Elon Musk Calls for Wizards of the Coast to "Burn in Hell" Over Making of Original D&D Passages

Elon Musk, the owner of the app formerly known as Twitter, is calling on Wizards of the Coast and its parent company Hasbro to "burn in hell" for the publication of Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons. On November 21st, former gaming executive turned culture warrior Mark Hern posted several passages from Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons on Twitter, criticizing the book for providing context about some of the misogyny and cultural insensitivity found in early rulebooks. These passages were pulled from the foreword written by Jason Tondro, a senior designer for the D&D team who also worked extensively on the book. Hern stated that these passages, along with the release of the new 2024 Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide for D&D's "40th anniversary" (it is actually D&D's 50th anniversary) both "erased and slandered" Gary Gygax and other creators of Dungeons & Dragons.

In response, Musk wrote "Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets to trash E. Gary Gygax and the geniuses who created Dungeons & Dragons. What the [naughty word] is wrong with Hasbro and WoTC?? May they burn in hell." Musk had played Dungeons & Dragons at some point in his youth, but it's unclear when the last time he ever played the game.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets to trash E. Gary Gygax and the geniuses who created Dungeons & Dragons. What the [xxxx] is wrong with Hasbro and WoTC?? May they burn in hell.

- Elon Musk​

Notably, Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons contains countless correspondences and letters written by both Gygax and Dave Arneson, including annotated copies of early D&D rulesets. Most early D&D rules supplements as well as early Dragon magazines are also found in the book. It seems odd to contain one of the most extensive compliations of Gygax's work an "erasure," but it's unclear whether Hern or Musk actually read the book given the incorrect information about the anniversary.

Additionally, Gygax and Arneson are both credited in the 2024 Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide. The exact credit reads: "Building on the original game created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and then developed by many others over the past 50 years." Wizards of the Coast also regularly collaborates with Gygax's youngest son Luke and is a participant at Gary Con, a convention held in Gygax's honor. The opening paragraph of the 2024 Player's Handbook is written by Jeremy Crawford and specifically lauds both Gygax and Arneson for making Dungeons & Dragons and contains an anecdote about Crawford meeting Gygax.

Musk has increasingly leaned into culture war controversies in recent years, usually amplifying misinformation to suit his own political agenda.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I think Gygax could often be sexist, and it's ok to criticise him for it. Heck I remember teasing him about his stupid Harlot Table here on ENW, back in the day (he took it in good spirit). I don't think it's ok to have the kind of attacks on Gygax and co that appeared in the foreword of a book purportedly celebrating D&D.

On cultural norms, I do think the 1970s was an amazingly sexist decade. A lot of the stuff produced then looked weird even in the mid 1980s. That's much less true of earlier eras eg the 1930s-1940s.

Why do you think that the foreword is an attack on Gygax?

 

[S'mon]

Why do you think that the foreword is an attack on Gygax?

That's how the text I have seen quoted reads to me. Presumably Grummz & co felt the same.

 

[Staffan]

So, you're sitting there thinking Taylor Swift is going to show up at your house and let you keep her?


ooooookay.

What? No! I meant that when the time comes to bring out the guillotines, we can spare Swift.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

That's how the text I have seen quoted reads to me. Presumably Grummz & co felt the same.

Well, I do not read it that way and as far as I know it does not mention Gygax in the passages I have seen quoted. I still do not understand, what specifically about the text seems like an attack as distinct from a statement of fact about some of the material produced at that time?

 

[S'mon]

Well, I do not read it that way...

OK. I'm not going to accuse you of Sealioning yet - let's just disagree.

 

[Bedrockgames]

IMO, it would have been sexist to have rules that one can tell whether a woman you just met is a goodwife just by her appearance, because it's actually sexist to judge women just by their appearance.

When it comes to 'Karens', i find the description in the goodwife entry pretty spot on, possibly exaggerated a bit when compared to real life examples, but still, there's a remarkable resemblance in that description and to what we refer to as a Karen today. Nor do I see sexism in it. As the old addage goes, if you look for it you'll find it.

Man - that's a beautiful woman - 'stop objectifying her sexuality'
Man - let me hold the door open for a woman with her arms full - 'stop viewing her as weak and in need of your help'
Man - let me buy your dinner - 'stop treating her like she's dependent on you'

As demonstrated above, completely innocuous words and actions are able to be viewed as sexist if one so desires. That said, Sexism is a very real thing. I believe Gygax held sexist views (I think most men his age at his time did, and many women as well, just maybe not most of them), but some of the examples (not all) being used to 'prove his sexism' are total weaksauce, such that using them actually detracts from the case.

Look if your best examples of his sexism are random harlot tables and goodwife tables, then you won't convince many (I don't think they are your best examples). But if it isn't one of the stronger examples of it, then why are we spilling virtual ink over it?

Again I could be wrong but I think they are called Goodwives here because of the Goodwives in Scarlett Letter. I don't read it as a commentary on all women, all wives, etc. I read it as a trope a judgmental gossip how enjoys scandal. If I recall they are the ones demanding Hester be punished more harshly. I have't read it since highschool so I may be misremembering but found this passage:

"Goodwives," said a hard-featured dame of fifty,"I'll tell ye a piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof, if we women, being of mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne. What think ye, gossips? If the hussy stood up for judgment before us five, that are now here in a knot together, would she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have awarded? Marry, I trow not!"

