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Elmo: “I don’t think anyone foresaw how much of a response that question would get.”
Photo:
Craig Barritt/Headspace/Getty Images
X, or formerly Twitter, is considered the dark, bad-mood network, especially in comparison to other large social media platforms: on Instagram life looks like an advertising poster, on LinkedIn everyone is a professional specialist, on X/Twitter everything is fine the world under. In any case, such memes have been circulating for years.
So Elmo, or rather: the Sesame Street social media team, could have guessed what was happening. And yet, on Monday (local time) on Elmo's Most people seem to be doing rather poorly.
"We're tired, Elmo."
"I've reached my lowest point."
"Elmo, I'm depressed and broke."
"I just got laid off."
The series seems to go on forever, with people complaining to the doll about their suffering in pretty much every conceivable way. At first glance, this may fit the environment, but since Elon Musk took over, X/Twitter has not become a feel-good platform. But in the larger context it seems out of character. Studies have shown that emotional expressions on social networks are predominantly positive.
»A strategy to strengthen the exchange with the accounts«
According to the New York Times, the team that manages the social media presences of Elmo and other Sesame Street characters consists of four people. “These accounts aim to be an extension of the voices and interests of these characters,” is how the manager in charge of the Sesame Workshop describes it in the article. “Asking open questions is a strategy to strengthen the exchange with the accounts.” She was still surprised that it worked so well in this case: “I don’t think anyone foresaw how much response it would get question would come across.”
“Wow!” was the answer that the team formulated to X, “Elmo is happy to have asked. Elmo learned that it’s important to ask friends how they’re doing.”
It can hardly be proven whether the negative mood on X is representative of the USA in particular. Simply because it is unclear how many of the answers are serious. Nevertheless, US President Joe Biden's social media team decided to send a signal. In response to the Elmo post, Biden's official account (@potus) published a message that was intended to spread hope, but probably also show what the difference is between Biden and his likely challenger: "I know how hard it is sometimes is to push the clouds aside and move on to sunnier days. Our friend Elmo is right: We need to be there for each other, offer help to neighbors when they need it, and most importantly, ask for help ourselves when we need it. Even when it's hard, you're never alone."
Is there perhaps more to it than just the intention of profiting from a viral hit? After all, Biden is standing here alongside an immensely popular, empathetic, comparatively young character. In any case, there are people in the US Democratic camp who would like to offer Elmo the position of Vice President now at the latest.