On April 24, 2024, Esspots.com published an article with the headline, "Breaking: Elon Musk Invests $1 Billion in Mel Gibson and Mark Wahlberg's New Un-Woke Production Studio." The article posited that the billionaire wanted to support projects that aligned with this vision, and the studio was committed to "traditional values" and "non-woke" content.
The article said:
Musk, renowned for his innovative ventures in technology and space exploration, expressed his enthusiasm for this new creative endeavor, citing a desire to support projects aligned with his vision for cultural authenticity and creative freedom. The collaboration between Musk, Gibson, and Wahlberg represents a fusion of Silicon Valley ingenuity with Hollywood craftsmanship, aiming to challenge prevailing industry norms.
The decision to back this un-woke production studio underscores Musk's broader interest in disrupting traditional paradigms across various sectors. Known for his outspoken views on culture and society, Musk has frequently critiqued the prevailing narrative in mainstream media and entertainment, advocating for a return to more genuine, relatable storytelling.
The Facebook page associated with the website, SpaceX Fanclub, also shared a post with the same headline on April 21, 2024, adding the article in the comments section days later. Many commenters under the post believed what it was saying, with statements like, "You are a Good Man Elon.… So is Mel Gibson and Mark Wahlberg."
(Facebook user SpaceX Fanclub)
However, the above story originates from a site that describes itself as satirical in nature. SpaceX Fanclub's introduction section states, "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real."
Esspot.com's "About Us" page states:
Welcome to the US page of Esspots (A Subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News), your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America. Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire.
On this page, you can expect to find all sorts of hilarious stories and parodies about US politics, culture, and society. From outrageous conspiracy theories to outlandish political stunts, we've got it all covered.
The site also has a disclaimer, which says:
Welcome to Esspots.com, a website that specializes in satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only.
This is not the first time we've covered related satirical stories from Esspots.com. The site has previously falsely claimed that Wahlberg and Gibson were starting a "non-woke" production studio while declaring "Hollywood is saved." It also falsely wrote that Wahlberg refused to work with Tom Hanks, saying the latter was a "woke creep."
For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.