Bert and Ernie Gay Rumor: Settled

[frogboy4]

I always looked at Bert & Ernie as being lifelong friends in their early 20s. Sure, they're quirky and a little heavy into letters and numbers, but to me these guys are not unlike college students sharing an apartment together. I see them as human-muppets in the same sort of grown up muppet range as Guy Smiley, but younger than him.

Most of the Muppets seemed grown up in the earlier days of Sesame Street. Big Bird was originally dim and then was re-written as a 6 year old kid. However, Kermit, the Count, Guy, Don and many others were and are the fur and felt grown ups of the program. These days the majority of onscreen characters directly represent preschoolers.

 

[Drtooth]

(laughs that "Gay personals" just popped up as an ad banner underneath)

But really... this is where everything falls apart. The fact that ageless characters really DO have ages. To me, the only Muppets I've ever seen as children are Elmo, Zoe, Big Bird, Snuffy (only because of the relationship he has with Big Bird), and Robin the Frog on the Muppet Show.

Grover always smacked of older teen/ early 20's because that's how he acts... he's so eager to please and he's such an energetic go-getter at work, even though it really makes everything he does seem rushed and jumbled.

Cookie Monster? I can't say he's a kid, I can't say he's an adult.

Oscar? Seems like he was a grouchy 40 year old that aged into a slightly less grouchy, but still pretty grouchy 50 year old.

Ernie and Bert, again... that's tricky. If Ernie isn't a kid, than he has a Peter Pan complex that causes him to be like PeeWee Herman or Spongebob or something. Bert I either find a child or a nerdy late 20-30 year old. And yet, they're the same age, if not slightly older on Bert's part. SO that's where it does get confusing with the relationship.

 

[beaker]

I always looked at Bert & Ernie as being lifelong friends in their early 20s. Sure, they're quirky and a little heavy into letters and numbers, but to me these guys are not unlike college students sharing an apartment together. I see them as human-muppets in the same sort of grown up muppet range as Guy Smiley, but younger than him.

Most of the Muppets seemed grown up in the earlier days of Sesame Street. Big Bird was originally dim and then was re-written as a 6 year old kid. However, Kermit, the Count, Guy, Don and many others were and are the fur and felt grown ups of the program. These days the majority of onscreen characters directly represent preschoolers.

That's it! Seriously, I've been a Bert and Ernie(or...Ernie and Bert?) fan for all my life but I never really knew their age.
Freshmen in college however makes sense! The one time when a lot of guys are living together en masse. They probably found good cheap rent.

Also, it's good to have a child like sense of wonder, imagination and heavy goofy side. I couldn't imagine life without it

 

[analeisa]

Also, I think they should hint at Scooter being gay in future movies/specials.

Me too!

Anyway, in term of the whole Bert and Ernie thing, I agree with frogboy4: they reflect the audience watching them. I see them as gay couple and others agree. Then more other people see them as just friends. Either way is fine. I think it only gets problematic when people say that Sesame Workshop is pushing them a certain way. Like, anti gay rights people say Bert and Ernie are "forcing" gay tolerance on their kids.

Also, I view Bert and Ernie as young-ish adults. Mostly because Bert's brother is old enough to have a kid of his own.

 

[D'Snowth]

Also, I think they should hint at Scooter being gay in future
movies/specials.

Me too!

Why? Because of Richard?

 

[RedPiggy]

I personally thought Cage Dancing Scooter meant they were starting to lean that way

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Also, I view Bert and Ernie as young-ish adults. Mostly because Bert's brother is old enough to have a kid of his own.

Hope I don't sound rude, but how do you know that Brad is Bart's son?

 

[frogboy4]

Scooter, Howard and Ernie...

VMX’s alternative world go-go boy Scooter was entertaining, but it was also balanced with his real world lampshaded flirtations with chorus girls backstage after too much eggnog. There was a harder edge to VMX that some fans didn’t like, but I was fine with. Nonetheless, Scooter wasn’t the gay stereotype of that film. Howard was.

Scooter always seemed to be the most excited Muppet when guests like Diana Ross or Elton John appeared on the program. Both entertainers have always enjoyed particularly sizable gay followings.

I don’t necessarily think they need to go gay with Scooter. It would cloud his already solid personality of being a young, energetic people pleaser with hidden aspirations and sneaky ways of getting what he wants.

I'm okay with Bert & Ernie staying exactly as they are now. It does seem that the characters are now more visually distant in projects and promotional materials than when I was a kid. I wonder if that's intentional?

 

[analeisa]

Why? Because of Richard?

Well, partly. Besides that and the infamous cage dancing, Scooter did get really excited when Elton John came on, he doesn't have a serious love interest, and doesn't flirt with girls very much (especially compared to certain other Muppets ). I don't actually they *should* go gay with Scooter but if they *did* hint at one of the major characters being gay... Scooter would make the most sense to me.

Hope I don't sound rude, but how do you know that Brad is Bart's son?

No, you're fine. Actually, I'm the one who is going to sound bad because I'm just goin off of memory/assumption. The only sibling of Bert's we have seen is Bart so it would make sense for him to be Brad's dad. *shurg* Either way, Bert is old enough to be an Uncle.

 

[RedPiggy]

Either way, Bert is old enough to be an Uncle.

Which isn't saying a whole lot. Aunts and uncles can be very young.

It would cloud his already solid personality of being a young, energetic people pleaser with hidden aspirations and sneaky ways of getting what he wants.

Could it be he's good at being passive-aggressive BECAUSE he's used to hiding something? If you know that you can't get what you want the "right" way, you get good at getting what you want somehow ....