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.

 

[S'mon]

Where WOULD the better place to put such criticisms be? Name the venue.

Apart from Internet discussion boards... A biography of Gygax. A book about TSR like The Game Wizards, and similar scholarly works. I would prefer a nuanced discussion rather than poo-slinging though. Gygax to me seems a rather complex character, and I would like to see discussion of his attitudes acknowledge that.

 

[Azzy]

I'm calling him sexist here. It's ok to discuss it. Not sure I'd call it a "fact", it's an opinion, which I hold. I wouldn't put it in the introduction to a book sold as a celebration of D&D. But I think it's fine to discuss it in a different context.

But it's bad when it's in a book?

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Musk is a very classic fool. Utterly full of himself and completely confident in his non-existent ability to be an expert on everything. Aurelius' Meditations warned against this sort of pompous and foolish idiot almost 2000 years ago. I suggest you just go read it as opposed to wasting time on fool boy.

 

[Remathilis]

Apart from Internet discussion boards... A biography of Gygax. A book about TSR like The Game Wizards, and similar scholarly works. I would prefer a nuanced discussion rather than poo-slinging though. Gygax to me seems a rather complex character, and I would like to see discussion of his attitudes acknowledge that.

And in the meantime, WotC has put out a new book with a slam at women's lib in it with nary an acknowledgement.

I will assume that the next time WotC has a kerfuffle, you will accept their silence on the matter until proper academics have a chance to put it in context?

 

[the Jester]

I think it's very likely that they published these "caveats" for the reason you cited. If that's the case, it makes it even worse to attack the character and legacy of Gygax in that way: it makes it morally bankrupt and I would argue, cowardly.

For the zillionth time, no one attacked the character or legacy of Gygax in the foreword- they wrote a disclaimer that some of the old skool writing included things that were, and are, sexist. They didn't even mention Gygax by name.

You know what is morally bankrupt and cowardly? Refusing to actually look at the words on display. Asserting that there's nothing to see there when you can actually look and see it. Insisting, repeatedly, despite the actual words in the foreword, that the foreword is an attack on Gygax and not a cautionary note that people might find offense in some of the works on display.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Did someone really just use the term '"benevolent" sexism'??? There is sexism that is "kindly" and "well meaning"? What the actual...

 

[polyhedral man]

But it's bad when it's in a book?

IMO It's distasteful, unbecoming and a betrayal of the man's legacy. I don't know if you accept these characterisations, but that's what makes it bad to me.
But it's not illegal for them to publish it.

 

[Justice and Rule]

Apart from Internet discussion boards... A biography of Gygax. A book about TSR like The Game Wizards, and similar scholarly works.

So just because this is a "celebration", we can't mention the general attitude of sexism in Lake Geneva? Just... not allowed? Seems very limiting.

I would prefer a nuanced discussion rather than poo-slinging though.

I mean, it seems like only one side is telling people to "go to hell".

Gygax to me seems a rather complex character, and I would like to see discussion of his attitudes acknowledge that.

If you want people to recognize Gygax as being complex, wouldn't you want to recognize his flaws in something that discusses his work?

I dunno, your argument seems to be based around a situation that really isn't happening and trying to "both sides" something when it's really only one side that's "flinging poo".

 

[Justice and Rule]

IMO It's distasteful, unbecoming and a betrayal of the man's legacy. I don't know if you accept these characterisations, but that's what makes it bad to me.
But it's not illegal for them to publish it.

I dunno, feels like it'd be way more distasteful to not recognize that stuff and simply whitewash his legacy for the purposes of avoiding conflict. You're entitled to your opinion, but I'm not sure how you can betray a man by simply recognizing his flaws.

 

[billd91]

Apologies for my spelling. Because I think a lot of milquetoast academic criticism, especially around language in media, is flawed. But I don’t think my opposition is all that strenuous

Not that strenuous? How many posts do you have in this thread? While that may not be physically strenuous, I suspect it's an effort above and beyond the commitment of most people on gaming discussion boards.