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.

Elmo was not expecting it to open a yawning chasm of despair. By Callie Holtermann On Monday the X account for Elmo, the fuzzy red monster from “Sesame Street,” posed a softball question to its ...