You could say he’s poked a hornet’s nest. The remark has been the source of a good many memes and accusations. But it also does what he does best: it makes X look good by making the competition look small.
It’s a line that works because it mashes up a bit of culture war with old-school platform one-upmanship. Some of his fans are in on the joke, while the rest of us are left to call it what it is: stereotyping. One way or another, the eyes of the web end up where he wants them.
What sparked the remark
He made his move in the middle of a viral thread on how we use social media as we get older, with its share of thirst traps and sourdough posts. “Instagram is for girls,” he wrote. Short and to the point.
Then, when the replies came in, he went for the jugular: “Sometimes grown men send me their Instagram profiles and I’m like are you transitioning or what?” That was a step too far for some, who were quick to point out the insensitivity.
Here is what Musk posted this week, verbatim:
– “Instagram is for girls.”
– “Sometimes grown men send me their Instagram profiles and I’m like are you transitioning or what?”
– “Only X is open, the other social media companies manipulate the results behind closed doors.”
– “Can’t trust WhatsApp.”
Backlash and defence
The pushback was immediate. A few users had some fun with it, labelling X as the app for autists, or for women. It’s the kind of split response you come to expect from a Musk post: the more friction, the more reach.
Promotion of X and rivalry with Meta
But there’s a business case behind the bluster. Since he rebranded Twitter to X in 2022, he’s been at it with the competitors, touting his site as the home for ‘serious’ talk. He’ll have you believe that only X is open and the rest of them are cooking the books. Not long ago he was telling us we can’t trust WhatsApp and should be on X for our calls instead.
Why it matters for users
This isn’t just noise. He’s trying to nudge where people hang out and how they think. Make Instagram seem like a waste of time and X the place to be, and you change the way news and trends move.
Of course, you can read it as a simple equation: agitate, polarise, and let the engagement numbers do the talking. His side will tell you he’s calling out the hollowness of influencer-land. For the most part, we’re the ones in the crosshairs.
He’s been at this before, chiding the kind of content and gender politics that define Instagram’s vibe. It’s a surefire way to keep the outrage machine running and the focus on his turf.
Don’t be surprised if he and Meta have a few more run-ins. He doesn’t usually go after their apps without a plan. Every jab is meant to make his network seem like the better, freer option.
Watch these signals to see where this goes next:
– Whether X publishes more transparency metrics
– Any formal response from Instagram or Meta
– Uptake of X audio and video calling
It’s a well-worn formula: put out a provocation, let the argument over taste and identity play out, and then sell you on X. This time around it’s working, and the traffic is proof enough of why he sticks to the script.
