Tesla has started selling a pair of red satin short shorts celebrating its company and laughing in the face of its doubters.
Elon Musk, co-founder of the electric car company which recently became the most valuable carmaker in the world (based primarily on future potential of electric vehicles), announced the new item, as he often does, through a post on Twitter.
Tesla will make fabulous short shorts in radiant red satin with gold trim
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2020
“Tesla will make fabulous short shorts in radiant red satin with gold trim,” Musk tweeted on Friday.
You could be forgiven for thinking it was an attempt at humour from the tech maverick, but now the item has appeared on the Tesla online shop.
The shorts are likely to still be intended as a joke, featuring several subtle digs and references to Tesla vehicles, and veiled shots at critics.
The most obvious joke is the price.
Tesla is selling the shorts for $69.42.
We’ll let you figure out the first part of the joke but to the right of the decimal is a reference to the cannabis culture symbol “420”.
Musk has frequently joked about the fact he was born 69 days after 4/20 (April 20th, if you use America’s weird month/day format).
For those interested: Musk was born June 28, 1971, which is indeed 69 days after April 20th.
While he likes to make this joke, Musk has claimed he does not actually partake all that much in cannabis consumption (partially backed up by the fact he still calls it “pot”).
Other winking references in Tesla’s new garment is the “S3XY” lettering on the rear.
This is a reference to some of Tesla’s cars: the Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y.
But perhaps the best joke of all (or at least the most high concept) is the choice to sell the shorts in the first place.
In recent years, some investors have been “short-selling” Tesla stock, expecting it to crash.
It hasn’t, in fact it has shot through the roof.
Tesla has now decided to become a “short seller” itself, and will probably make more money selling a few satin shorts than any of the short-sellers who thought its stock price would crash are going to.
Musk also said he planned to send a pair to the “Shortsellers Enrichment Commission”, a shot at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
- News.com.au