Real Talk

Elmo of Sesame Street Shows Empathy by Asking How Everyone is Doing

by Alexa Villano
February 6, 2024

Never underestimate the power of a muppet like Elmo.

If you have been wondering why Sesame Street’s Elmo has been in the news for the past few days, he asked how everyone has been since the start of January. The tweet even went viral, with many expressing their real thoughts on their situation.

Some said they were okay, while some replied it has been a battle to get up and face the world.

Following the comments he received, Elmo tweeted: “Wow! Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing. Elmo will check in again soon, friends! Elmo loves you. #EmotionalWellBeing“

Asking someone’s day is okay

The topic of mental health has been at the forefront of many people’s concerns in recent years. We have been so busy with the daily grind that we tend to forget to ask people around us how their day has been.

While many may see Elmo as a muppet and voiced by a human being, his asking everyone’s day just shows the power of empathy. Being empathic can be a challenge but simple gestures like telling how your day was or listening to what happened are already helpful to the person.

Speaking with CNN’s Jake Tapper about the moment, Elmo said he’s doing pretty well. “Elmo’s glad that he’s able to talk to a lot of his friends about how they are feeling.”

Samantha Maltin, the Chief Marketing and Brand Officer of Sesame Workshops, said that because of the question, the company has been developing more ways how to process emotions. One example is belly breathing, which Elmo demonstrated, and can likewise be followed by many.

After all is said and done, yes, asking the question “how are you” is okay. And in this case, never underestimate the power of a muppet like Elmo.

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