Irony Alert – Toxic Stephen King Leaves X: ‘Tried to Stay, But It’s Become Too Toxic’
“It really changed. It grew dark.” Funny that a man who earned his fortune writing horror novels would find X dark.
Stephen King has become the latest celebrity to leave X since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. In a brief farewell message to his seven million followers on Thursday, the King of Horror wrote, “I’m leaving Twitter. Tried to stay, but the atmosphere has just become too toxic. Follow me on Threads, if you like.”
And he was gone.
I'm leaving Twitter. Tried to stay, but the atmosphere has just become too toxic. Follow me on Threads, if you like.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) November 14, 2024
Earlier this week, rumors that King had been banned him from the platform for mocking Elon Musk’s friendship with Trump were swirling.
On Wednesday, in one of his final posts on X, King sought to quash those rumors. He wrote, “I see there’s a rumor going around that I called the Musk-man Trump’s new first lady. I didn’t, but only because I didn’t think of it. … There’s also a rumor going around that Muskie kicked me off Twitter. Yet here I am.”
He sounds pleasant, doesn’t he?
According to The Daily Mail, “King was referring to recent Musk memes, which were AI generated, and depicted the tech entrepreneur as Trump’s First Lady.” The article notes that the memes began after Musk appeared in a Trump family photo.
The Mail reported that on Wednesday, King posted a photo of his dog with the caption, “Molly, aka the Thing of Evil, considers putting the bite on the Musk-man.” The dog did not appear to be at all threatening but, then again, I once had a golden retriever named Ferosha.
I was not among King’s long list of followers, but apparently he frequently took aim at the “Musk-man” in his posts. Ahead of the election, he warned his followers that most of Musk’s posts “are pro-Trump disinformation and outright lies.”
[Note: The Mail provides screenshots of the aforementioned posts as well as images of the AI generated memes showing Musk dressed as “Trump’s First Lady.”]
Nobody on X seemed bothered by King’s departure. In fact, some users predicted he’ll be back once he realizes he won’t get quite as much attention on Threads as he did on X.
Ok see you in a couple days. Bye for now
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 14, 2024
See you next week when you get bored yelling into a pillow on threads
— Shawn Farash (@Shawn_Farash) November 15, 2024
Others pointed out the irony of King finding X to be “too toxic.” He compiled a list of some of King’s greatest hits.
Really, Stephen? Has it just suddenly become “too toxic?” pic.twitter.com/5rBnPz1qrP
— Frank McCormick (@CBHeresy) November 14, 2024
All King ever did was make blunt, edgy, and stupid political pronouncements and then he announces X had become toxic. Maybe he should have tweeted more about books and his craft. People would have welcomed him with open arms and still tolerated some disagreeable opinions. https://t.co/MiJuTA1Ksb
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) November 15, 2024
Many made fun of the fact that celebrities feel the need to announce their exit. They don’t realize how little difference their presence, or the lack of it, makes.
“Celebrities” when they leave X. pic.twitter.com/AC2nxFZ4oq
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) November 14, 2024
And one commenter hopes that Rob Reiner is the next to go.
Stephen King is gone from X…
Now all eyes are on Rob Reiner…. pic.twitter.com/saQMDGoh9d
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) November 14, 2024
In case anyone is interested, King had a great first day at Threads. In one post, he said it’s been very “freeing” for him. In another, King wrote, “I quit Twitter. Eleven years, man. It really changed. It grew dark.” Funny that a man who earned his fortune writing horror novels would find X dark.
“Being here on Threads feels freeing.” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ac3QwVZHcQ
— Chris Musselman (@TakeRightTurn) November 15, 2024
So Stephen King joined the long line of celebrities and high-profile journalists who have moved on from X since the election.
Once Musk opened up the platform to free speech and it was no longer the liberal echo chamber they had grown accustomed to, they became angry and frustrated. They began calling opinions or even facts they disagreed with “disinformation.” The platform had suddenly become “toxic” and “dark.” Some users began to feel “unsafe.” But Trump’s victory – and Musk’s part in it – proved to be the final straw.
Most have migrated either to Threads, a meta-owned platform, or to Bluesky.
Obviously, no company wants to lose business. But despite the departure of these “big names,” The Wrap reported on Friday that “X has still seen its daily user base increase 5% after the election” (according to Sensor Tower data).
Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board at The Sixteenth Council, a London think tank. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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Comments
All these toxic characters should not be allowed to return.
Did the crazy in the white van find him?
Maybe Christine will come back to get him.
What Musk needs to do is for every one of these self-proclaimed celebrities that leave is to delete their accounts entirely. All of it. The years of posts they’ve made both good and bad gone without hope of recovery. All their followers unfollowed. All their videos gone. The whole lot. They don’t get to simply “deactivate” their accounts so that they can come back when they realize that the alternatives (BlueSky, Threads etc.) don’t provide the ego boost for their narcissistic personalities that they crave. Make them all start over from Post #1 if they want to come back. Would serve them right.
You may think him toxic, but he is an enormously successful writer. I dislike his politics, but I can’t but admire his writing: I have read all of his books and most admired the following: The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, Carrie, The Stand, Cujo, The Green Mile, The Dark Tower, Pet Cemetery, The Body, Apt Pupil, Under the Dome, I could go on and on. I refuse to condemn a gifted writer or artist just because I disagree with their politics.
That’s fine, but need I point out that quite a few gifted writers and artists also thought Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were the bee’s knees and had no problem defending.and supporting mass murder.
Stephen King and his novels are not like Hitler, Stalin or Mao. If you really think this, then are a hopeless degenerate.
How is he not?? He wants to exterminate us for who we voted for. He isn’t the nice guy you think he is. He IS the monster who rights horror books.
Speaking of hopeless degenerates, here you are.
