lack of coasters.
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There is no excuse for my lack of coasters
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 28, 2022
I was about to say… Those Diet Coke can rings on your table are an abomination. Ask Jeff Bezos to send you some coasters for crying out loud. https://t.co/rC9SE4NOph
— Nomi Malone (@spoiELLEd) November 28, 2022
Musk’s bedside table continues to confuse many on Twitter.
