Elon Musk jokes about Rick and Morty defense system for Teslas
Let's just say other drivers will think twice before denting your car.
"Keeping Summer safe" is a pretty bloody reference for Elon Musk to make.
Tesla's Elon Musk knows his Rick and Morty episodes. On Saturday, Musk tweeted about the Adult Swim animated show -- with a rather grim reference.
"Tesla Sentry Mode will play Bach's Toccata and Fugue during a robbery (and keep Summer safe)," the billionaire tweeted.
Tesla Sentry Mode will play Bach’s Toccata and Fugue during a robbery (and keep Summer safe)https://t.co/wnS5qLeB2E
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 27, 2019
Let's break down that sentence. Musk tweeted about Sentry Mode a few days ago, on Jan. 22, when a Tesla owner tweeted about a dent and wished the car featured "360 (degree) dash cam feature while parked."
And a Tesla owner's wish is Musk's command, apparently, as he responded, "Tesla Sentry Mode coming soon for all cars with Enhanced Autopilot."
Tesla Sentry Mode coming soon for all cars with Enhanced Autopilot https://t.co/x2buQWiABX
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 22, 2019
Will Sentry Mode actually play Johann Sebastian Bach's iconic Toccata and Fugue, that famed-from-horror-movies classical tune you may think of as Dracula's theme?
What exactly Sentry Mode entails is still mysterious. A Tesla rep told me in an email that the company wasn't ready to say more than what Musk tweeted. Engadget has surmised that Sentry Mode will feature "always-on dash cam function or will switch on automatically when it senses a blow or break-in to the vehicle."
When asked about timing for the vehicle surveillance feature, Musk said on Friday he expected a "rough beta in two to three weeks."
Rough beta in 2 to 3 weeks
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 25, 2019
The Rick and Morty comment refers to a more violent form of vehicle protection. In a second-season episode of the show, Rick and Morty go inside the microverse battery of the Space Cruiser, and leave teenage Summer alone in the ship.
Rick instructs the ship to "keep Summer safe," which it does, to bloody results. If you remember the slice-and-dice scene from 1997's Cube ... yeah, like that. Let's hope that Musk limits Sentry Mode's reaction to damage or theft to classical music, not Rick-style vengeance.
And yes, the term "Sentry Mode" is likely to sound familiar to Marvel fans -- Iron Man uses the term for a feature that allows for remote-operation of his Mark XLIII armor.
Rick and Morty writers are back at work, but there's still no date for the show's return.
First published Jan. 27, 4:11 p.m. PT.
Update, 6:55 p.m. PT: Adds comment from Tesla.
CNET Magazine: Check out a sample of the stories in CNET's newsstand edition.
Follow the Money: This is how digital cash is changing the way we save, shop and work.
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Solar Installer Guides
Other Energy Saving Guides
Our Experts
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.