Childhood favorites Bert and Ernie: Does the sexuality of these puppets matter?

By Troi Patrick
December 8, 2018

Sesame Street writer, Mark Saltzman, talks about the sexuality of Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie, in an interview done by “Queerty” in early September of 2018. Saltzman admits that he thought of Bert and Ernie as a gay couple.  

Saltzman no longer writes for “Sesame Street,” but said that he wrote Bert and Ernie and thought of them as a gay couple. He says that their relationship resembled that of his own. Saltzman says that he and his former partner, Arnold Glassman, were often jokingly referred to as Bert and Ernie. 

Wait a moment! You are not Big Bird! by Carlos ZGZ. Photo from Flickr.

“I always felt that, without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert and Ernie, they were,” Saltzman said.

The information that just came to light about these beloved characters’ sexuality is causing opposing opinions among children and adults alike.   

“It shocked me,” Cabrini sophomore Noah Milbourne said. “I only saw them as nothing more than friends who like to bother each other.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Ceonna Morris, sophomore graphic design major, said. “It’s 2018. Gay couples have been here, they’re going to stay here.”

Some people feel that characters on children’s shows shouldn’t be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Others believe that this is a good way to help children understand sexuality early on.  

“I think it’s good to expose kids to that at a young age,” sophomore education major Tajamier Smith said. “It happens, it’s a part of our everyday life. There are people around us that are like that and you can’t stop and change people from doing that. Teach them young then you won’t have the problem we have in the world where we’re judging people off of being gay.”

A series by the name of “Kids React” on the “React” YouTube channel allowed children to weigh in on Bert and Ernie’s relationship status.  

Sesame Street visit USAG Ansbach June 24 by USAG Ansbach. Photo from Flickr.

These children ranging from ages eight and 13 had various opinions. One child, Bradley, aged nine, says that he’s just a little shocked but isn’t bothered by it. “It seems like it’s a big deal but, if you really, really think about it I don’t think it’s a huge deal.” 

After facing backlash on social media, Sesame Workshop released a statement from their official Twitter. In their statement they said that Bert and Ernie were “created to be best friends” and used as role models to teach young children how to get along with those whom they are different from. This statement contradicts that of the statement made by Saltzman in his interview.  

A rainbow of colors by Stephanie Warrior Princess. Photo from Flickr

Sydney Bergerson, a 10-year-old child, also featured in the YouTube series said that Sesame Workshop could just be saving face. See as how strongly people reacted to the possibility of Bert and Ernie being a gay couple it may be better for the company to call the pair “just friends.” 

Prior to the release of Sesame’s official statement made on Twitter,Frank Oz, the voice actor of Bert, also had something to say on the matter. Oz claims that Bert and Ernie are not gay and that it doesn’t matter regardless. He also says “I created Bert. I know what and who he is.”

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Troi Patrick

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