Elmo, the beloved red Muppet from Sesame Street, has found himself at the center of a storm on social media after his official X account was hacked and posted hate speech. The unauthorized posts, which included racist and antisemitic remarks, have sparked outrage among users, with some demanding that Elmo be "resigned" from Sesame Street.
The hacking incident occurred over the weekend, with the first offending post appearing on July 13. The hacker claimed to represent a group of people who demanded genocide against Jewish individuals and accused President Donald Trump of being "Netanyahu's puppet." The posts quickly escalated into a series of vitriolic attacks, including racist and transphobic slurs, directed at those who replied to the initial post.
However, after only one day, Sesame Workshop regained control of the account and issued an explanation and condemnation of the hate speech. On Sunday, Elmo's X account was briefly hacked again, despite the security measures in place. The organization quickly secured the account and reiterated that the posts did not reflect the values of Sesame Workshop or Sesame Street.
"These posts in no way reflect the values of Sesame Workshop or Sesame Street, and no one at the organization was involved," the post reads. "We strongly condemn the abhorrent antisemitic and racist content, and the account has since been secured."
Despite this statement, some X users still reacted as though Elmo was a real person, demanding that he be "resigned" from Sesame Street. One user, @r_slavis, wrote: "Resign. You posted the most vile hate speech since the latest Tucker Carlson podcast. Saying what you did about Jews is Nazi style rhetoric, and you should be out of a job at the very least. You are a disgrace and should be far away from anything having to do with Children."
Other users echoed this sentiment, including @anjewla90, who shared screenshots of the offending posts. "Did you think we would forget in 3 days?" she asked. "No apologies?"
The backlash has been described as "weird" by some, with users treating Elmo like a real person and demanding that he be held accountable for the hate speech. However, others have pointed out that Elmo is simply a puppet character created to entertain children, and that it's unrealistic to expect him to post such content.
"Elmo needs to apologize for the words he said," wrote @jwsherrod. "What does it communicate to children that you can post violent, antisemitic content and then not say anything about it for two days and then not apologize for it?"
The incident has sparked a heated debate online, with some users expressing outrage and others defending Elmo's character. Regardless of one's opinion on the matter, it's clear that Elmo has become a focal point for controversy and ridicule.
"The coolest part about the Elmo hacked posts is that the most insane people online are treating Elmo like he's a real guy," remarked @CantEverDie. "The internet is chaotic—but we'll break it down for you in one daily email."
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