I Hate the Tesla Drive-In Because It Looks So Damn Cool

Elon Musk is simply a racist asshole who’s spent millions of dollars trying to enactment a bloodthirsty fascist backmost into the White House. But I recovered myself conflicted Friday greeting portion speechmaking a caller nonfiction astatine Bloomberg astir the Tesla drive-in diner and EV charging halfway that Musk is opening successful Los Angeles. I hatred that I emotion it. And I truly privation anyone other but Musk was gathering it close now.

The 1950s-style drive-in, which sits astatine Santa Monica Boulevard and Orange Drive successful Hollywood, volition reportedly person 28 EV charging stalls, a edifice with rooftop seating, and 2 movie screens. The diner volition besides beryllium unfastened 24 hours, according to aged reports.

Anyone who knows maine tin easy recognize wherefore I would emotion the look and conception of this thing. Bloomberg describes it arsenic a “retro-futuristic carhop-movie-theater-mashup.” And I conscionable truthful hap to beryllium the feline who’s been penning Paleofuture, a blog astir past visions of the future, since 2007. This spot was fundamentally made for me. I mean, look astatine this rendering that shows what it’s yet expected to look like. It’s consecutive retired of The Jetsons.

© Tesla

And that’s wherefore I’m truthful conflicted. Because immoderate I emotion astir the plan of mid-20th period Los Angeles—with its hopeful imaginativeness of time and Googie-laced excess—clearly represents thing precise antithetic to guys similar Elon Musk. To him, the aesthetics of retrofuturism is that of a reactionary nostalgia for the 1950s and ’60s, laced with each the racism and “traditional” sex roles that he’s perpetually whining astir these days.

You lone request to look astatine the mode Musk talks to spot the connection, whether it’s astatine his large Tesla events oregon interviews with radical similar far-right influencer Tucker Carlson. Musk talks astir however “the aboriginal should look similar the future,” which is to accidental that it should emulate the retro-futuristic sheen of the past. And past helium goes connected podcasts to kick astir the “woke caput virus,” dispersed lies astir trans people, and demonize immigrants. How futuristic.

It’s not hard to recognize however the aesthetic choices of this diner and Musk’s authorities tin conscionable up. There are plentifulness of radical who bask the look of 1960s futurism who aren’t fascists. But if you’re a far-right billionaire, that aesthetic represents thing precise different. It celebrates a infinitesimal successful clip earlier specified woke annoyances arsenic the commencement power pill (Musk doesn’t similar it), DEI initiatives (Musk thinks diverseness and inclusion is anti-white discrimination), and mainstream America’s societal acceptance of trans radical (Musk besides has a existent occupation with that ever since his trans girl disowned him). When idiosyncratic similar Musk is embracing the benignant of retrofuture the accent is connected retro implicit future.

I’ve ne'er owned an electrical car. In fact, I don’t ain a car of immoderate benignant astatine the moment. But I sometimes thrust the electrical cars of friends and household and cognize what a symptom the charging tin be, depending connected your proximity to Tesla’s Superchargers. This drive-in looks similar a precise chill mode for radical to bash that charging portion grabbing thing to devour oregon watching a movie.

Musk is an unethical idiosyncratic who regularly uses dodgy techniques to fudge robot demos and interruption several labour laws portion being staunchly anti-union. And that’s to accidental thing of the information that he’s besides trying to usher successful a caller question of Trumpism that promises to terrorize Americans. Trump has promised to deport millions of radical successful a “bloody” operation, says helium volition usage the subject to spell aft governmental opponents similar Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi, and his erstwhile apical advisors person virtually called him a fascist who wanted Adolf Hitler’s generals.

And yet I’m stuck looking astatine this upcoming Tesla diner and reasoning it’s a spot I’d happily sojourn if Musk wasn’t involved. Am I the baddy, to paraphrase a popular meme? I deliberation I’m the baddy.

It’s inactive unclear erstwhile the edifice mightiness open. The YouTube transmission 247Tesla posted a caller drone video earlier this week from Hollywood showing advancement astatine the diner operation tract successful Hollywood. But reports person hinted that this diner conception could beryllium expanded to different locations if it does well.

I despise everything Musk stands for politically and can’t basal different aesthetic choices the feline has made with garbage similar the Cybertruck. But I deliberation it’s important to admit that I emotion this Tesla diner concept. I sincerely anticipation Musk flees to Russia (we learned yesterday the billionaire has been successful “regular contact” with Vladimir Putin since precocious 2022), but I person to springiness recognition wherever recognition is due.

And my conflicted emotions look to beryllium the point. The caller nonfiction astatine Bloomberg notes that wide EV owners person soured connected Musk and this diner is 1 mode to link with a user basal that sees the billionaire arsenic fundamentally opposed to their values. It’s a branding workout and it’s wholly worked connected maine truthful far.

Unless thing radically changes by the clip they decorativeness this diner, it looks similar a beauteous coagulated retail concept. And if Musk doesn’t yet permission the state for immoderate fig of reasons (Musk has said helium thinks he’ll beryllium thrown successful jailhouse if Kamala Harris wins the election), here’s hoping the unit astatine Musk’s caller diner astatine slightest unionize the place. There’s perfectly nary mode that George Jetson got a two-hour workday done immoderate different means than a pugnacious union.