Overview
- Sesame Street released a brief segment for Arab American Heritage Month featuring Egyptian-American comedian Ramy Youssef teaching Elmo basic Arabic.
- In the child-friendly chat, Youssef says salam means peace and uses habibi as a word for a special friend.
- The video has drawn wide attention online with about 2.2 million views on Instagram and more than six million on X, according to reporting.
- Reaction on social media ranges from praise for representation to criticism, including posts claiming Elmo was radicalised and calls from some commentators to defund PBS.
- Coverage differs by outlet, with The National emphasizing inclusion and right-leaning sites highlighting Sesame Street’s recent cultural themes and past public-broadcast funding fights.