Thoughts on Kami

[Fozzie Bear]

Mercy.

Here I go AGAIN!

I wrote a letter about the time of the beginning of the E&B RUMORS to (then) Children's Television Workshop ATTN: Sesame Street Producers who assured me...

1) Ernie would NOT be retired because Henson died, and
2) Ernie and Bert "have not ever, do not now, nor ever will portray a gay couple. They are simply two best friends who show that, no matter how different you are, you can still be friends."

One day I will find that letter and scan it in for proof. Maybe this needs to be a part of the MC FAQ??

I'm going to be SO glad when that rumor is dead.

Finally, I still haven't heard a response to my request from the last post:
"I mean, if you think it should be delved into deeper, you should discuss how it could be done on a level that children could understand that would not be offensive to their parents and be educational."

Laters,
FOZ

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Here's a good idea for a new Muppet monster...

Teret's syndrome.

 

[radionate]

I think we'd have no problem finding performers for it around here. But since you have Muley, I get first dibs then.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Muley would make a great new visitor to SS. He's got a fun personality, a little crazy, overly-outgoing, but keeps himself planted firmly on the ground.

He's always a hit at the RMH and Rock 103 Functions.

But, okay, you get the teret's syndrome muppet. I'll take the Muppet with Split Personalities! LOL!! No, you won't, I will. No, I will. You THINK you will...

*suddenly comes to blows with himself...*

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by Fozzie Bear
2) Ernie and Bert "have not ever, do not now, nor ever will portray a gay couple. They are simply two best friends who show that, no matter how different you are, you can still be friends."

I actually have some opinions on Bert & Ernie - first of all the ONLY people who ever know what went into the inception of those characters and what they are/aren't is Henson/Oz. People can make guesses though and i agree that they do not portray a gay couple and are a just a couple of friends living together - BUT it is very clear that a lot of camp and black humour is behind the two characters and how they are portrayed, and they do have some stereotypically 'camp' or 'gay' aspects (i'm not saying that all gay people act the same way) in their personalities.

If you look at TV/Comedy at the time, and especially the kind of media people Henson and Oz were hanging around with (i mean Brillstein and William Morris clients) there were a lot of artists who got a cheap laugh out of emphasising 'camp' aspects of their character and it wasn't always gay people who did it. Many a straight comic has tried to act 'gay' (Just look at Niles - David Hyde Pierce in Frasier) - it's just a way to get a cheap laugh and a lot of people find it funny. There are still actors and artists out there today who do it. I think the way some Bert and Ernie sketches have been written have purposely played on this kind of thing and tried to get a laugh from the parents as well as the kids.

Something else to mention too - Henson are STILL doing this, even more so, and totally on purpose. Most of you guys are yet to meet 'The Hoobs' but 'Iver & Groove' are very much characters on a 'Bert & Ernie' level. The character of Iver has a lot of those 'camp' kinda things about him and is very similar in the way he acts to Niles from Frasier. Groove is very much the strong male character. One script even say Iver trying to be a giant and trying on Tula (the females) high heels - as he walked off screen he made a quip that "i wonder if i've got a handbag to match". It's all fairly innocent - just a little camp innuendo that would pass over the kids heads and get a laugh out of the parents but it's definitely a form of comedy that writers seem to like to use.

I don't believe Bert & Ernie are gay, but i also don't believe someone like Frank Oz would say that straight out - you aren't alone wondering if the characters are gay because those hints have been put there completely on purpose for the comedy value to make people question it while they are watching and pick up on those aspects of the characters and find them sweet or funny. It's supposed to be one of those things where the puppeteers have a coy smile and say 'Hmmm - i dunno - what do you think ?' which is what Frank Oz has done 99% of times.

 

[Hays]

Um, you might want to check this statement

Many a straight comic has tried to act 'gay' (Just look at Niles - David Hyde Pierce in Frasier)

He's a HUGE supporter of GLAAD, tho like most people, I don't think he "acts" gay in real life.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

But I KNOW they aren't.

They told me so.

Bert likes Prairie Dawn...or was that Betty Lou? Then, that woman on TMS. Ernie likes...uh, wait.

Did Ernie ever show interest in a female of any type at all? I don't remember.

FOZMODEE

 

[Luke]

When i mentioned Hyde Pierce i was linking him (very clumsily) to my comment that lots of actors emphasise 'gay' characteristics on screen to get a cheap and easy laugh. I hadn't particularly known whether he is gay in real life or not - my comment is solely about how he portrays the character of hetrosexual Niles. If you want to look at another example there's Mathew in Newsradio. Both actors do exactly the same thing - they aren't gay characters but they emphasise quirks in the personality (that some people would associate with gay people) to be funny.

 

[Daffyfan4ever]

Reply

It's interesting how we have three pages of this so fast. I feel I should put in my two cents. Spiderman, I know you're not being rude or trying to offend anybody. You're entitled to your opinion. I guess they wanted to add Kami to South Africa's Sesame Street to show what life was like. About Bert and Ernie, yeah, I've heard rumors about them being gay and people do make jokes about it, but I guess judging from what was previously said here: (Ex: Bert's interest in Connie Stevens, 'I want to hold your ear' song) then they aren't gay. It sort of makes me wonder why Bert would buy Ernie a pink soap dish though.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Re: Reply

Originally posted by Daffyfan2002
(It sort of makes me wonder why Bert would buy Ernie a pink soap dish though.

They were out of nifty blue ones...