FabFitFun: The Cost of Free Speech

FabFitFun is a monthly gift subscription box that arrives filled with surprises.  The idea is that the total cost of the items in the box is worth waaaay more than your monthly subscription price.  Subscribers love it and it's been kicking around since 2010 just delighting people and making money.

That is until the company decided to throw its advertising money on the site-formerly-known-as-Twitter after Space Karen (Elon Musk) decided to add his free speech ability and endorse a tweet that was pretty anti semitic.  “You have said the actual truth.” Musk tweeted in agreement to what is widely known to be an anti semitic trope.  Advertisers fled the site and Musk started waving the banner of free speech.

Later, on stage at a conference, Musk made his "free speech" speech and then said he was being blackmailed by Bob Iger (Disney) and that Bob could go "F'ck Yourself."  This was his heroic mic drop moment but it fell flat since it was based on the false premise that Bob Iger gives a f*ck about what Elon thinks.

But the people at FabFitFun decided that free speech was a worthy cause and that "#gofuckyourself" would make a great promo code and hashtag.  So sign up now and get a box mailed to your house each month filled with presents worth way more than your monthly subscription price!

FabFitFun fans were not amused.  Apparently the whole Nazi anti semitic thing just flew under the radar at the corporate headquarters of FabFitFun.  The $100,000 they threw to Elon to support his free speech movement was wasted money as instead of getting lots of new subscribers, they lost subscribers.

But wait, they apologized and are ready to make things right!

What is free speech, where does it come from, and what use is it?  Is free speech free from consequences?