2024: The Year That Social Media Trauma-Dumped On Elmo

The internet really outdid itself this time. The universally beloved Sesame Street mainstay Elmo recently posted from his official social media account on X (formerly Twitter), asking how everyone is doing a few weeks into 2024. And the fine folks of the internet did what they do best: overshare and scare the crap out of someone trying to do good.

Mental health check-ins are an important and necessary part of our day-to-day lives. It often helps to have an outlet you can rely on to help ease whatever mental or emotional burden is weighing on you. As evidenced by the nearly 17,000 replies Elmo received, the lovable muppet seems to have become that outlet for many troubled minds.

Some users went into great detail listing all the ways their mental health is in shambles. Such responses include, "Elmo I'm suffering from existential dread over here" and, "Elmo I'm depressed and broke."

The thread gained so much momentum that various companies and public figures chimed in as well, including Domino's Pizza, Oreo, and even world-famous artist Chance The Rapper. In fact, Chance seems to be one of the few who actually had good news to report to Elmo.

The next day Elmo sent out another post thanking everyone for their responses. He also encouraged everyone to check in on their friends every so often. Ya know, so they don't have to resort to trauma-dumping on a puppet via social media. But it turns out that the good folks at Sesame Street know what they're doing. All of the associated character accounts, and the official show account, sent out posts with the hashtag #EmotionalWellBeing, and provided links to resources the show provides to children and adults.

Look how tightly he's clinging on to Baby David. Look at the anguish and exhaustion in those eyes. LOOK WHAT WE DID TO ELMO.

I commend Elmo's efforts and the compassion behind them, but for his own mental health I hope he does a social media detox for a while after that fiasco. He's earned it. In the meantime feel free to use any of the various mental health hotlines if you're in need of additional services.

And please, leave poor Elmo alone on social media.

It's official: the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are running it back! The two teams will face off at Super Bowl LVIII February 11 in Las Vegas, just four years after their initial Super Bowl faceoff which saw KC triumph over San Fran. And to commemorate this historic occasion, let's take a look at all the other rematches in NFL Super Bowl history.

The Chiefs are no stranger to the biggest sporting event of the year. Kansas City has been to the big game five times, with number six coming in a couple of weeks. This includes a losing effort against the Green Bay Packers at the very first Super Bowl in 1967, as well as last year's victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LVII.

The 49ers certainly aren't slouches when it comes to Super Bowl season either. This upcoming game will mark the eighth Super Bowl appearance in the franchise's history. Interestingly enough, the Chiefs will not be the only team to have faced San Francisco multiple times at this level. The 49ers have two wins against the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowls XVI and XXIII.

In the 58 years of Super Bowl history, there are only a handful of instances in which two teams faced off in rematch action. Of the times we've seen these types of games take place, the AFC teams have won the first outing more often than not, while the NFC teams usually have more success in the rematch.

Let's see every team with the rare distinction of squaring off twice (and even thrice) in heated Super Bowl rematch action!

Super Bowl LVIII will broadcast live on February 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET, on CBS and Nickelodeon as well as streaming on Paramount+.

The Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins had the first ever Super Bowl rematch in 1983, which took place ten years after their initial clash at Super Bowl VII. The undefeated Dolphins clinched the first win with a final score of 14-7. But the Commanders bounced back a decade later with a 27-17 win over Miami at Super Bowl XVII.

This particular matchup holds the unique distinction as the only three-fer in Super Bowl history. The Steelers and Cowboys first faced off at Super Bowl X in 1976, which saw Pittsburgh emerge victorious with a final score 21-17.

Just three years later at Super Bowl XIII, the Steelers won against Dallas yet again with yet another four point deficit of 35-31.

But finally, at Super Bowl XXX, the Dallas Cowboys were able to prevent the hat trick with a spirited win over Pittsburgh, final score 27-17. With that much momentum behind the Cowboys, I'm sure they went on to remain a dominant force in the NFC right? Right?

Guys...right?

As mentioned earlier, this year isn't the first time the 49ers have faced a familiar foe at the big game. San Fran remains undefeated against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Super Bowl. Their first win came at Super Bowl XVI in 1982 with a final score of 26-21.

They would go on to beat Cincy by four points yet again in 1989, with a score of 20-16 to close Super Bowl XXIII.

I may have been a little too harsh toward Dallas earlier. After all, they do have a dominant streak against the Buffalo Bills when it comes to Super Bowl bouts. The two teams first collided in 1993 at Super Bowl XXVII, where the Cowboys stomped a mudhole in the Bills with a final score of 52-17.

The two teams would meet again one year later at Super Bowl XXVIII. Though the deficit wasn't quite as staggering as the previous year, it was no less one sided with Dallas winning yet again at 30-13.

The first Super Bowl meeting between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots was nothing short of electric. After a close, competitive showing from both teams, the Pats squeaked out a victory with a 48-yard field goal by kicker Adam Vinatieri with just 10 seconds left in the game. Final score 20-17.

The rematch between these two teams at Super Bowl LIII wasn't quite as dramatic. In fact, it's widely regarded as one of the least memorable Super Bowls in recent memory, with the game's only touchdown happening in the fourth quarter. Don't let the football snobs fool you with phrases like, "it was an amazing defensive game." No, it was boring. Plain and simple.

Dullness of the actual game aside, the Patriots won out against the Rams yet again with a final score of 13-3.

After a tense back and forth at Super Bowl XXXIX, New England surged through late in the fourth quarter to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb put on an admirable performance, but Tom Brady was simply operating on a whole other level that night.

Fast forward 13 years later, however, and you see a much different story. In an undeniably gutsy and impressive display, backup Eagles QB Nick Foles led Philly to their first ever Super Bowl victory, which was made even sweeter by the fact that it was over a Brady-led Patriots.

The 2nd quarter trick play, now cemented in history as the "Philly Special",  is just one of the many reasons this win will go down as one of the most iconic Bowl games in football history.

It seems the New York Giants are the Super Bowl kryptonite to the New England Patriots' Superman. The Giants hold double wins over the Pats, the first happening at Super Bowl XLII with NY beating out NE 17-14.

Their rematch at Super Bowl XLVI told a similar story, with the Giants taking the W yet again with a final score of 21-17.

The 2019 NFL season marked the beginning of the Kansas City Chiefs' run of dominance, capped off by an amazing performance by Patrick Mahomes at Super Bowl LIV. The Chiefs beat out the San Francisco 49ers that night, final score 31-20.

But as the highly-anticipated rematch looms, what will the future hold for the two teams? Will 49ers QB Brock Purdy accomplish what Jimmy Garoppolo could not? Will the immense star power of Taylor Swift propel the Chiefs even further into their Winning Era? Find out February 11 in Las Vegas!