Topic

Sign the Petition for Bert & Ernie to Get Married!

The time has come for these two lifetime 'friends' to get hitched.
http://www.change.org/petitions/let-bert-ernie-get-married-on-sesame-street#signatures

Posted 13 years ago by serfer0 Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • Boo! Muppets are not sexual, people, they don't call it smooth muppety nakedness for nothing!
    Posted 13 years ago by katlazam Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It really should be their choice. I would hate to pressure a couple to get married if it isn't right for them.

    But I support them in whatever they choose.
    Posted 13 years ago by Lord Bacon-o Subscriber! | Permalink
  • That won't fly in MY neighborhood. Just ask my neighbor Mr. Rogers.
    Posted 13 years ago by marycontrary Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Hahaha what in the...?

    Bert & Ernie have been promoting acceptance and tolerance in the presence of differences for decades without getting specifically into gender issues. Or really any other "hard" issues, for that matter.

    In fact it's kind of the point of those characters, isn't it? Despite their differences, they are still tight bros?
    Posted 13 years ago by naitPee Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Haha, I read the article about this earlier. LBO has a point in that it really should be their choice, though Sesame Street has been being more and more open about them being an actual couple. I will probably sign the petition but make a note to argue in favor of why the couple should be more open about who they really are, if Sesame Street truly deems them to be in a same-sex relationship, though it's their choice if they ultimately do so, haha.
    Posted 13 years ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Lets hope that petition is a joke. Many of the Sesame Street watching crowd are still unclear about the differences between boys and girls. Subtlety is a wonderful thing. I don't need everything spelled out for me....even on Sesame Street.
    Posted 13 years ago by Riverwalker Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It would never work. Ernie loves his Rubber Ducky more than he loves Bert. 
    Posted 13 years ago by Ebil Subscriber! | Permalink
  • LOL Ebil! And He has no appreciation for bottle caps.
    Posted 13 years ago by Riverwalker Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Ebil, you might be right.
    Also, Bert and those pigeons (especially Bernice) have always been a bit of a question mark in my mind.
    Posted 13 years ago by serfer0 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I read something earlier I thought made a very good point.....this petition just reinforces stereotypes. So what if they're two guys living together...do they have to be partners? I thought it was an interesting point of view! (I found the quote, so i'll add it in :) )

    Alyssa Rosenberg at Think Progress agrees, but for different reasons. If Bert and Ernie were gay, she would be all for a marriage, but Rosenberg has a problem with same-sex roommates being equated with gay couples."I think it’s actively unhelpful to gay and straight men alike to perpetuate the idea that all same-sex roommates, be they puppet or human, must necessarily be a gay couple," Rosenberg wrote. "Having close, affectionate friendships with another man doesn’t mean that you two are sleeping together."

    PS- I totally agree...The pigeons and the ducky would totally destroy that marriage before it got off the ground! ;)
    Posted 13 years ago by NutMeg Botwin Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I think today its what we need! As a society it won't become accepted until we take that BIG step and take risks. Obviously parents all over the nation will disprove of it.. but that disapproval won't change until we persuading.
    Posted 13 years ago by Logith Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Nutmeg -- I don't necessarily remember what exactly these things have been, but like I said before, historically, Sesame Street has made it clear that Bert & Ernie are more than just roommates. I would look for this evidence but I really need to get to bed. Maybe when the game is down again? Lol.
    Posted 13 years ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Bummer. They would have looked so cute in stripey tuxedos. And maybe Bert would have waxed his uni-brow for the special day. Oh well.
    “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.”
    –Sesame Workshop
    Posted 13 years ago by serfer0 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Interesting take. It's true, though, what they say about puppets. Unless you count Real Dolls. LOL.

    At least we can bank on actual QUILTBAG role models. NOT SPOKESPEOPLE, but role models, as they become more plentiful in the public eye and arena. Even in popular culture and media (which leans toward liberalism), QUILTBAG individuals are being embraced and glorified for simply being able to be themselves in the face of hatred. :D
    Posted 13 years ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • OP and the petition are jokes... funny ha has. Don't take life too seriously. Especially don't take cartoon characters/muppets seriously.
    Posted 13 years ago by Mr. Dawgg Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree with Nutmeg about stereotyping two people of the same sex living together into being gay/lesbian.
    Two girls live in the appartment beneath us. My bf's mom immediately thought they were lesbians, because they live together.That's also a very shortsighted view. (or rather, fast conclusion as she didn't really think about it).
    Why can't the emphasizis be on the fact that male friends can live together, can hug, without immediately a conclusion being drawn about their sexual preference? If two women hug, or a man and a woman hug, no one starts thinking about their preference. Why do many people do when a man is just also a bit more physical then the "stereotype" man?

    It's not about being gay, it's about the acceptance of men showing their emotion and affection for others, especially male friends. Being gay or not doesn't make a difference in that, it's a subgroup. Making the issue about them being a couple means you exclude a whole group who struggles with showing affection.
    Posted 13 years ago by Miriamele Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Mr. Dawgg -- I assure you serfer0 is no joke. Serfer's actually very kind and her heart is in the right place. As for taking life too seriously; I'm sorry, but life has a very siginificant meaning to me so you'll have to forgive me if I do take it seriously.

    @Miriamele -- As I had previously stated, it wasn't just about them living together. But I agree it's (labeling and assuming) definitely something to be cautious of and any assumption is always a gamble, clearly, because of the assertion that there isn't 100% certainty. As an advocate for gender role abolishment, I have to side more with the "they are two [supposedly male, though puppets shouldn't have a gender, either, if you think about it] puppets that just show incredible affection for each other, regardless of gender" aspect of the argument. However, I must also point out that to be able to give these puppets emotions AND genders means it would not be far-fetched of them to have sexual orientations, so to try to make it seem as though the idea is absurd is pretty much a cop-out.
    Posted 13 years ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Bert en Ernie were created for kids, kids who are not dealing with sexual orientation yet.
    To kids, what is the difference between two friends of the same sex living together and two lovers of the same sex living together? Of two friends of opposing sex?

    Something a bit related: I have always been a Tranformers fan, even way before the movies of the past few years. I downloaded lots of episodes of all series during college, as I hadn't seen them all.
    I never thought of Transformers as "male". Sure, they sounded masculine and appeared masculine, but I never associated them with having a gender, it was never an issue.

    They are robots, and it's useless for robots to have genitals or breasts as it is not needed to reproduce. It became an issue when they introduced a female transformer, some pink robot with boobs. Ugh. First: Why pink? Second: Why boobs? Third: Why was this needed? To stress the fact that the other robots are NOT female? It took away lots of joy I had for the series. (Although I only saw this when I was in college, so wasn't a kid anymore then.)
    It just introduced an aspect into this series that has never, to me, been missed before. It wasn't needed. (Yeah I am still annoyed because of it. Transformers should be genderless, and if a bot has a slightly more feminin voice then there is no need to give it pigtails, a pink colour and a bosom immediately!) Grmbl...
    Ok, I'll go log in and play and forget my Transformers trauma...
    Posted 13 years ago by Miriamele Subscriber! | Permalink