Many Americans remain at a loss for words following the outcome of the 2024 election.
Former Blues Clues host Steve Burns commiserated by sharing a contemplative TikTok video of himself, and—without speaking—it says a lot.
The 51-year-old is famous for hosting the popular children's program Blue's Clues, as a fictional version of himself, from 1996 until 2002. He was 22 when he started working on the show.
In his viral TikTok video, Burns didn't mention politics or specifically say anything about Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris losing the tight race against her Republican rival, now President-Elect Donald Trump.
In fact, Burns didn't utter a word for the entire duration of the over-a-minute video. He didn't need to.
The clip shows idyllic outdoor scenery presumably near his home in the Catskill Mountains.
Burns, dressed in a yellow ball cap and a plaid flannel over a blue graphic t-shirt, enters the frame holding two cups containing a hot beverage and offers us one, silently inviting us to join him.
As he rests on a railing stretched across the barren autumn landscape, the sounds of birds fill the atmosphere, providing a sense of calm and a reminder to breathe.
Occasionally, Burns turns to look at the camera with a neutral but engaged expression, acknowledging us, and continues taking in the scenery in front of him.
At one point, he gives us a subtle nod as if cognizant of the uncertainty ahead of us, and the simple gesture reassures us that we're not alone in our fears and frustration.
Without uttering a word, Burns demonstrated that despite our mutual sense of defeat and waning sense of hope, all we can do at this moment is to just ... be.
You can watch the clip here.
His comforting video resonated with viewers.
Earlier this year, Investigation Discovery released Quiet on Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV, a docuseries that featured former child actors speaking out on alleged experiences from behind the scenes of Nickelodeon shows throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
Millennials who grew up watching these popular programs were shocked to hear the actors recalling various incidents of seemingly sexualized abuse while on set.
After many comments online from viewers saying they were having "a really hard time" watching the docuseries reexamine shows that were a part of their childhood, Burns, who was a familiar face to many viewers, posted a rare video on TikTok to check in with fans of his old show.
He directly faced the camera and calmly asked:
“Hey, I’m checking in. Tell me, what’s going on?”
Burns continued to look into the camera as if he were there in person speaking directly to viewers and giving them a safe space to offload their feelings.
He didn't say anything but he remained actively engaged, as if listening to whatever viewers wanted to share or get off their chest.
After a minute or so, he said, "Okay," followed by:
“Alright, well, it’s good to hear from you. And you look great, by the way.”
Burns announced he was leaving Blue's Clues in January 2001 after six years and 100 episodes on the show. His successor was Donovan Patton, who played Steve's younger brother, Joe.
Although Burns loved his young audience, being a children's host was not something he ever aimed for as a career.
He said:
"I knew I wasn't going to be doing children's television all my life, mostly because I refused to lose my hair on a kid's TV show, and it was happening, fast."
After filming on his final episode ended, Burns shaved his head. It was something he had been wanting to do but producers forbade him to change his image.
Burns also cited that he had been suffering from clinical depression while filming the shows.
He told Variety in a November 2022 interview:
"I didn’t know it yet, but I was the happiest depressed person in North America."
"I was struggling with severe clinical depression the whole time I was on that show."
"It was my job to be utterly and completely full of joy and wonder at all times, and that became impossible."
Burns is doing a lot better these days, but it took a while for him to get to a place where he can show up for others.
He continued:
“My strategy had been: ‘Hey, you got a great thing going, so just fight it!’ Turns out, you don’t fight depression; you collect it."
"After I left ‘Blue’s Clues,’ there was a long period of healing."
"It wasn’t until the death of my father that I really started to take things seriously, and my life became so much more manageable.”
After much speculation about his latest whereabouts and rumors of his death, Burns made a huge impact by posting a video to Nick Jr.'s X (formerly Twitter) account for the 25th anniversary of the very show that made him famous.
He said in his Blue's Clues character:
“You remember how when we were younger, we used to run around and hang out with Blue … and then I left and we didn’t see each other for a really long time?"
"Can we just talk about that? Because I realize that was kind of abrupt.”
“I just wanted to say, I never forgot you. Ever," he added.
The clip resonated with over a million people who were moved by the post.
Burns said of the video's impact on viewers:
“Everyone wants to feel seen and heard."
“I think it punched through because it was about respectful, active listening—a more direct conversation than you’re used to seeing on your screen.”
Thanks for checking in with us, Steve.
