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Let Bert and Ernie Stay Single

Backers of gay marriage hate idea: Opinion roundup

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 10, 2011 7:22 PM CDT

(Newser) – An online petition by Change.org to have Bert and Ernie get married on Sesame Street is generating lots of buzz but also plenty of criticism—including from those who support same-sex marriage:

  • Nicole Fabian-Weber, the Stir: "Utterly stupid idea." Why? "They're puppets. They bicker, sing songs, and teach kids how to count. They—and the rest of the characters on the show—shouldn't be marrying anyone, girl or boy." (Whitney Jefferson at Jezebel has a similar gripe.)
  • Tracy Clark-Flory, Salon: "They're close buddies who happen to be lifelong roommates—and in a preschooler's universe this is totally appropriate! It's only in the adult world of defensive, 'no homo' heterosexuality that their cohabitation becomes problematic and laughable." How about we push for more gay celebrities to appear on the show "and leave the absurdity of debating puppets' sexuality to the homophobes."

  • Alyssa Rosenberg, Think Progress: "If Sesame Street says the pair isn’t gay, it would be a bit odd to force them to get married because we want some role models." Also: "I think it’s actively unhelpful to gay and straight men alike to perpetuate the idea that all same-sex roommates, be they puppet or human, must necessarily be a gay couple."
  • Andrew Sullivan, Daily Beast: "My gripe is that I've not just been fighting for gays to have the right to marry for two decades; I've also been fighting for them to have the right not to marry, if they so choose. And that applies to Bert and Ernie."

From left, Zoe, Ernie and Bert.
From left, Zoe, Ernie and Bert.   (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Sesame Street characters Ernie, Bert, Elmo and Abby Cadabby.
Sesame Street characters Ernie, Bert, Elmo and Abby Cadabby.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 28 comments
StevenWadeParker
Aug 11, 2011 11:29 AM CDT
Sesame Street has stated over and over and over again that these two puppets represent two friends, they are not in love they do not represent a gay couple they are there to show that two people with different points of view on many subjects can still be friends.  Nobody is saying they should get married and nobody is pressing this issue it seems except NEWSER.  This is a children's program.  It teaches colors number words and ideas like friendship and cooperation.  Nobody wants to bother children with teaching them sexuality.  Not homosexuality and not heterosexuality.  This is not something that children should care to know about, not the children young enough to watch this gentle children's program.  Whoever is pushing this idea on people in order to get a non-issue stirred up like the pot of dog crap that it is, should be placed head first in that pot of dog crap and the feathered and ran out of town.  This is hate mongering and that is all this is.
LoginsSuck
Aug 11, 2011 10:13 AM CDT
They should focus on more important matters like Bert's unibrow and Ernies lack of any eyebrow. I feel there is a compromise somewhere in there.
ducme
Aug 11, 2011 9:35 AM CDT
Stupid idea, just keep your life style to yourself, no one cares.

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