The 2025 Oscar gave an unexpected turn when the technology billionaire Elon Musk publicly threatened to boycott the event, while the Oscar legend and the former star of the former “Exposed “Whoopi Goldberg presented a price on stage. Musk’s dramatic statement, shared through X during live broadcast on March 2, 2025, contained a quick comment from nine words: “This is just a scam, I have enough.” The comment caused a storm of indignation, with fans, celebrities and industry experts who express the enemy in the dispute between Musk and the Hollywood elite.

Musk, CEO of Tesla, Spacex and Xai, never moved away from his disdain for Hollywood “Woke-Kultur”. His latest outbreak of anger occurred at Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, when Goldberg took the stage to present the best documentary award. Goldberg, 69, is a Hollywood veteran and winner of the Egot Award, known for his open opinions on social and political justice. He began his contribution with a humorous side soap to Musk, referring to his recent controversial comments on diversity initiatives in the entertainment industry. “I heard someone say that Hollywood needs to wake up,” Goldberg joked, “but I think we’re starting.” The audience laughed, but Musk, looking from afar, didn’t have fun.

Musk has published a series of publications in minutes in X, where he has over 208 million followers. “I boycotted the Oscar,” he wrote. “It’s just a scam, I’ve had enough.” The explanation of nine words and broad extended rapidly and became a trendy theme around the world, as the public followed the drama that develops. Musk criticized the gym, describing it as a “compliant ecological chamber” that places the political agendas on the artistic value. He also attacked Goldberg directly, accusing him of “spreading divisive narratives” and claiming that the Oscar lost its importance today. “Hollywood needs to wake up and preach to the world,” Musk added in a follower publication. “I prefer to see a space that is absurd.”

Musk’s outbreak time was particularly remarkable because it occurred in a year when the Oscar was already being criticized due to low classifications and a perceived dissociation of the conventional audience. The 2025 ceremony, moderated by comedian Kevin Hart, promised a return to traditional glamor, with appearances by artists such as Billie Eilish and a tribute to 100 years of cinema. Musk’s comments, however, eclipsed much of the event and caught the attention of the winners asOppenheimer-Director Christopher Nolan, who was taken home as the best director, andThe area of ​​interest, the winner of the best movie.

Goldberg, in turn, seemed impressed with Musk’s attack. He later responded to the controversy with his typical joke. “I heard someone boycotting us,” he said with a smile. “Well, I’ve been boycotting diets for years, so I understand.” The audience roared to laugh, and Goldberg continued, “But seriously, we shouldn’t fight on the internet to celebrate art. We focused on the magic of movies.” His answer was recognized with standing ovation and consolidated his state as a popular figure in Hollywood.

The dispute between Musk and Goldberg illustrates greater cultural conflict between Silicon Valley and the entertainment industry. Musk has long criticized Hollywood for his “sign of virtue”, especially in relation to issues such as diversity, equality and inclusion (Dei). In 2024, he spoke publicly against the new gym standards for the award as the best film that prescribes certain representative standards. Musk described the rules “a joke” and said they suffocated creativity. Goldberg, a high defender of Dei, defended the standards with the argument that they ensured that the sub -placed voices were also heard. “The Oscar is not perfect, but they continue to develop,” he said last year inOu mostre “The View”. “If it bothers you, you may just be the problem.”

The threat of pounding to boycott for an Oscar is not just a personal statement, but it can have better scope consequences. As one of the richest people in the world with liquid actives of over $ 400 billion (in April 2025), Musk has a significant influence. He has already used his platform to challenge industries, from automotive to aviation, and his criticism of the Oscar could encourage others to question the relevance of the event. Some speculate that Musk even finances a competitive awards ceremony and can use their media projects, such as X, to create a platform that corresponds to their vision of meritocracy. “Elon not only complains,” said a technology analyst. “When the Oscar ends, I could try to exclude them completely.”

The reaction to the Almíscar-Goldberg dispute was polarized. Musk supporters remained behind him in X, and many shared his opinion that the Oscar had become too politicians. “Elon is right: Hollywood is a circus,” wrote one user. “Whoopi pretends to be a moral authority, but it is only part of the problem.” Goldberg fans praised her for her hardness. “Whoopi has been fighting justice for a long time, when Elon built cars,” he tweeted a follower. “He can’t stand if a strong woman challenge him.”

The controversy is also losing ground in the debate about the role of awards ceremonies in the digital age. Oscar audience has constantly decreased over the last decade. The 2024 awards attracted only 18.7 million viewers, away from the 55 million viewers who saw in the 1990s. Critics argue that the academy is trying to reconcile its traditional prestige with the demands of a modern and fragmented media scenario. Musk’s statements are polarizing, but they play in a growing sense that events like Oscars have lost their place in everyday promotion.

When the dust is, the Oscar 2025 will probably be remembered not by its winners, but for the duel between Musk and Goldberg. It remains to be seen if Musk will be kept with his boycott or squeeze his criticism to Hollywood. His wide nine -word statement initially shaped the awards season in a sustainable way, and once again he has shown that the consequences of a collision of two cultural giants cannot be ignored.