Who is bert and ernie

It's a place where people of all cultures and backgrounds are welcome. Bert and Ernie were created to be best friends, and to teach young children that people can get along with those who are very different from themselves," the workshop said in a statement emailed to NBC News. Oz continued to take to Twitter, telling followers he felt he couldn't call Bert and Ernie gay because in his mind it wasn't honest. When asked why he felt the need to identify the puppets as "not gay," Oz replied: "The same need I would feel if Bert were identified as a linebacker for the Colts.

It's not honest. He also wrote he was happy that people — regardless of their sexual orientation — were able to see themselves in the colorful characters. Eventually, Oz decided to to bow out of the Twitter debate, thanking his followers for engaging in the discussion with him.

But it was good. And I learned something profound. Thanks for those who tweeted with me. Bubbline, as the couple is known in online fandom, was banished to subtext for seven long years. Like Sesame Street , neither Legend of Korra nor Adventure Time were ever shy about showing affection between heterosexual romantic partners.

So why the sudden pearl-clutching when the couples in question happened to be same-sex? The answer sheds light both on why Sesame Workshop released their harmful statement about Bert and Ernie, and why the statement was harmful in the first place.

Heterosexuality is seen as neutral and harmless, while queerness of all varieties is considered obscene — and not just by people who are openly bigoted. Even many who purport to be allies find it difficult to separate queerness from sex.

And yes, this applies to Bert and Ernie, despite the fact that they are puppets. That is just…No. No, thank you. But as Saltzman clarified in an interview with the New York Times today that was definitely not done under pressure from Sesame Workshop, he never actually said Bert and Ernie were gay. Different creators have different interpretations of the work they collaborated on.

But the fact that even limited, subjective non-straightness as described by one writer required an immediate denial is something Sesame Workshop would do well to examine.

Subscribe to get the best Verge-approved tech deals of the week. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. In the s, in conjunction with the sweeping passage of same-sex marriage laws throughout much of the US, the simmering debate came to a boil. In , a viral Change. In , in a precursor to our political cake-baking epidemic , a Northern Ireland bakery refused to bake a cake featuring Bert and Ernie because the cake supported same-sex marriage.

The cake had been ordered, ironically, as a way to commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia. In , Sesame Street once again had to put its foot down and quell the queering of its most famous couple. A campaign for STD prevention and awareness cheekily presented Bert and Ernie going over their test results, looking for all the world like a loving — and safe — couple.

Sesame Street was none too happy with this, and quickly issued a copyright takedown of the unlicensed use of its characters.

The Muppet Wikia has an entire entry devoted to showcasing Muppet couples — including at least 10 who appear on Sesame Street. In that context, using asexuality to erase queer identity winds up erasing everyone. As long as Bert and Ernie could be queer, they will continue to enrage homophobes who seek to use them to imply a gay conspiracy to infiltrate mainstream pop culture.

Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower through understanding. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all.

Please consider making a contribution to Vox today to help us keep our work free for all. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies.

Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Are Bert and Ernie gay? It depends whom you ask. Bert and Ernie were loaded with queer subtext from the very beginning.