Official:Burt and Ernie are not gay

[spideyboy_1111]

The human characters Maria and Luis got married on Sesame Street, and Maria was later shown pregnant (which caused some controversy at the time).

So in all fairness, a same-sex human couple could be integrated into the show, but that's another subject.

As for Bert and Ernie, I say a big NO to any attempts to brand them as gay for the following reasons:

1. PBS and Sesame Workshop have already said that B&E are supposed to be friends only and the puppet characters are non-sexual on the show.

2. Ernie represents a naive, childlike character akin to Big Bird and Elmo that children are supposed to identify with, as opposed to the fussy, grumpy Bert, who represents a more "adult" character. This was by design when the characters' personalities were created. Attempting to inject adult romantic emotions onto Ernie is unnecessary and potentially confusing to children.

3. Simply because the characters have been around for 40 years doesn't mean that they've "been living together for 40 years". Each generation of children discovers the show for the first time, so long-standing conditions mean nothing.

4. Let's face facts - trying to shoehorn the topic of gay marriage into a preschool program smacks of ham-handed social engineering at this point in our development. Why don't we make gay marriage a legal, everyday topic for adults nationwide before focusing it on 3-year-olds, eh?

i agree with most of this, but ... people need to get it out of there heads that being gay doesn't instantly mean things have to be sexual... you can show straight couples without being sexual on a preshooler program.. why cant you show gay? it's the same thing... it's wrong to assume the whole gay community is a massive sexual being or indulgence.

 

[The Lizard]

i agree with most of this, but ... people need to get it out of there heads that being gay doesn't instantly mean things have to be sexual... you can show straight couples without being sexual on a preshooler program.. why cant you show gay? it's the same thing... it's wrong to assume the whole gay community is a massive sexual being or indulgence.

By "non-sexual", I meant not having a sexual preference of any kind. The puppet characters on SS are mostly supposed to represent the child's point of view, thus their asexual nature.

 

[Timstuff]

Meanwhile, rumors of The Count's nymphomania remain at large:

 

[spideyboy_1111]

Fun fact: the count counts (not only because of the count play on word, but..) because a long forgotten fact about vampires (in myth of course) is that they have terrible OCD. One way of getting away from them, was to spill a jar of rice on the floor and they'd instantly be forced to count them before continuing on to whatever it is they were planning on doing... *the more you know ---- shooting star *

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

First of all, I don't think this needed a press release. I didn't think anyone actually though they were a gay couple. I always thought people were joking.

With that said, I don't think Burt and Ernie should be a gay couple. It was never the intent, and I think them being best friends is good enough for the children to learn lessons. I don't think Bert and Ernie should be pushed to be anything they aren't. They only live together and are childlike in nature.

 

[Teelie]

This is much like the myth that men and women can never be "just close friends" and there will always be some under-lying sexual attraction. Completely false. Now it's you can't even have a close friend of the same gender without there being homosexual subtext.

 

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

First of all, I don't think this needed a press release. I didn't think anyone actually though they were a gay couple. I always thought people were joking.

With that said, I don't think Burt and Ernie should be a gay couple. It was never the intent, and I think them being best friends is good enough for the children to learn lessons. I don't think Bert and Ernie should be pushed to be anything they aren't. They only live together and are childlike in nature.

This!

 

[raybia]

Eh, it can't hurt to have a child-appropriate gay couple. By child-appropriate, I mean not in your face, "hey, we're two men/women that love each other!" every time they come onscreen. Similar stuff has been tried before and failed because children aren't stupid, they are suspect to subtlety. So why can't Burt and Ernie be a gay couple? Do they need to constantly confess their undying love for each other? Absolutely not. But they could hold hands... and to the demographic - very young children - that might tell them that same-sex relationships aren't things to be hated; they aren't disgusting. And why should very young children be exposed to this? Because gay people aren't political. They're people; they're people like black people, white people, disabled people, etc... They have children - children that grow up with their peers ridiculing them for having two parents of the same sex. It's time things change. Sesame street is about learning and understanding.

Because they aren't gay. To "force" them to be gay is no different than forcing those who are gay to be hetrosexual.

 

[Timstuff]

Apparently Glen Beck didn't get the memo where Sesame Street Workshop debunked this rumor, and naturally he's been having a field day with it on his radio show.

 

[Bat-Mite]

The world isn't going to crumble if they remain asexual, but neither would it crumble if it were revealed that they were gay. As I've already stated, there are definite reasons why someone could get that impression with these two... and if some child said that he wanted to live with his best (male) friend like Bert does with Ernie when they grow up, an insecure parent would be quick to silence him about such ideas, and we all know why.

 

[Mace Dolex]

People are just effin' stupid.

 

[raybia]

The world isn't going to crumble if they remain asexual, but neither would it crumble if it were revealed that they were gay. As I've already stated, there are definite reasons why someone could get that impression with these two... and if some child said that he wanted to live with his best (male) friend like Bert does with Ernie when they grow up, an insecure parent would be quick to silence him about such ideas, and we all know why.

I don't see anything peculiar about two guys living together. Of course Bert and Ernie has lived together for over 45 years so that part seems kind of strange.

 

[steintym]

Any word on The Skipper and Gilligan yet?

