Elmo's Dark Turn

    By James Taylor

    Elmo's Dark Turn cover image

    30 Aug, 2024

    a group of sesame characters standing in front of a house at night with a full moon in the background, Brian Fies, dau-al-set, a stock photo, promotional image

    Elmo was in the middle of filming an episode of Sesame Street, engaged in his usual cheerful antics.

    a red sesame character holding a lantern in a dark room with a dark background and a light on the floor, Ernest William Christmas, serial art, a character portrait, promotional image

    Suddenly, the lights on the set went out, plunging everything into darkness. The audience held their breath, waiting for the lights to return.

    a red stuffed animal hanging from a chain in a dark room with a light on it's head, Eamon Everall, pop surrealism, poster art, promotional image

    As the puppeteer removed his hand, Elmo remained suspended in mid-air, defying the laws of gravity.

    a red sesame character standing in a dark room with a light on his head and hands out to the side, Eamon Everall, pop surrealism, a character portrait, promotional image

    The puppet's mouth opened and a trickle of red liquid, resembling blood, dripped out, shocking everyone on set.

    a red sesame character standing on a street at night with a dark sky behind him and a street light, Eamon Everall, art photography, a character portrait, promotional image

    Ignoring the shocked gasps from the crew, Elmo darted towards a nearby army base, his form a blur against the backdrop.

    a big red furry animal holding a gun in a building with soldiers in the background and a dark room, Americo Makk, furry art, concept art, gritty

    Once there, he grabbed a gun, his fluffy hands struggling to hold the heavy weapon.

    a man taking a picture of a big red bird on a roof with a camera in front of him, Annie Leibovitz, art photography, a stock photo, award - winning photography

    Elmo spotted Donald Trump's motorcade approaching and aimed his weapon towards it, his eyes narrowed in determination.

    a man in a suit standing on the hood of a car with a large red puppet on top of it, Beeple, symbolism, a colorized photo, cgi

    With a swift pull of the trigger, Elmo fired. The bullet whizzed through the air but missed its target, grazing Trump's ear instead.

    a man in a suit holding a gun in a room with other men in uniform standing around him and holding a gun, Dong Kingman, symbolism, poster art, vfx

    Reacting swiftly, one of Trump's security guards drew his own weapon, aiming it at the puppet.

    a man in a suit and tie walking down a street with two sesame characters in the background, in a dark alley, Eric Taylor, pop surrealism, concept art, promotional image

    A gunshot echoed through the air and Elmo dropped to the ground, the puppeteer's strings no longer controlling him.

    a group of men in suits and ties walking down a street with one man in a suit and tie, Donald Roller Wilson, neoism, a colorized photo, award - winning photo

    Trump was quickly whisked away by his security detail, his arm raised high as if acknowledging the danger he had just escaped.

    a group of men in suits walking next to a car in a parking lot with a crowd of people, Annie Leibovitz, neoism, a colorized photo, award - winning photo

    Despite the chaos, he managed to maintain his composure, offering a wave to the onlookers before disappearing into his vehicle.

    a group of people standing next to each other in front of a building with sesame characters on it's sides, Cristache Gheorghiu, harlem renaissance, an album cover, promotional image

    Back on the Sesame Street set, the crew was in a state of shock. None of them could believe what had just transpired.

    a group of people standing around a sesame character in front of a crowd of people in a street at night, Eric Taylor, fantastic realism, a colorized photo, promotional image

    Elmo, their beloved character, had taken a dark turn. The event would surely cast a shadow over the show's future.

    a bunch of newspapers with a bunch of scary faces on them and a man in a creepy mask on top, Dan Mumford, private press, poster art, comic cover art

    News about the incident spread like wildfire, making headlines and leaving everyone in disbelief.

    a man standing next to a red sesame character in a street with rubble and buildings in the background and a man in a police uniform standing in the foreground, Banksy, neo-primitivism, a colorized photo, promotional image

    The image of Elmo, once a symbol of childhood innocence, had been tarnished by the shocking series of events.

    a group of people with faces drawn on them are standing in a crowd of people with faces drawn on them, Art Spiegelman, antipodeans, a detailed matte painting, pj crook

    People around the world were confused and afraid. The beloved puppet's actions had shaken their trust and sense of security.

    a group of people sitting on the ground in front of a crowd of people in black and white outfits, Diego Gisbert Llorens, massurrealism, a detailed matte painting, cinematic photography

    Parents were left struggling to explain the situation to their kids, who couldn't understand why their favorite character had done such a thing.

    a group of sesame characters sitting around a table together in a room full of shelves of books and boxes, David Teniers III, serial art, a colorized photo, promotional image

    In the wake of the incident, the Sesame Street team announced a temporary hiatus to reassess the situation and plan their next steps.

    a group of sesame characters standing around a trash can with a bucket full of peanuts in front of them, Dan Content, furry art, a stock photo, promotional image

    The future of the show remained uncertain, the crew grappling with the loss of their star character.

    three men sitting around a table with a sesame character on it and a man in a suit and tie, Eric Taylor, institutional critique, a colorized photo, promotional image

    The puppeteer, the man who had brought Elmo to life, was taken in for questioning. He was as baffled as anyone else about the incident.

    a man sitting at a table with three sesame characters behind him and a lamp above him that is on, Art Spiegelman, massurrealism, a still life, promotional image

    As he sat in the interrogation room, he wondered about the inexplicable events, his heart heavy with the loss of his puppet companion.

    Elmo's Dark Turn

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