The rightwing Fox News host Tucker Carlson launched an unprecedented attack on the beloved Sesame Street puppet Elmo on Tuesday night, after Elmo and his father, Louie, discussed racism in a one-off town hall episode on rival channel CNN.
Carlson, who has described white supremacy in America as a “hoax”, was upset by the children’s show, which addressed the anti-racism protests that are taking place across the US. Rather than educating viewers on systemic racism, Sesame Street, Carlson said, was telling its audience: “America is a very bad place.”
In the hour-long episode of the children’s show – a collaboration with CNN which is available online – Elmo’s father, Louie, explained that protesters “want to end racism”. Hundreds of thousands of people have attended anti-racism demonstrations since George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police.
“They are sad and upset, and they have every right to be, Elmo. People are upset because racism is a huge problem in our country,” Louie said. “Racism is when people treat other people unfairly because of the way they look or the color of their skin.”
The show, which also featured the CNN contributor Van Jones and a number of children asking questions about racism, was praised for the effectiveness of its message, but Carlson had a different interpretation, and suggested the two puppets had a different, more sinister, motivation for decrying the treatment of minorities.
“Got that, Bobby? 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,” Carlson said.
The complaint fits into what is becoming a theme for Carlson. On Monday the Fox News host was accused of racism after he criticized the George Floyd-inspired rallies.
Carlson said: “This may be a lot of things, this moment we’re living through, but it is definitely not about black lives. Remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will.”
Sesame Street, which first aired in 1969, has a history of explaining topical issues to its audience, including poverty, hunger and – in its South African version – HIV and Aids.
In the CNN anti-racism episode, Louie, who like Elmo is a furry red puppet, explained to his son:
“Not all streets are like Sesame Street. On Sesame Street, we all love and respect one another. 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 added: “What we are seeing is people saying, ‘Enough is enough.’ They want to end racism.”
A Fox News spokesman defended Carlson’s “Remember that when they come for you” claim on Tuesday, telling the Washington Post that Carlson was “clearly referring to Democratic leaders and inner-city politicians”.
Carlson has recently faced an intense backlash to his show, however, and two companies have said they will no longer advertise on his show.
That may prompt a sense of deja vu for Carlson, who lost 70 advertisers last year following his white supremacy comments and broadcast a string of anti-immigrant sentiment. In one incident Carlson said that letting low-income people immigrate to America “makes our own country poor and dirtier”.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jun/10/fox-news-sesame-street-elmo-tucker-carlson
