When describing Elmo of "Sesame Street," the words that likely come to mind include "cute," "cuddly" and "lovable." Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and ...

At first glance, it might have looked like a run-of-the-mill social media check-in: "How is everybody doing?" But the message came from Elmo — the furry red friend to kids, Muppets and anyone else.