We Curated a Live Discussion on Elon Musk: It’s Complicated

Last month, 2-Way Tonight invited LookLook to curate a group of Gen Z to speak live on Mark Halperin’s platform about their perceptions of Elon Musk. For many, opinions were generally positive until he joined up with President Trump. 62% say they now like him less. 

But this isn’t about politics. If anything, this study highlighted how refreshingly non-polarized Gen Z is compared to older generations. They’re not locked into decades of silo-ed media watching. They read new media and listen to podcasts. They form new opinions based on the evidence presented to them and aren’t quick to judge negatively. They recognize that things are not black and white — and that what’s first reported isn’t always the full story.

Several participants mentioned that Musk’s purchase of Twitter shifted their view of him — no longer just a billionaire, but someone with real influence over what people can say and see. When he gained power in this way, it changed their perspective on what it means for a billionaire to control what was once an open platform.

His political participation sparked mixed reactions. Some see him as a savvy business mind who could make a positive impact, while others worry about his growing power in a role he wasn’t elected into. With concerns about his true intentions, 35% of participants said they believe his top motivation is to gain more power.

For Gen Z, navigating conflicting narratives is second nature. They’ve grown up knowing that what’s ‘true’ often depends on who’s telling the story — and that there’s almost always evidence online to support any belief.

At LookLook, we pride ourselves on creating a space where participants can share their unfiltered thoughts — whether it’s about culture, business, or the people shaping both. Just like Gen Z’s perspectives, our conversations are layered, evolving, and judgment-free.

The Recession is Coming… Wasn’t it already here?

For years, we’ve been told a recession is coming — but the women in our cultivated communities are not panicking. 

When you’ve grown up hearing the world is ending — whether from war, recession, poverty, or climate change — it’s hard to take every headline seriously. Especially when many of us are still finding our financial footing anyway.

And the numbers? They’re all over the place.

The Wall Street Journal reports that luxury spending in the U.S. dropped 9.3% in February — worse than January’s decline. Meanwhile, Forbes says retail sales actually rose 0.2% that same month.

It’s no wonder Gen Z isn’t spiraling — when every headline feels like a contradiction, why rush to change your spending habits? This generation isn’t ignoring the noise; they just know better than to panic over numbers that don’t always tell the full story.At LookLook, we are busier than ever being asked to study these trends, and we find consistently that the women we’re talking to are still spending, just more judiciously. We foresee a pickup in spending during the second half of 2025 when pent-up demand begins to unleash again. And the efforts of some new Creative Leaders (Matthieu Blazy at CHANEL, for one) bring new energy to the world of fashion.