This article includes mentions of anti-semitism and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Sesame Streethas responded swiftly to Elmo’s X account posting disgusting and racist messages as a result of a hack. Since Elmo posted a tweet asking how everyone is doing in January 2024, theSesame Streetcharacter’s account has become a safe space that promotes emotional awareness and mental health. As such, followers were shocked when the account began posting horrifying tweets on Sunday, July 13th.
Elmo’s X account was the target of hacking, with the account posting disturbing tweetsperpetuating conspiracy theories about Jewish people and calling for violence. Additionally, the tweets demanded the release of the Epstein files.Fox Newshas provided a screenshot of the specific tweets, but reader discretion is advised. They are quite upsetting to read.
The morning of July 14th,Sesame Streetresponded to the hacking.The company said this toUSA Today:
“[Elmo’s account] was compromised by an unknown hacker who posted disgusting messages, including antisemitic and racist posts. [We are] working to restore full control of the account.”
Although the response is brief, Sesame Workshop’s statement makes it clear that the tweets were a result of a hacker rather than anyone involved with the company. Though most people guessed this, it’s a relief to get confirmation.
What The Elmo Hacking & Sesame Street’s Response Means
Some Hacker Clearly Wanted To Hurt A Lot Of People All At Once
The Elmo account on X boasts over 600,000 followers, meaning it was unfortunately an ideal choice for someone who wanted to psychologically harm a large number of individuals at once. Unfortunately, it worked.
No matter who put out the tweets that appeared on Elmo’s X account, they would be disturbing. However, the profound impact of the hacking isn’t just that anti-semitic messages were spread. That has, unfortunately, become increasingly common online. The hardest part is the fact that the messages went out on Elmo’s account.
The beloved muppet fromSesame Streetis a precious part of millions of people’s childhood.What’s more, in the chaos of the world, the Elmo account was one of the places that focused on mental wellbeing. Hopefully, the page will go back to being what it was before, based on the response from Sesame Workshop.
Our Take on The Elmo Hacking
The Elmo Hacking Is Especially Depraved
There are no words for how distressing it is to see that someone put horrific messages on the Elmo X account. It takes a twisted mind to go there.I thought we all had an unspoken agreement that Elmo was off limits.The decision for someone to target Elmo also feels especially depraved, considering thefate of Sesame Streethas been in flux since the government defunded PBS.
The only good news is that the tweets were a result of a hack, rather than reflecting the message of the show or character. Luckily, Sesame Workshop didn’t mince words in their response, calling the messages what they are, antisemitic and racist. Based on their response, it appears thatSesame Streetremains dedicated to their values of inclusivity, as they have always been.
