According to recent reports, the rivalry between the billionaire leaders of Twitter and Meta, formerly known as Facebook, escalated over the weekend. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, took to Twitter to mock Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta.
Musk’s tweets referred to Zuckerberg as a “cuck" and suggested a “literal dick measuring contest" between the two in light of Meta’s new Twitter competitor, Threads, potentially reaching 100 million users.
Elon Musk is not new to controversy, but let’s take a look at what the insult means and why the rivalry has been thriving:
What Does Cuck Mean?
The term “cuck" serves as an insulting word predominantly used by individuals positioned on the extreme right of the political spectrum to belittle men who hold politically liberal views, as per reports. Its usage aims to project the anxieties and insecurities of the insulter onto the target.
Originally stemming from the term “cuckold," which referred to a man whose wife engaged in extramarital affairs, the term has since undergone a semantic shift, Cosmopolitan explains in a report.
Presently, it more closely aligns with the concept of a “wittol," which denotes a man who is aware of and accepting of his wife’s infidelity. In the context of adult content, “cuck" has acquired a sexual connotation, indicating a man who derives pleasure from observing his partner participating in extramarital encounters.
Moreover, it implies a submissive or subordinate role for the male partner. Although conservatives frequently employ this term to deride liberal men for what they perceive as weakness or effeminacy, they also employ a variation of the insult to criticize fellow conservatives who endorse certain liberal ideologies.
Why is Musk Hitting Against Zuckerberg?
Over the past week, the launch of Threads, a text-based app that competes with Twitter, has reignited the ongoing dispute between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. Musk, who acquired Twitter for $44 billion last year, has accused Zuckerberg of intellectual property theft and publicly criticized the new platform, describing it as “just Instagram minus pics," as per a report by Forbes.
The tension escalated when Zuckerberg responded to a tweet from fast-food chain Wendy’s, which suggested he should go to space to irritate Musk, presumably referencing Musk’s company SpaceX, known for its rocket and spacecraft designs. In response, Musk shared a screenshot of the interaction on Twitter and called Zuckerberg a “cuck" while proposing a “literal dick measuring contest," accompanied by a ruler emoji.
Musk further accused Meta, the parent company of Facebook, of content suppression by stating that “censorship pays them well." This comment came in response to a user who claimed that Facebook continues to spread misinformation.
While Zuckerberg has largely remained quiet during this time, he did respond to a Threads user who suggested that Twitter deliberately excluded the new app from its trending topics, implying censorship, the report explained.
In his response, the Meta CEO simply used the word “Concerning" along with a laughing emoji, seemingly mocking Musk’s tendency to provide concise replies. Additionally, after more than a decade of Twitter silence, Zuckerberg made his first tweet by sharing a meme featuring two Spiderman characters pointing at each other. This post has been widely interpreted as a commentary on the similarities between the two social media platforms.
What is Threads & Why is Twitter Threatened?
As per a report by Vox, Twitter users have been expressing their desire for a viable alternative to the platform, as they perceive a decline in its quality under Elon Musk’s leadership. Recently, Twitter made a controversial decision to limit the number of tweets users can read, a move that garnered significant backlash.
While alternative platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky exist, none have managed to attract a critical mass of politically and culturally influential figures, surpassing Twitter’s popularity.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Instagram, owned by Meta, decided to seize the moment. Originally planned for a later launch date, the Threads app’s release was accelerated and is now available for users.
Functionally, Threads shares similarities with Twitter, albeit with some minor differences. Users can create short posts of up to 500 characters, including links, photos, and videos up to five minutes in length. The Threads feed will be algorithmic, featuring a combination of content from followed accounts and recommended posts, resembling Instagram’s current approach. In contrast, Twitter provides users with the option to switch between an algorithmic or chronological feed, limited to the accounts they follow.
