Bert and Ernie Gay Rumor: Settled

D'Snowth

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Of course then again, that's the magical thing about Muppets: ours is not to question why, lol. It doesn't matter how old they are, whether they're kids or adults, whether they're related or just friends or just roommates, etc, they're just Ernie and Bert, and they are what they are.
 

Sgt Floyd

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I find it disturbing how these days, a show cannot have two dudes who are either roomates or really good friends without people saying they are gay and/or should get married. I never thought of them as gay, just really good friends who are roomates. People read way too much into relationships. Its like saying that every guy who roomed with another guy in college are gay at this point.

(I want to point out that I do support gay rights...I am just baffled by how many characters people accuse of being gay when its obvious they are not or have been confirmed to not be)
 

RedPiggy

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I don't see them as gay. I just love thinking of the possibility.
 

D'Snowth

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One "problem" is today we're at a point where we're FORCED to include every single possible ethnicity, sexuality, creed, background, all but religion in every single new show, movie, mini-series, etc.

Now, I'm all for being all-inclusive myself, but to the point where it's forced (and I mean forced) just to make sure no group is offended is just another example of how politically correct this society has become; I believe in this day and age, it's actually an FCC regulation that each new prime-time series include at least one African-American regular and at least one Mexican-American regular, otherwise, the show will be considered "racist" and "exclusive".

As for sexuality on television, that's more-or-less a gimmick to boost ratings. Seriously. Every single new show on television these days has at least one episode where two of the hot female leads will make out with each other for nothinbg more than the sake of having the ratings sky-rocket, because let's face it, the television market is mostly male-dominated, and there's nothing better than a man likes to see than two hot dames swapping spit. I say sarcastically.

But it's true, we really have gotten to a point where two guys can't be pallin' around with each other without somehow giving off the impression that they're gay, but that's because things are different than, say, 40 years ago, when people DIDN'T come out of the closet, because gays weren't as accepted back then as they are now... I know sadly that in some parts, people still don't accept gays, but you have to admit, a lot more people do accept them these days than they did in the old days. And sometimes it's hard to tell as well, because the stereotype that all gay men dress and speak effeminitly doesn't apply to all gay men in real life, there's a surprising number of men out there whom you never would have guessed were gay, like David Ogden Stier (who came out a couple of years ago).

I hope what I said made sense, I get the feeling I said something wrong in there somewhere, but I hope I didn't...
 

dwmckim

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People do read too much into friendships between males. Even if it's two gay men, other people have a tendency to want to place them together even if they're not or don't care to be (even if they're good friends)
 

RedPiggy

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Heck, I'm single, and that fact alone makes imaginations go WILD. :smile:
 

frogboy4

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I will admit that if people see me out with another guy friend they automatically think we're dating. Sometimes event he fella I'm out with thinks that too!

As for Bert & Ernie's status. It does bother me that people claim the characters definitely aren't gay. I kind of dig that fact that we really don't know for certain. Sesame Workshop can say one thing, Frank Oz can say another. Ultimately it's in the eye of the beholder and that's where it should stay in this frogboy's opinion.

There's a fantastic article (where i am quoted) that shares my thoughts here.
 

beaker

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What sources cite Kermit Love being gay? I'm curious, because this is new to me.
It had long been known amongst Jim Henson associates and performers that Kermit Love was gay, but a few years ago it got picked up:
http://blogout.justout.com/?p=426

He lived to be 91, which is pretty amazing. Forget he helped design most of the main Sesame characters.
 

beaker

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I keep forgetting E and B are suppose to vaguely be early college aged "kids".
I think the main issue I like many people have is forced retconning.

I do like how the Rudd/Rogen/Hill/Cera/Eisenberg films have made it ok to be openly sensitive; for too long males have been forced to think they can't be expressive or sensitive

Studying film as long as I have, I noticed there was a celebration of gay characters even when it wasn't explicitly stated. The Celluloid Closet documentary kind of goes over this, but if you look at Kenneth Williams in the Carry On films(like Carry On Cruising)
it almost seems like a celebration of gayness(despite most the plots revolving around with middle aged women trying to win the hearts of middle aged men and vice versa) However Williams lived in a time when being gay was not just taboo but criminal, and his personal diaries and confidants reveal a tortured man who was never comfortable being who he was, eventually overdosing.

I think it'd be good for Sesame Street to have a maybe older gay couple in their mid 30's or 40's who pop on here and there. Some have suggested Mr Noodle was the first "gay Sesame character", but the late Jeters sexuality of course was never mentioned.
 
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