Bert And Ernie Gay Marriage? Sesame Street Says No

Bert and Ernie will not be getting married. To each other, or anyone else.

The demands of a petition calling for Bert and Ernie to get married, which has become an internet sensation in the last few years, has been gently denied by the Sesame Street Workshop, who issued this statement on their Facebook page:

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.

This isn't the first time the organization has moved to deny a sexual relationship between their two roommate puppets; in June 2010, a tweet sent from the Sesame Street Twitter account from Bert that said his mohawk was more "mo" than "hawk" was suspected by bloggers to be a sort of coded acknowledgment of their relationship.

Bloggers also took as a hint the large number of gay guest stars from that season, to which Sesame Street responded, "We've always reached out to a variety of actors and athletes and celebrities to appear on the show, and our programming has always appealed to adults as much as children."

Comments

[Sabrina Franco]

07:38 PM on 09/21/2011

To me it seems incredible that so many people stupid and sick, Ernie and Bert characters are so innocent, I hope more people we still have that child in that innocence and those eyes to see things in a beautiful and healthy way .

[Vineyard House]

09:24 PM on 09/04/2011

Of course Bert and Ernie are a gay couple... I knew that when I was five. I mean how many straight guys have monogrammed headboards? I also knew that Oscar was a bear and The Count was a total leather queen. Come on now.

[r henry]

12:15 PM on 08/22/2011

While I agree that it's kind of silly to push this issue of Bert and Ernie being gay (though, I don't know any straight men who bathe together), I also find the notion that the writers of this show really have no responsibility to respond to pressures from society. This show has always been broadcast on PBS, which is a publicly funded entity. Every year they pay for their programming with considerable funding from "viewers like you". I think that means they SHOULD have to explain themselves a little.

If I felt strongly enough about Bert and Ernie coming out (which I don't) then I think it's perfectly within my rights to hear a detailed explanation (even to have a discussion) as to why the studio doesn't agree. If it bothers me that much, I can decline to send them another check.

[Uncle Scott]

09:01 PM on 08/19/2011

Pressuring 2 puppets to be married against their will? That is not what marriage is all about-it's about getting along and loving each other. Lair Scott is the opposite-he is a bitter old man who enjoys starting trouble and knowingly can't get along with anyone-this is ironic for a guy circulating a petition of that ilk. Marriage whether gay or straight is loving-that's the bottom line.

[Bmore247]

03:05 PM on 08/17/2011

You know whats funny? People on this site can scream about "teabaggers," an offensive sexualized slur, all they want, yet the minute I post something about the negative health affects of homosexuality, it is deleted.

[Atwill]

09:56 AM on 08/18/2011

it didnt get deleated this time. do you also post about postitution or the sexual acts that many straights do that are just as unhealthy? or other things people do, like smoking or drinking, which are very unhealthy.

[3charms81]

12:05 PM on 08/17/2011

No no no! This is preposterous! Sesame Street is supposed to teach preschoolers letters, numbers and how to tie their shoes. When it comes to social issues, we should say please and thank you, not talk to strangers and find a police officer when we get lost. They have all of elementary school to learn about homosexuality. Besides, puppets are not having sex or romantic relationships with one another. Whoever started this petition has too much damn time on their hands.

[RON MCINNIS]

02:31 PM on 08/16/2011

Here's a quote from the Wikipedia article, History of Sesame Street.


"For the 1988 and 1989 seasons, the topics of love, marriage, and childbirth were addressed when the show presented a storyline in which the characters Luis and Maria fall in love, marry, and have a child named Gabi. Sonia Manzano, the actress who played Maria, had married and become pregnant; according to the book Sesame Street Unpaved, published after the show's thirtieth anniversary in 1999, Manzano's real-life experiences gave the show's writers and producers the idea.[139] Before writing began, research was done to gain an understanding of what previous studies had revealed about preschoolers' understanding of love, marriage, and family. The show's staff found that at the time that there was very little relevant research done about children's understanding of these topics, and no books for children had been written about them.[132] Studies done after the episodes about Maria's pregnancy aired showed that as a result of watching these episodes, children's understanding of pregnancy increased."


So they have shown straight people falling in love, getting married, and having children.

[MikeLawson]

12:37 AM on 08/17/2011

Yes, in the context of Maria being pregnant. Bert and Ernie are not expecting, last I heard, nor are they on the list for adopting a little muppet baby

[raraminpin]

07:34 AM on 08/17/2011

I don't think that's the point. I think Ron's point is sexuality and love has already been introduced into Sesame Street, and it is implied that it's okay for children to understand these concepts as long as it doesn't involve homosexual love. It's perfectly fine to talk about straight love, but not gay. If people are taken back about Bert and Ernie, then why not introduce it another way? Wake up people, this IS a real life issue that children are exposed to more often in today's society than ever before. Chances are much more likely a child's friend's parents are going to be gay , or they may have a gay aunt or uncle.

[r henry]

11:52 AM on 08/22/2011

Those were also human beings and not puppets

[retromega]

08:06 PM on 08/15/2011

I thought Bert and Ernie were kids, albeit kids that have been around for a long time. Childhood is a special time and both Bert and Ernie can either stay young or decide to age as they see fit, either alone or together as the friends they have always seemed to be.

The other idea these puppets have projected all these years is that it is possible to get along with other people even if you happen to be a puppet kind of person. These puppets seem so much more real than most of the other puppets I and the people I talk to have known!

[Roaminkitty]

03:06 PM on 08/15/2011

NEWSFLASH....Kermit the Frog here...Bert and Ernie are asexual puppets...they are just not interested in sex AT ALL. They will never get married...to anyone!! They are part of the Asexual Alliance-not gay straight or don't want to make a choice JUST NOT INTERESTED!!!

[CJToronto]

09:44 PM on 08/14/2011

I'm gay and I find the entire thing ridiculous. What is with people's driving need to sexualize everything; even children's' TV? Let kids be kids.

[JFaye]

12:04 AM on 08/15/2011

Thank you.

[Roaminkitty]

02:40 PM on 08/15/2011

Here here! Kids only have a few years to just enjoy themselves then they go to middle school.

[Matt Norman]

07:09 PM on 08/14/2011

Obviously they are not right for each other, the don't have the acting chops to make it believable.

[kaykaythere]

07:06 PM on 08/14/2011

WHY not teach your own children instead of plopping them in front of the TV. Then you don't have to worry about what they are watching.
My kids don't watch TV without a parent and for only 1 hour a day max.

[CarryOn]

06:54 PM on 08/14/2011

...and Donald Duck should wear pants...oh please....

[Rodger leMonde]

06:00 PM on 08/14/2011

What we have here is fascinating, but not as fascinating as the minds that created it.
The issue is about two fictional characters, based on unfounded perceptions of their relationship.
The requested action is a shot gun gay marriage based on those perceptions.
This is absurd for starters.
I question the motives of those supporting this position and their concept of reality.

[aaronrossi]

05:35 PM on 08/14/2011

i am against bert and ernie becoming husband and husband, but not because i am against gay marriage. it makes this issue too salient for this age-group. throughout it's history, sesame street has shown that it is pro-gay with it's pro-equality and pro-diverse messages, pro-gay guests, and many skits that are anything but subtle. children are far more intuitive than adults give them credit.