31 January 2024
(KTLA) – On Monday morning, “Sesame Street” character Elmo innocently asked users on X, formerly Twitter, how they were feeling.
“Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” the beloved furry red monster inquired.
Some of the answers were pretty wholesome.
“Honestly, I’m in a really good place rn,” responded Chance the Rapper.
NASA weighed in with a scientific spin on their answer.
“Thanks for checking in @Elmo. Reminding you all that you are made of star stuff.”
“We’re out here, just browsin’,” wrote Firefox.
Rapper/singer T-Pain used the question to pay homage to one of his famous lyrics from his 2007 hit song “Bartender.”
“I’m just looking for somebody to talk to and show me some love if you know what I mean,” he wrote.
(AP Photo/Victoria Will, File)
“Grouchy,” Oscar the Grouch appropriately responded.
Elmo’s buddy, Big Bird, gave him an update on his journey as little Big Bird. Recently, he shrunk from his typical 8-foot frame to the size of a paperclip.
“Day 6. Still tiny. #HelpBigBird,” the giant muppet said.
However, others decided to get a little too real with the forever 3-year-old.
“Resisting the urge to tell Elmo that I am kinda sad,” wrote actress Rachel Zegler.
“Elmo I’m suffering from existential dread over here,” wrote David Leavitt.
“I’m at my lowest. Thanks for asking,” responded a user named Woshingo.
User Dragongeminii asked this hard-hitting question: “We’re okay…. But why’d you go and make the streets look fun and inspiring…. This world don’t like us Elmo.”
The Tek Show spared Elmo an explanation and asked how he was instead.
“I’m not gonna do this to you Elmo. I’m gonna hold it in and let you keep your peace. How is Zoe’s pet rock, btw.”
The “Among Us” video game account left this one-word answer: “suffering.”
“We’ve been better, Elmo,” wrote the Detroit Free Press after the Detroit Lions lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday.
“Every morning, I cannot wait to go back to sleep. Every Monday, I cannot wait for Friday to come. Every single day and every single week for life,” wrote Contrarian.
The “Sesame Street” X account apparently saw the responses as well, and retweeted Elmo’s post with a message to users to take care of their mental health and offered some helpful resources.
“Thank you, @Elmo, for checking in with a reminder for us to pause and take a mindful moment to focus on how we’re feeling,” the account said. “For #EmotionalWellbeing resources and more, visit @SesameWorkshop: http://sesame.org/mentalhealth.”
The thousands of answers had many taken aback.
“I did not have us all trauma dumping on Elmo on my bingo card,” wrote Livin La Vida Lisa.
“We started this year. STARTED IT. by trauma dumping so hard on Elmo the official ‘Sesame Street’ account had to tweet out mental health resources. god help us,” wrote Becca Lizz.
The post garnered 143.2 million views with 10,000 responses, 39,000 retweets, 83,000 likes and 10,000 saves.
After going viral, Elmo circled back with his followers on Tuesday morning.
“Wow! Elmo is glad he asked!” the post read. “Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you. #EmotionalWellBeing.”
The “Sesame Street” account once again chimed in to remind users that “mental health is health.” The post, once again, directed users to the well-being portion of the show’s website.