Big Bird Facing Criticism over Vaccine Message

Big Bird Facing Criticism over Vaccine¹ Message

Big Bird is a popular and beloved character from the children's television show "Sesame Street." Recently, Big Bird wrote on his official Twitter page that he had been vaccinated² against COVID-19.

Big Bird wrote, "My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy."

The COVID-19 shot just became available to children between the ages of 5 and 11.

Conservative politicians in the United States immediately pushed back.

Texas Senator Ted³ Cruz, for example, criticized Big Bird for what he called "government propaganda." Lisa Boothe of Fox News, a conservative media agency, described Big Bird's tweet as "brainwashing children."

"Sesame Street" has faced criticism in the past from conservatives who are unhappy with its connections to U.S. public broadcasting, which receives federal money.

Nearly 50 years ago, "Sesame Street" pushed children to get the measles⁴ vaccine, another infectious virus. It showed Big Bird and other children getting the shot. The move was similar to other public service campaigns that used characters on the show to teach children helpful safety tips, like looking both ways before crossing the street.

Thomas Doherty is an American Studies professor at Brandeis University. He said, "What Big Bird is doing is part of a long tradition. But what's different now, of course, is that everything is political and everything is contentious⁶."

If something is contentious, it is likely to cause people to argue or disagree.

Doherty added, "Something that we all wanted a year ago, the vaccine, is now this matter of great contention⁷."

Conflict between American television and American politics has been around since the 1950s. In 1952, "I Love Lucy" did not use the word "pregnant" during one show because executives thought it would cause a problem.

In the early 1990s, the show "Murphy Brown" found itself in a notable dispute during the 1992 presidential campaign. Dan Quayle, vice⁵ president to George H.W. Bush, criticized the unmarried Murphy's pregnancy⁸ as an insult of fatherhood and against American morals.

Robert Thompson is director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University in New York. He said when there is a mass media as commanding and powerful as television, "... that's always going to be a battleground over what messages get out there."

Big Bird's message came at a time when educational messages for children are under increased criticism. Schools are experiencing criticism from parents and elected officials over how racial and social justice are taught. And education officials have faced conflicts on how they should deal with face coverings and COVID-19 testing requirements.

Some Republican lawmakers have pushed back against marketing⁹ the COVID-19 vaccine directly to minors¹⁰.

In Tennessee, the state briefly¹¹ stopped its vaccine outreach to children. The state's top vaccination¹² director was dismissed. This came after Republican leaders threatened to break down the health agency over marketing efforts to get children vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tennessee's Republican-controlled state legislature later passed legislation banning some minors as young as 14 from getting the shot without parental¹³ agreement. The measure, which Republican Governor Bill Lee promised to sign this week, has only a few exceptions.

Words in This Story

character – n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show

sore – adj. feeling or affected¹⁴ by pain

boost – n. an increase in amount

brainwash – v. to cause (someone) to think or believe something by using methods that make a person unable to think normally

tip – n. a piece of advice or useful information

professor – n. a teacher especially of the highest rank at a college or university

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

3 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

4 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

7 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

8 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

9 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

10 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

12 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

13 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

14 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。