“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, they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.”
The above statement was released on August 11th by Sesame Workshop. The statement came on the heels of a petition headed by gay rights activist Lair Scott. Scott is quoted as saying ‘It’s important for us to reach this generation of children so in the future we can live a more tolerant lifestyle around the world, not just for the gay and lesbian community but for communities all over.’ He also mentioned, ‘thousands of children that have two mommies or two daddies watch the program’.
I understand Scott’s efforts to use Sesame Street as a platform to make children in gay households feel normal and embraced in today’s diverse society. What better opportunity than that. You’ve got two male roommates on a popular, wholesome children’s show with the banter and affection of an old married couple. However, despite all the Bert and Ernie gay jokes in high school I just wanna grab the proverbial mic and shout “Hey! Leave Bert and Ernie alone!!”
This reminds me of when Coca Cola tried to change their formula to make the taste sweeter in the mid-eighties. That was a big giant flop. People wanted the traditional taste that Coca Cola was known for (I personally prefer Pepsi but that’s just me).
Anyway, I digress. We LIKE that Bert and Ernie are mere friends. We love the dynamics between grumpy Bert and silly, enthusiastic Ernie. To see them sleep in the same room in two separate beds reminds us of our siblings or friends. To add any romantic connotation at this point would ruin what they’ve always been traditionally known for; a friendship pure and simple with all the quirkiness and annoyances that come with it.
Having said all that I must shamelessly add that if gay rights activists are really adamant about seeing more media representation, the perfect candidates are SpongeBob Squarepants and his friend Patrick. Now those two are as gay as it gets in terms of kids television. That’s an easy wrap. 🙂
Storm Musings 