Cruz vs. Big Bird: Texas Senator Slams 'Gov't Propaganda' in Sesame Street Character's Post

© REUTERS / POOLSen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, questions U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examining the Department of Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 27, 2021.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, questions U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing examining the Department of Justice on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 27, 2021. - Sputnik International, 1920, 07.11.2021
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A fierce fight broke out between the two over whether it is safe to innoculate children with vaccines against COVID-19, which is commonly thought to pose little risk to kids.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has slammed Big Bird from Sesame Street for claiming to have had a COVID-19 jab, which he argued is "government propaganda" to induce parents to have their children vaccinated.
On Saturday, the fictitious bird, who is perpetually 6-years-old according to the kid show's lore, tweeted his immunization status, writing: "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 character added that CNN anchor Erica Hill "even said I've been getting vaccines since I was a little bird."
Cruz, on the other hand, was not pleased with Big Bird's medical disclosure, tweeting, "Government propaganda for your 5-year-old."
Big Bird's tweet came days after the FDA approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, prompting some criticism in the comment section that the character was attempting to force vaccinations on children.
Critics argue that it seems to be a question of whether the protection they provide exceeds the danger of side effects or the presumably harmless nature of a COVID-19 infection in young children.
However, not all followers appreciated the opinion of the Republican senator, and many reminded him that Big Bird has been engaged in health "propaganda" since at least the 1970s. In general, the show promotes handwashing, vegetable consumption among children and literacy, according to the posts of others.
Another user decided to remind Cruz that the fictional character does not, in fact, represent the government, but the senator does.
One user also shared the senator's tweet posted in April, in which he urges followers to get a vaccine. Cruz, indeed, is vaccinated against the novel coronavirus himself, other users reminded him.
Cruz was also dared to attack other characters on Sesame Street, who have also spoken out in support of vaccination.
A special target for commentators was the bad timing of the senator's trip to Cancun, Mexico, in February this year amid an unprecedented cold snap in his native Texas.
However, Cruz was far from the only one who reacted negatively to Big Bird's post, and some commentators asked the account of the children's show's character what he thought about the risk of developing myocarditis in children who received the injection. The New Hampshire Libertarian Party's account called the character's tweet "evil."
Coincidentally, on the same day, Cruz had expressed a certain nostalgia regarding one of his favorite animated series, recalling the "Super Friends" cartoon, about the superheroes of the DC universe, which ended in 1986. The senator shared: "Before cartoons got woke."
Cruz responded to the criticism by tweeting, "Liberals are weird."
"They don't care about open borders. Or rising inflation. Or schools covering up sexual assaults. Or the disaster of Afghanistan. Or tyrannical Dems violating medical privacy and freedom," he wrote on Sunday. "But criticize Big Bird? And they lose their s**t."
Moreover, the senator became trending on Twitter, all thanks to, according to him, "libs" being "triggered by Big Bird."
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