Elon Musk Really Doesn’t Understand ‘Lord of the Rings’

JRR Tolkien the Lord of the Rings Novels—and their associated “myths” of characters, histories, legends, maps, and constructed languages—have served as the bedrock of so-called “nerd culture” since their publication in the mid-1950s.

With its vivid characterizations, and the (more or less) clearly defined lines between good and evil, Tolkien’s imagined Middle Earth—a vast, geographically diverse world teeming with elves, dwarves, wizards, dragons, orcs, and halflings—can be described as archetypal. It’s a kind of modern myth that can be adapted to any time, place or scenario. Well, almost any.

Recently, the US Department of Homeland Security has taken a “Shire Deployment” approach. That means: Using quotes and images from Tolkien’s books (and director Peter Jackson’s blockbuster films) as part of ICE’s registration efforts. One meme, posted on X on Wednesday, quotes the character Merry (played by Dominic Monaghan in the films) warning his friend, “There’ll be no Shire, Pippin” — a reference to the Hobbit’s peaceful green homeland being encroached upon by the forces of the evil wizard Sauron, and his designs on subjugating all of Middle-earth.

Such mythical heartbreak seems to be widespread recently. Elon Musk took to X this week to defend British far-right figure and anti-immigration agitator Tommy Robinson, citing Tolkien’s tale: Hobbits, Musk said, “were able to live their lives in peace and quiet, but only because they were protected by the strong men of Gondor.”

For anyone who was too busy being quiet in high school to ponder the made-up histories of Middle-earth, Gondor was a kingdom of brave warriors called Númenóreans, also known as “the Men.” It is perhaps worth noting that by the time… Lords of the Rings The Throne of Gondor is absent, and the kingdom itself has fallen into disrepair under the shoddy care of a group of corrupt, lazy stewards. The so-called “strong men” of Gondor have become cowards and lackeys. Most importantly, it is generally accepted that Tolkien’s hobbits survived (and thrived) because of their humility and noble, earnest virtues. Not because they had powerful warriors defending them. Much of Musk’s response suggested that his post spread a complete misreading of the narrative.

Throughout Trump’s second term, various government agencies have drawn from popular culture references — from Pokémon to Halo — in a transparent effort to appear related or “based.” (“Based” is an honorific usually given to anyone or anything that is sexist, racist, or rudely “unwoke.”) the Lord of the Rings The posts are brushed off as particularly egregious — or just plain stupid — because they seem so at odds with Tolkien’s work and the worldview he expresses.

I’m not very familiar with Tolkien’s expanded appendices and all the massive tomes of funky Middle-earth mysteries, but as an ardent reader of Tolkien as a boy (who had a dope poster for… Lord of the Rings He wrote on his bedroom wall, “I don’t seem to remember any scenes of Frodo, Samwise, Gandalf, Galadriel, and the gang driving around in an unmarked van, wearing face-suffocating neck gaiters, hassling immigrants at car washes, and kicking down the doors of apartment complexes in late-night raids. If anything, such scenes bear a more direct comparison to “The Scouring of the Shire,” the penultimate chapter of “The Scouring of the Shire.” Lord of the Ringswhich sees the hobbits returning home from their epic adventure to find their sleepy province persecuted by villains and hired cops, all in the thrall of a decrepit wizard.