Sen. Ted Cruz Trolls Big Bird After Sesame Street Covid-19 Vaccine Tweet

Seem like Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had a chicken a couple of tweet from @BigBird.

On Saturday, the Twitter account for Sesame Street’s Massive Chook tweeted, “I received the Covid-19 vaccine at present! My wing is feeling slightly sore, but it surely’ll give my physique an additional protecting enhance that retains me and others wholesome.” Not precisely probably the most controversial stuff. But, Cruz then known as it “authorities propaganda…on your 5 yr previous,” on a tweet. Authorities propaganda? Is that basically what you consider while you consider Massive Chook?

People, at present’s episode of Sesame Avenue is sponsored by the letters “W”, “T”, and “F.” Right here’s the unique tweet from @BigBird:

And right here’s what Cruz then tweeted:

Seems like Cruz discovered his technique to Sesame Avenue. It’s 2021 and a U.S. Senator is spending his time trolling Massive Chook. What’s subsequent? Asking the Depend von Depend to do a recount?

Once more calling the Massive Chook tweet “authorities propaganda” is like questioning Massive Chook’s identify by saying, “hmm, what sort of chicken are you referring to there? And the way huge is it.” Saying that the Covid-19 vaccine will “give my physique an additional protecting enhance that retains me and others wholesome” is in keeping with the scientific proof. Research have proven that the Covid-19 vaccines can scale back the danger of getting a Covid-19 coronavirus an infection and the danger of extra extreme Covid-19, as I’ve lined beforehand for Forbes. Proof means that the vaccine can scale back the transmission of the virus. Covid-19 vaccines have already been permitted by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) for these 12 years and older since August. The FDA has also recently granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for teenagers 5 by 11 years previous

The Massive Chook tweet continued with CNN journalist Erica Hill “even mentioned I’ve been getting vaccines since I used to be slightly chicken. I had no concept!” This was to emphasis that in the event you’ve made it to the ripe previous age of 5 years previous, you’ve in all probability already had a sequence of various vaccinations towards illnesses such because the measles, mumps, pertussis, and tetanus. The truth is, as former NBA participant Rex Chapman identified within the following tweet, Massive Chook has inspired vaccination earlier than, equivalent to again in 1972:

Did any U.S. Senators attempt to get in his beak again then for exhibiting the advantages of vaccination?

Massive Chook hasn’t probably the most controversial character on the market. He’s actually much less controversial than the Cookie Monster, whose could have been consuming an excessive amount of sugar and processed carbohydrates. Massive Chook hasn’t precisely been a propaganda machine. Certain, the eight-foot two-inch tall Massive Chook tried for some time to persuade everybody else that Mr. Snuffleupagus was actual when others have been skeptical. However Snuffleupagus was actual, as a result of all of us noticed him for ourselves, proper? All alongside the yellow big Muppet character has not proven an inclination in direction of obfuscation or pushing unsupported data. This ain’t precisely Q Chook. Or the Massive Lie Chook.

However, some others joined Cruz in trolling Massive Chook, as Ken Klippenstein from The Intercept identified:

What’s the saying about birds of a feather? One of many tweets above recommended that youngsters are “not in danger from Covid,” adopted by the phrase “twisted.” Sure, saying that youngsters aren’t a danger from Covid can be twisted. Youngsters can get contaminated from the virus, they usually can undergo dangerous outcomes. The dangers might not be as excessive as adults however the danger is there. Plus, vaccinating youngsters isn’t just for the kids. It’s for the complete inhabitants. The declare that vaccination is only a “private selection” is a false impression.

The next tweet exemplified this false impression:

The largest motive to vaccinate youngsters is to forestall the additional unfold of the virus. Whereas youthful youngsters do have a decrease danger of worse Covid-19 outcomes, they’re nonetheless in danger. And youngsters could also be extra more likely to unfold the virus as a result of they congregate at colleges and might stick their palms, noses, and different physique elements everywhere. Youngsters don’t all the time know correct boundaries whereas adults are form of higher at sustaining boundaries, properly, bodily boundaries at the very least.

Talking of boundaries, this social media account determined to make use of the “f” phrase and tried to unfold some good cheer for any youngsters who could also be studying:

An nameless social media account calling a Twitter verified account from a transparent supply faux? What’s subsequent? Tweeting that Santa Claus is only a beard? Calling the Easter Bunny simply ears? Saying that Consultant Marjorie Taylor-Inexperienced (R-Georgia) is only a area laser?

Is that this what occurs while you give anti-vaccination and anti-science sentiments the Massive Chook? Once more, what’s flawed with saying that the Covid-19 vaccine will “give my physique an additional protecting enhance that retains me and others wholesome,” when that assertion is supported by scientific proof. Massive Chook didn’t even say one thing like “require the Covid-19 vaccine now.” However nowadays preventing towards misinformation in regards to the Covid-19 vaccines may be fairly Chook-ensome.

Many individuals on Twitter did flock to defend Massive Chook:

While you go after somebody’s Chook, you’ll be able to anticipate of us to defend themselves. In different phrases, Massive Chook has a variety of supporting peeps. That’s not stunning since Massive Chook has been the mainstay of the kids’s present Sesame Avenue since 1969 and is freaking Massive Chook:

OK, you’ll be able to ignore the “fictional character” within the assertion tweet above, as a result of Massive Chook is actual, proper? After all, it’s not precisely clear how previous Massive Chook could also be, whether or not it’s in chicken or human years:

And, sure, it’s additionally not clear what particular form of chicken Massive Chook could also be. Is Massive Chook an ostrich? A large rooster? A heron? Some form of hybrid? A brand new species?

Regardless, you’ve received to wonder if all of this may descend right into a Muppet political battle:

If an rebel does occur, be careful for Oscar the Grouch. He’s, in any case, a grouch and what’s he received in his can?

What has this society come to when persons are attacking a cultural icon, not a political one however a tradition one, for a easy tweet about the advantages of the Covid-19 vaccine? That is an icon that over the previous many years has supported well being initiatives from each Democrats and Republicans. However, aaayyy, at the very least this cultural icon received some assist from one other one, the Fonz, aka actor Henry Winkler:

Look, Sesame Avenue has been a spot for kids’s schooling for years. It’s not in an actual location like Cancun, Mexico, for instance. So why is Cruz even going there? One of many saddest issues about this Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has been the politicization of the response, which ought to have been science-based and never politically-based. The politicization of the pandemic has price the U.S. a whole bunch of 1000’s of lives and plenty of struggling on high of that. Making an attempt to earn political factors by going after science-based statements aiming to comprise the virus ought to earn a collective, “what the cluck?”