The fallout from Big Bird tweeting about getting vaccinated — wait, there was fallout over something a fictional eight-foot bird wrote? What a time to be alive.
“I got the COVID-19 vaccine today! My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy,” the Sesame Street character wrote, which set Ted Cruz into a tailspin. “Government propaganda… for your 5 year old!” he tweeted. A NewsMax host got so mad that he called the Muppets “felt communists” who “have tried to infect the minds of our youngest and most vulnerable children,” while Fox News’ Lisa Boothe accused Big Bird of “brainwashing children.” The SNL parody was inevitable — the conservative conference rejection, less so.
CPAC bills itself as the “largest and most influential gathering of conservatives in the world.” Next year’s event is in Orlando, Florida, but don’t expect to see Big Bird, Bert, or Ernie there. Then again: why would you ever expect to see Big Bird, Bert, or Ernie there? That’s a weird place for the Muppets to, like, chill. They belong on Sesame Street, or in Times Square. But that didn’t stop conference organizers from disinviting them.
Big Bird & Big Gov. Mandates?
NO 👏🏼 THANK 👏🏼 YOU 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/JK3efVPQnK— CPAC (@CPAC) November 18, 2021
Gee, I wonder why Bert and Ernie aren’t invited. The president of CPAC has other issues with Sesame Street, but it’s the “NOT INVITED” tweet that has people confused.
Wait, is this real? Is this a parody account? @CPAC made an ACTUAL poster saying they were disinviting children's puppets to an event? Ha ha. A HA HA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH @CPAC is so fucking dumb HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA you stupid idiots HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA https://t.co/nDLIc0ogVK
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) November 18, 2021
This is not satire. This is where the Republican Party is at. The priorities during a pandemic, recession, climate change and opioid crisis. Mashallah. 1 https://t.co/KpzIiNP8ne
— Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) November 18, 2021
they’re scared of a vaccinated bird and some puppet twinks https://t.co/PIjOEQ6qfO
— kirbywithaknife.bsky.social (@brittlenbougie) November 18, 2021
they’re afraid of puppets https://t.co/SHAs4yD2sD
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) November 18, 2021
https://twitter.com/BrotiGupta/status/1461399285363269634
Here's Ernie and Bert and a big bird.🖕 https://t.co/2SaTlDqwBs pic.twitter.com/Tlko04Mt2H
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) November 18, 2021
CPAC 2021: They're Trying to Cancel Dr. Seuss!
CPAC 2022: We Will Cancel Big Bird!Well, well, well, how the turntables… https://t.co/wKf8ERJVdZ
— Clyde McGrady (@CAMcGrady) November 18, 2021
So many domestic issues to tackle:
– Climate change
– Worker rights
– Wage compensation
– Corporate anti-trust
– Rising COVID rates (again)… and THIS is what you choose to headline with? Culture war nonsense. Just meat for the wolves.
Conservatives are a joke. https://t.co/8yE0WXSsTT
— trihex (@trihex) November 18, 2021
This is the most embarrassing shit I've ever seen.
Imaging making hating Seasme Street characters your political identity. https://t.co/ylNmUxZukD
— NixMatysix🌹 (@NicholasMatysik) November 18, 2021
I don't think Sesame Street appreciates the urgency of this situation. If they don't add at least one conservative muppet to the cast, these seething 68yo reactionaries WILL stop watching the show. https://t.co/mxKr9UIthq
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) November 18, 2021
it will never stop being funny that the folks who brought the word "snowflake" into political parlance are afraid of shit like sesame street https://t.co/epcYKaLkq5
— Sloup: This User Is In Another Castle (@Sloup) November 18, 2021