If Elon Musk and The Boring Company insist we need a flamethrower, then we need a flamethrower. So, it’s totally natural that all 20,000 units were sold out, with each retailing at $500 a pop. But obviously, when a questionable item is screened in customs, Musk gave a simple solution: don’t call it a flamethrower. What’s that saying about a rose by any other name?
I can totally imagine the futurist kicking back on Twitter and telling everyone — which he did — “Apparently, some customs agencies are saying they won’t allow shipment of anything called a ‘Flamethrower’. To solve this, we are renaming it ‘Not a Flamethrower’.”
Done; world saved, problem averted. Musk assured followers of the safety precautions around the flamethrower, explaining, “ATF (The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) says any flamethrower with a flame shorter than 10 feet is A-OK. Our design is max fun for least danger. I’d be way more scared of a steak knife.” Yes, I’d definitely be scared of a steak knife too over something that shoots fire.
If there’s one thing Musk masters, it’s the art of throwing out an invention and making the act look very blasé. In the meantime, the billionaire is also showing off an artificial astronaut as it is seated ever so casually in a Tesla Red Roadster.
The SpaceX suit and gear remind me of a Daft Punk-esque era in which I hope we all end up living. Revokes Musk’s notion of ‘Wouldn’t it be fabulous if humans finally became an interplanetary species?’ And imagine we could all walk around with safety-enhanced non-flamethrowers, too, just to up our evolution game.
