No Wedding Bells for Bert and Ernie
I have to say this is one of the more ridiculous things I’ve read recently on the net.
For more than 40 years, a pair of famous friends have shared a home, a bedroom and even bath time — as well as proximity to a certain rubber duck. And for almost as many years, questions have swirled around like draining bathwater: Are these two men gay?
I’m all about gay rights. I tweet about gay rights. I talk positively about gay rights. I feel gay marriage should be federal law. If you want to change your gender, go for it.
This is not about that.
The long-running television show addressed the sexuality (or lack thereof) of Bert and Ernie in response to an online petition that asked the program to ‘Let Bert and Ernie Get Married.’
The petition, which was posted last week on change.org, a social activism Web site, said that marrying these felted-friends would teach self-acceptance and tolerance to children. It also suggested that ‘Sesame Street ’ add a transgender character to its fuzzy lineup.
Can we keep sex away from the Sesame Street age group? Aren’t they going to learn/explore that soon enough? Isn’t it enough to see two different male characters as friends? I’d say even Black and White, but the Muppets are all colors so I’m not sure this was really intentional. Besides, when you watched Sesame Street as a child, did you ever think Bert and Ernie were anything but two funny friends?
Bert and Ernie were created to solve conflicts, teach words or sing about things kids should do, like brush their teeth or eat their vegetables.
The Sesame Street characters often talk about love, but always as a universal concept, to be kind, compassionate, share, respect, etc.
Anyway, Sesame Street’s producers said, “No” to a Bert and Ernie wedding.
Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves.
Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.