OK, folks to finally put this to rest
Hey, questions are legitimate. Here are some articles I found in a search engine:
This one talks about how these ideas got started, and SS's response:
http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/gaymupp.htm
This is another interesting article that mentions how nobody gets upset about the possible union of a pig and a frog, but the suggestion of homosexuality gets everybody uptight. Good point:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/manitoban/20010926/arts_6.shtml
And this is the standard:
http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~csilvers/muppet-faq.html
And here's another article on ABC news:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/WolfFiles/wolffiles215.html
I swear somewhere there was an FAQ that listed Ernie's age at 6 or so, and maybe it's come up somewhere else, but I can't find it. I mean, we know Zoe is a preschooler and she drives, too.
The overriding point here is that Sesame Street may hire gay people and gay puppeteers, but they're not out discussing any kind of sexuality, as the show is for preschoolers.
You know, not all men who live together as roommates and are friends are gay...most college dorms require men to live together. And if they are - it's nobody's business but their own. I think culturally right now we have this issue on the brain, and it's just not that important.
What's important is the message of Ernie and Bert: you can be completely different kinds of people and have different values, and still be friends.
Done with the sermon. Didn't mean to make anybody feel small...just wanted to make sure the info was out there.
Oh - and Clean Gulch, thanks for the info on Bart. Wonder if he'll make an appearance this season?