Building Big Bird Back Better
Building Big Bird Back Better
I don鈥檛 have anything against Big Bird.
He鈥檚 fine as far as I鈥檓 concerned.
But I鈥檓 73 years old. I鈥檝e never quite been in that big fellow鈥檚 target audience.
So, when that 8-foot 2-inch, anthropomorphic bird found himself in the crosshairs of a U.S. senator, I had some research to do.
So, I did it.
Now I鈥檓 Big Bird鈥檚 newest devotee 鈥� and I might add, defender.
How dare grumpy old Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) throw shade on Big Bird after he announced he鈥檇 gotten his Big Body vaccinated?
As soon as the word came down from those adults in Washington that kids aged 5 through 11 could go ahead and get their COVID-19 vaccinations, Big Bird flew on to his Twitter account.
鈥淚 got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but I鈥檒l give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy,鈥� he tweeted.
Cruz couldn鈥檛 help himself.
He knew he could win votes (I suppose) if he lets the world know it鈥檚 open season on giant birds.
(Maybe he鈥檚 confusing Big Bird with Tom Turkey.)
I digress.
鈥淕overnment propaganda 鈥� for your 5-year-old,鈥� Cruz furiously tweeted.
He implied that a kiddie鈥檚 character is nothing more than a clandestine functionary for the state.
Yet, Mr. Bird had done nothing wrong. He鈥檚 been helping to allay the fears of youngsters since the early 1970s, with no pushback from irritable, Washington politicians.
Thankfully, Big Bird鈥檚 feathers weren鈥檛 ruffled by Cruz and his angry tweet. (This particular subject screams for bad puns. I鈥檓 only being compliant.)
I don鈥檛 profess to speak for his giantness, but I鈥檓 pretty sure he鈥檚 aware that Sen. Cruz has a predilection for hyperbolic vote hunting.
Besides, President Biden got pulled into the fray.
鈥淕ood on ya, @BigBird. Getting vaccinated is the best way to keep your whole neighborhood safe,鈥� Biden tweeted. (To be honest, I didn鈥檛 even know he had a Twitter account, unlike his predecessor鈥檚 daily diatribes.)
Cruz would not be silenced.
He shot back, 鈥淲e always knew the media were the Dems鈥� puppets, but this is getting ridiculous,鈥� he tweeted.
And over at Fox News, where there鈥檚 no political controversy worthy of ignoring, they cast their own anti-Sesame Street shadows.
鈥淣ot getting the information to the parents, so they can make that decision. But really getting it directly to the kids in some really creepy ways. Including Sesame Street,鈥� blurted out Rachel Campos-Duffy on Fox & Friends.
But she didn鈥檛 just say those words. She made sure to add emphasis to every 鈥� single 鈥� word in the phrase 鈥� as if it was she was alerting the Fox News audience to some ominous force field, directed from that death star Sesame Street, which had been activated for the sole purpose of vaporizing the nation鈥檚 5-year-olds.
The folks at Fox & Friends were enjoying their cheap shots aimed at PBS, Sesame Street, Big Bird, Democrats, and the mainstream media. In other words, just another day at Fox News.
Over there at Newsmax, the place where common sense goes to die, there鈥檚 a fellow named Eric Bolling.
Mr. Bolling mounted his own attack on Sesame Street, by calling out Kermit (he calls him the 鈥淕reen Monster Commie鈥�), and he challenged Miss Piggy to a debate.
He even claimed they鈥檙e 鈥渟tuck on stupid.鈥�
Well, Bolling says he wants to debate a puppet. But he happens to claim THEY are stuck on stupid?
I鈥檓 nearly at a loss for words.
(Admittedly, you might be thinking that鈥檚 a blessing. But I鈥檓 going to continue, anyway.)
I don鈥檛 know why folks on the right need to launch a fresh attack against somebody (or in this case something) every day.
Today, it could be Big Bird. Tomorrow it could be Dr. Seuss. The next day it would be Mr. Potato Head.
Why?
And in this case, I really don鈥檛 know what these people have against Big Bird鈥檚 gesture.
What is more detrimental to the nation鈥檚 youth? Stopping the influence of Sesame Street on them? Or, shielding them from getting a life-saving vaccine?
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 40-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.