Late night hosts mock Ted Cruz for picking a vaccine fight with Big Bird
"After seven months of negotiations, late Friday night the House finally passed President Biden's infrastructure deal," but somehow all anyone was talking about over the weekend was "Big Bird tweeting that he got vaccinated," Jimmy Fallon shrugged on Monday's Tonight Show. "It was a big day, actually, for Big Bird, because immediately after getting vaccinated he was signed by the Green Bay Packers."
"Republicans and anti-vaxxers are furious that Big Bird got a COVID vaccine," Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show. "This is the craziest anti-vax Muppet outrage since they claimed Pfizer gave Swedish Chef giant meatballs." No one was angrier about Big Bird's tweet than Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), he said, "so he retweeted it with the comment: 'Government propaganda ... for your 5 year old!' Sen. Cruz, how should I put this? Our show tonight is brought to you by the letters F and U."
The Late Show also had Big Bird sing about his feelings for Ted Cruz.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Next they're gonna claim Moderna is how the Swedish Chef says 'my dinner,'" Seth Meyers said on Late Night. "Every day it seems like we have to endure one dumb culture war controversy after another," he sighed, reminding viewers that before going after Big Bird, Cruz and the Fox News set claimed Joe Biden tried to cancel the Muppets.
Cruz, who is vaccinated himself, "desperately just wants to be noticed," but "the truth is, I think maybe Ted's still sore about Big Bird's most recent book, Big Bird Visits Cancun to Find Ted Cruz's Balls," Jimmy Kimmel joked on Kimmel Live. "Spoiler alert: He never finds them."
Kimmel circled back to the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers defending his decision to not get vaccinated and then lie about it. He was not impressed with Rodgers' "dumb" defense or his "ridiculous" claim he's being being canceled. "The Packers only scored 7 points without him yesterday, he's not getting canceled."
The core of Rodgers's argument is that "he's an 'independent thinker' who doesn't want to be told what to do with his body," Trevor Noah said on The Daily Show. "I don't know, you ever notice how all the 'independent thinkers' are doing the exact same thing?"
Also, Ted Cruz needs to "calm down," because "5-year-olds aren't even going to see Big Bird's tweet," Noah said. "If they really want to convince kids" to get vaccinated, "they should have killed one of the Sesame Street characters with COVID." He imagined the Count counting his dying regrets, then offered "Independent Thinking Bird" a shot to rebut Big Bird, with predictable results.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Oysters from New York's past could shore up its future
Under the Radar Project aims to seed a billion oysters in the city's waterways to improve water quality, fight coastal erosion and protect against storm surges
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 24, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - taped bananas, flying monkeys, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Spanish cop, 20 million euros and 13 tonnes of cocaine
In the Spotlight Óscar Sánchez Gil, Chief Inspector of Spain's Economic and Tax Crimes Unit, has been arrested for drug trafficking
By The Week UK Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published