Chelsea And Hillary Clinton Weigh In On Big Bird's Twitter Controversy
Big Bird — the fictional "Sesame Street" character — posted to Twitter that he (the character) had gotten his COVID-19 vaccination to encourage small children not to be afraid of the vaccine, and it didn't go over well with many Republican lawmakers and pundits on the social media site. But now, speaking for the other side of the aisle, former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, as well as her daughter Chelsea Clinton, have both weighed in with some thoughts of their own.
On November 6, the official Big Bird Twitter account tweeted, "I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy," and received tens of thousands of responses. While most were positive, there were plenty that weren't, including many from conservatives like Texas Senator Ted Cruz who called the tweet, "Government propaganda." These responses received responses of their own from liberals and progressives who wondered how Big Bird could possibly be considered controversial. For example, Donald Trump's niece and frequent critic Mary Trump slammed Cruz on Twitter, pointing out that he is also vaccinated.
And now, the Clintons have responses to the responses to the responses.
Chelsea and Hillary Clinton are fact-checking Big Bird claims on Twitter
Responding to a Twitter user who pointed out that Big Bird actually has been a controversial figure in the past, Chelsea Clinton noted on November 9 that "Sesame Street" was actually once banned in Mississippi. "Sesame Street premiered almost 52 years ago (Nov 10, 1969). Six months later, a state commission in Mississippi voted to ban the show because, one member shared, it had 'a highly integrated cast of children.' After a public outcry, Mississippi reinstated the show 22 days later," the former first daughter wrote on Twitter.
Her mother, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also commented on the Big Bird controversy — though without calling out anyone directly. Hillary simply tweeted an old photo of herself with the character and wrote, with a heavy dose of sarcasm, "It's a bird that teaches children things. Like how to stay healthy. That's it."
Not being overly popular with the conservative wing of the country themselves, it's not likely that the Clintons' opinions will effectively sway anybody. But that doesn't mean it can't be kinda fun to watch.