John Schnatter, the former CEO of Papa John’s Pizza, returned to X on Wednesday after more than a decade away from the platform.
“Big shout out to @X team for getting me back on X!” he wrote. “Papa’s in the house!”
Yet Schnatter’s post, his first since July 8, 2013, quickly highlighted just how drastically the social media site changed since being purchased by billionaire Elon Musk in 2022.
A longtime internet meme, Schnatter faded from public view in 2018 after it was revealed that he used the N-word during a conference call. The controversy led Schnatter to step down as chairman of the board of his eponymous pizza company, coming just months after he resigned as CEO over remarks related to the NFL’s hands-off approach to the national anthem kneeling protests.
During the call, Schnatter pushed back on the criticism over his complaints regarding the NFL by noting that “Colonel Sanders called blacks n******” and never received public pushback.
Schnatter said immediately after referencing Sanders’ use of the slur that “I never used that word” in referring to the NFL controversy. He would also later apologize, saying his comment was inappropriate nonetheless.
But Schnatter’s return to X once again reminded everyone why the platform saw a nearly 500% increase in the use of N-word after Musk’s takeover.
Especially when people are saying it to him in response.
Many, especially accounts whose profile pictures showed the glowing or laser eyes often used by the far-right, appeared to insinuate that Schnatter would feel right at home under Musk’s ownership.
“Something tells me you’re going to love it here,” the user Jim Strabo wrote.
Others shared memes featuring prominent figures either accused of racism, such as Dilbert comic strip creator Scott Adams, or known to have used the N-word as well.
Given Schnatter’s conservative views, some used his return to weigh in on the current state of politics following President-elect Donald Trump’s victory earlier this month.
“Hi Papa John I’d like to place an order for 30,000 deportation trebuchets,” user RoscoeSteele wrote.
References to the N-word, however, still appeared highly popular in Schnatter’s replies.
Many accounts also asked Schnatter to “say it” in an apparent reference to the slur.
“N,” several users wrote.
In total, Schnatter’s post has received over 1,000 replies as of Thursday morning.
So far, Schnatter has not responded or made any further posts to X.
This post has been updated.
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