After a viral LinkedIn post from an account claiming to be Elmo said that he had been laid off from Sesame Street due to “federal budget cuts,” Sesame Workshop confirmed it was a parody.

Why Did People Think Elmo Was Fired From ‘Sesame Street’? The LinkedIn post showed up just days after real-life headlines about federal budget cuts to PBS and public media began circulating.

It seems Elmo's world recently included vitriolic racist, antisemitic and foul-mouthed social media posts. "Sesame Street's" perpetually 3½-year-old mascot caught his social media fans off guard ...

But it wasn't until Thursday that the friendly red monster made his Grand Ole Opry debut, a country music rite of passage.