Damn, that was my first thought when I read his comment, JR does act like a Dem degenerates, probably personally recruited by Hillary.
JR, please improve your reading comprehension.
The article includes quotes taken directly from King’s Twitter feed. He is both vicious and toxic. That’s the main plot point of the article.
You want admirable writing? Try H.P. Lovecraft. Much of King’s work is eerily similar to Lovecraft’s.
A lot of famous writers, King included, have been complete whack jobs. I might enjoy some of their material from time to time, but it doesn’t mean their personal political philosophies or lives are beyond reproach. Some have been real reprobates, if not worse.
Interesting that you overlook the vile by saying you merely dislike his politics while foaming with admiration. Not addressing the substance of the hateful things and what it says about the man. The exact opposite of Trump, focusing on the mean words as a sign of character, while ignoring the accomplishments. Not very consistent. TDS?
One can acknowledge his brilliance as a writer while condemning him for his politics. Because I don’t need his writing (there are other brilliant writers, although truth to tell, I read almost zero fiction – I simply don’t have time for it), I will pass on his books (even if I were inclined to read fiction). I have stopped putting money into the pockets of people who take my money and give it to people who will spend it to work against my interests and the interests of the country. There are just too many alternatives to the authors, artists, and entertainers who have made it clear that they don’t love America and would see it destroyed to worry about the loss of their products.
Definitely NOT a “brilliant writer” …. Lord I hope standards haven’t dropped that low. Has anyone exposed themselves to actual literature anymore? Skilled spinner of stories at best
I bet you liked the tween gang bang in IT too.
Despite being a “great writer” when he denigrates Trump, Musk or others he NEVER gives examples of the “lies” or “misinformation”
I enjoyed his books a lot more before he got hit by the van.
I went to college with his niece, met him a few times and have been to his house in Maine. He is actually a nice enough guy with an odd sense of humor, go figure, and supports out troops. His politics are off the rail, though. His continually dropping bombs then complaining about X being ‘”dark” is laughable. He should do what Rogan does, put up a tweet and never read the comments.
He’s a vile human being that wishes suffering and death on people for holding different beliefs than him….. fine don’t condemn his work but the man himself is a burning pile of garbage….. speaks volumes about you that his ability to write scary stories excuses that. I think the endless bile he spews from his black soul shows exactly where he gets all his inspiration from
What was your favorite scene in “It?” I bet I know.
“I refuse to condemn a gifted writer or artist just because I disagree with their politics.”
SO stunning.
SO brave.
SO full of sh*t.
Hitler was both a writer and artist so I guess you don’t condemn him?
Sorry, directed at that poser, JR
Here we go: I’m about to agree with JR in that I have always tried to separate Artist’s work from their political positions. It’s kind of similar to how I can enjoy a Thanksgiving roasted turkey while disregarding how terrible it would be to have one around the house.
There are plenty of other examples of Good Writer/Bad Human;
Norman Mailer was indeed a certified piece of shit as a human being, but damn could he write.
” He took it all too far, but boy could he play guitar”
Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars.
Did you check out any of his posts?
Look into his Lake Kezar, Maine bait-and-switch, despicable. He had a home there. There was a boys camp on an island nearby. King bought it saying he was going to make a camp for disabled kids. The boys camp, and the noise they made that he hated, went away. The Handicapped kids camp never materialized.
There are several incidents of him treating fans who politely approached him absolutely horrible. At conventions no less.
There is the adolescent gangbang in “It” and several other weird sexual references sprinkled throughout his books.
When Trump was “defeated” in 2020 he tweeted to Kayleigh McEnany “Have fun at your next job as a cocktail waitress”. That’s pretty demeaning, sexist and wholly inappropriate.
Guys a “creep show”.
What you mean isitno longer your echo chamber. You have to defend your insanity and libs can’t do that.
On Twitter we’re our own bosses. We select and curate what we prefer to view in the same way we decide which books end up shelved in our private libraries.
Some objectionable things slip through into the “for you” category and I simply mute or block them.
So, yeah, King is simply another angry, impotent, authoritarian.
– As author he’s literally god-dictator and puppet master of the settings and characters he creates.
X isn’t toxic….. the curtains have been pulled back and the bright sunlight is toxic to King and his ilk. The really sad but very dangerous finding is that a large part of the US and other Western nations have significant mental problems with limited coping mechanisms. The harsher past was probably a major impediment for these peoples’ survival
Toxic in the way sunlight and Raid are to cockroaches….
My first thought was vampires, but YDY.
enjoyed his writing
his politic sux.
i’m not on X so don’t care
have moved past his writings
good luck to him
don’t come back.
u closed that door
don’t reopen it.
King has been off his meds for a long time. Buh-bye.
Keep in mind Stephen King likes to live in a fictional world. Who better for him to root for then the democrat party.
Stephen King: “I’m leaving Xitter!!”
Me: “I don’t think about you at all.”
He’s just a foul tempered, foul mouthed author, of which there are too many.
I find neither his writing nor his attitude to my liking. Therefore, I care not.
.
He’s leaving?
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
While I enjoyed his stories he and other leftists have been on a multi decade spiral beginning with the election of Bush in 2000. The leftists do not take losing very well. Instead of looking inward and blaming their political message and policies they always seem to blame the electorate. King and leftist ‘big shots’ are doing the same here with X. Despite their own long history of less than civil posts they blame the contentious discourse on X by others as the reason for their exit as if they we’re always above the fray. Another example of how leftists must lie, even to themselves, to advance their beliefs.
The Shining and Misery were probably two of my favorites. He is way over rated and copied much of his material from Twilight Zone. Not that original.
Limousine Lib lost his “safe space” on twitter.
Tissue?
I read a few of his books and was underwhelmed. Then I discovered Dean Koontz and never looked back.