Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Tuesday railed against Elmo and his dad Louie, blasting the “Sesame Street” characters as a threat to American values, and complaining that “decades of relentless propaganda” had weakened the nation.
Carlson seemed bothered by “Sesame Street” characters championing inclusion, which has been a consistent theme throughout the show’s more than 50-year history.
“All of it designed to make us feel that we have no right to stand up for ourselves, to stand up for our country,” he said. “We are too sinful to resist, we deserve whatever we get. Shut up and take it, America.”
His prime example was a CNN town hall event on racism for parents and children that featured characters from the classic PBS show. Elmo’s father, Louie, showed a “Love, Justice, Peace” sign he was planning to bring to a protest and explained racism to his son, who wanted to know why people were so upset.
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“Across the country, people of color ― especially in the black community ― are being treated unfairly because of how they look, their culture, race and who they are,” Louie said. “What we are seeing is people saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ They want to end racism.”
The show’s central message was ultimately one of tolerance.
“On Sesame Street, we all love and respect one another,” Louie told Elmo.
But Carlson saw a very different message.
“Got that, Bobby?” Carlson said, addressing a fictional child. “America is a very bad place, and it’s your fault. So no matter what happens, no matter what they do to you when you grow up, you have no right to complain. That’s the message and it starts very young.”
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