Steve Burns wants to know if we're doing okay, and the world is sharing their burdens with him.
Burns, the original host of Nickelodeon’s "Blue's Clues," jumped on his TikTok account after a long hiatus to check on his followers.
The video, like most of the rest on his social media account, only had a few words and invited viewers to take a moment to reflect.
"Hey, I'm checking in," Burns said directly into the camera. "Tell me, what's going on?"
@hioutthereitsmesteve
He was the same Steve who gently and quietly invited '90s children into his world to find clues with Blue, the animated puppy. Only this time, it seems he knows the now grown-up children of the '90s are struggling.
This isn't the first time Burns has shared videos in which he's reached out in this fashion. However, the timing of Burns' latest post likely isn't coincidental.
A new four-part documentary from Investigation Discovery, "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," now streaming on Max, has pulled back the curtain on alleged predatory behavior directed at the child stars of Nickelodeon during the 1990s and 2000s. Fans of the shows at the center of this documentary were horrified to see how many of their favorite shows were impacted, as well as the stars who have spoken out as victims.
Burns, who worked as part of the Nick Jr. lineup, was not involved in any part of the scandal rocking the network, but his connection with the grown-ups who watched these shows 25 years ago remains strong. That's why when his video popped up on TikTok, fans poured into the comments to thank Burns for his compassion and empathy.
"Not me sitting laying in bed at almost 3 a.m. in tears because Steve from 'Blue's Clues' shows up on my FYP asking what's going on?" wrote @Laurenrocker93. "The one thing that we have left that is pure from our childhood."
Elmo asks 'How is everybody doing?' and, well, the internet is not OK
The "Sesame Street" character checked in with X users Monday, and he was hit with a slew of existential dread.
Burns' post is the latest part of a viral trend in which a children's TV personality has tapped into the emotional needs of the world. In late January, Elmo of "Sesame Street" shared a post on X simply asking how everyone was doing. The post rocketed around the world on social media as people shared honest stories about what was going on in their lives.
Burns made no direct comment about the documentary in his latest post, which has nearly 7 million views so far. He simply sat, listening in silence while keeping engaged eye contact with the audience, and acknowledged them with nods and interested facial expressions — much like he did when he asked the "Blue's Clues" audience a question.
This story was originally published by Marie Rossiter on Simplemost.com.