"People say," said another,"that the Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor, takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation."

"The magistrates are God-fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch,--that is a truth," added a third autumnal matron."At the very least they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madam Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she,--the naughty baggage,--little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown! Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!"

"Ah, but" interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand,"let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart."

"What do we talk of marks and brands, whether on the bodice of her gown, or the flesh of her forehead?" cried another female, the ugliest as well as the most pitiless of these self-constituted judges."This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly, there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray!"

"Mercy on us, goodwife," exclaimed a man in the crowd,"is there no virtue in woman, save what springs from a wholesome fear of the gallows? That is the hardest word yet! Hush, now, gossips! for the lock is turning in the prison-door, and here comes Mistress Prynne herself."

 

[Bedrockgames]

So my Father grew up in the 70's and 80's. During that time there were people beating other people to death over their differences. So, since my Father is older than me, and since he grew up in a time when people were killing other people for being different, then I should just smile and nod if he spews any hateful speech? Can't criticize him for it after all. I should treat him differently, as a grown adult man, with more care and consideration because he just, he just isn't capable of realizing that hate speech is harmful. Not like a literal child, who I can tell that those things aren't right, and just ignore grandpa, he's allowed to believe those things.

That about right? And I really couldn't do anything about the leaders of my country, they are even older than him! Why this one guy... wait, actually no, that old guy seems like he understands that being hateful is wrong. Weird. Must be the outlier. So, we can't call anyone out for doing something wrong unless they were born in the last 20 years... unless they were raised by someone who was born sooner than that, and they were taught these bad lessons. In which case we can't call them out either... or their children, who would be raised in the same environment...

You know, it almost sounds like you can't ever call anyone out for any hatred ever, because you can always point to a time when that hatred was more prevalent and just say "but it was how they were raised!"

This isn't what I said at all. Your dad sounds a little older than me, I was born in the 70s and grew up in the 80s. So I assume he is generation X? Yeah I wouldn't expect hate speech from generation X and I wasn't talking about hate speech. I was talking about people who have views that are slightly out of step with the times, use outdated language, who don't necessarily have any malice but grew up indifferent times. Specially I was talking about elders. But there is a difference between your grandfather who used the wrong words and had traditional views on men and women (which if you were born in the 30s, most people did), versus an old person who supported segregation or hated groups of people. It is also about approaching your own progressive wisdom with a degree of humility because we are all products of our time: you had the good fortune of being raised in a more enlightened time ("there but for the grace of God, go I"). Again I think this is the sentiment behind Heidi Gygax's post on the subject.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Ah yes, so witty. Perhaps I should go to the internet and find modern equivalents of those words. That would be a hoot right? So witty and clever to come up with insults for people.

Because, let's not forget what those funny little words MEAN. The same as [] or [*] any number of other words. They are just old-timey. But, you are right, what could be funnier than denigrating women as being sexually promiscuous and unclean? I mean, we sure do love Purity Tests, right?

Those words would have been available when he wrote it. Part of what makes it funny is the strange and old fashioned phrasing (people weren't walking around talking about brazen strumpets in the 70s or 80s). Also to my earlier point, I think very few people used the actual harlot entry (another source of my amusement is imagining the GM thinking to themselves "okay this is how I will play the saucy tart, but this is how I will play the brazen strumpet"). Goofy and over the top as it is, it is also actually an interesting example of characterization through word choice in a table. My memory of this table matches the other poster who mentioned it, of reading it out loud, probably in a Monty Python voice, and laughing at the concept and execution

 

[Remathilis]

That's how the text I have seen quoted reads to me. Presumably Grummz & co felt the same.

Grummz and co thought "hmmm, this will whip the followers into a froth" and sure enough, it did. All he does is look for wedges to shove into the geek community. He honestly probably couldn't care less, except for that the controversy helps him spread his own bigoted views to people who will react and spread them.

Here's a hint: Grummz doesn't think Gary said anything wrong. I don't know if he is even aware of Gary's words in Europa, but if he is, he agrees with every part of it. That women have no place in gaming. That females in games should present for the male gaze. That they have no role in the world except victim, reward, or whore. That they are the prizes for strong aggressive males who win them by force. Grummz wants to go back to a world where females have strength penalties and the hobby is predominantly white, male, straight and European based with just enough Asian exoticism to make it exciting.

But Grummz doesn't care about Gary's legacy. He cares about ideas Gary had and wants them to return to being the norm. It's not a question if Gary was a good or bad person despite what he said, he thinks Gary Did Nothing Wrong.

Keep that in mind when you look at who is defending this and ask if they reflect your (editorial you) values.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I think Gygax could often be sexist, and it's ok to criticise him for it. Heck I remember teasing him about his stupid Harlot Table here on ENW, back in the day (he took it in good spirit). I don't think it's ok to have the kind of attacks on Gygax and co that appeared in the foreword of a book purportedly celebrating D&D.

On cultural norms, I do think the 1970s was an amazingly sexist decade. A lot of the stuff produced then looked weird even in the mid 1980s. That's much less true of earlier eras eg the 1930s-1940s.

That last bit is kind of notable. It may be slightly different on each side of the pond, but the 70s was in the wake of a sexual revolution. So a lot of media content from that era has a sexual charge that media in the 80s simply didn't have because by then there was a backlash in full swing.