 

[SuperFerret]

Sexuality needs maturity, and while it's true that many adults aren't mature enough to deal with it, young children are especially not mature enough. This is a show directed at children at an age where they (should) have no concept of sexuality at all, and are probably confused at the differences between boys and girls. Most see the opposite sex as "icky" and will even turn up their noses in disgust at their parents kissing.

 

[SuperFerret]

Any word on The Skipper and Gilligan yet?

The castaways represent the Seven Deadly Sins, and as far as I know Anger and Sloth are totally gay for each other.

 

[random_havoc]

I wonder how many parents would stop their kids from watching if B&E were actually being represented as a gay couple.

To be honest, I would. At the risk of people throwing around ridiculous exaggerations and the often grossly inaccurate term "homophobic" as a Christian and a pastor I believe that homosexuality is morally wrong.
I don't deny there's a very good chance that some people are born with natural inclinations toward homosexual behavior, but people are often born with natural inclinations toward behavior that is wrong. For example, I personally have a predisposition towards rage and violence that it took me into my mid twenties to get under proper control. Others have a genetic predisposition toward alcoholism but obviously that's not okay either.
Unfortunately many people use the Bible's teachings about homosexuality as an excuse to bash and hate homosexuals, which is itself obviously biblically wrong. Christians are supposed to love everyone.
Nor is homosexuality any worse than any other sin, despite some people's ranting claims to the contrary.
I think another important note is that it is not the homosexual inclination that is a sin, but acting on it. Just as my heterosexual inclination is not a sin, but acting on it outside of the bonds of one-man-one-woman marriage in any way would be a sin (including premarital sex, adultery).
Therefore the biblical expectation is the same for homosexuals as it is for any other unmarried people, celibacy.
But then again of course waiting until marriage to have sex isn't exactly a roaringly popular notion in our culture today either.

P.s. When I see supposed "Christians" holding signs that say stuff like "God hates f**s" I genuinely want to beat the crap out of them. But that wouldn't be the right thing to do either.

 

[Teelie]

Apparently Glen Beck didn't get the memo where Sesame Street Workshop debunked this rumor, and naturally he's been having a field day with it on his radio show.

There is a great deal that Glen Beck doesn't and never will get. Facts straight* is probably somewhere at the top of that list.

no pun intended

 

[November Rain]

I've never seen them as gay, I've always thought the banana guy was just really tolerant of his silly friend.

kinda like the pinky and the brain relationship.

go figure...

 

[random_havoc]

Apparently Glen Beck didn't get the memo where Sesame Street Workshop debunked this rumor, and naturally he's been having a field day with it on his radio show.

Glen Beck needs to never be allowed to speak in public again. He rarely has even the faintest idea what he's talking about and I think he needs to be on some sort of medication.

 

[The Original Bamfer]

Because they aren't gay. To "force" them to be gay is no different than forcing those who are gay to be hetrosexual.

First of all, no one's talking about forcing puppets to be anything they're not. Don't worry.

Puppets. Puppets.

 

[Matt]

First of all, no one's talking about forcing puppets to be anything they're not. Don't worry.

Puppets. Puppets.

Starting a petition to demand that the producers of Sesame Street "out," the puppets seems like an attempt to force the puppets to be gay to me. I think all parties involved need a good smack upside the head. The petitioners for having nothing better to do with their time than apply sexuality to puppets and the producers for addressing this with anything more than an eyeroll.

 

[Teelie]

Yes, it would be like declaring your couch is not only female but a nymphomaniac to boot. It's an inanimate object with no sexual orientation whatsoever.

 

[Duke]

I've never seen them as gay, I've always thought the banana guy was just really tolerant of his silly friend.

kinda like the pinky and the brain relationship.

go figure...

I've never thought of them as gay either, just eccentric. Next thing we'll know someone will try & put the Odd Couple, Beavis & Butthead, or even Batman & Robin as "gay" because they're always together.

 

[Bat-Mite]

Sexuality needs maturity, and while it's true that many adults aren't mature enough to deal with it, young children are especially not mature enough. This is a show directed at children at an age where they (should) have no concept of sexuality at all, and are probably confused at the differences between boys and girls. Most see the opposite sex as "icky" and will even turn up their noses in disgust at their parents kissing.

What do you do if a little child asks you why he/she saw two men or two women holding hands and kissing? Yes, it would probably be best if children didn't learn about this issue until they could understand it better, but you can't shield them for everything, and if they see something like that, they are going to be extremely curious.

Nobody is advocating sex ed lessons on Sesame Street, but you can only hide this issue from children for so long. I learned what the word "gay" meant when I was in the 5th grade, and as that was probably 17 years ago, I would imagine that children are learning what that word means at a far younger age now.

Edit: As for the people who keep going on about how muppets are asexual, I seem to have distinct memories of Miss Piggy amorously chasing Kermit the frog around.

 

[Bat-Mite]

I've never thought of them as gay either, just eccentric. Next thing we'll know someone will try & put the Odd Couple, Beavis & Butthead, or even Batman & Robin as "gay" because they're always together.

Batman and Robin have been accused of being gay since at least the 1950's. That was one of the big things that let to the creation of the Comics Code Authority.