[TV] Sesame Street: Writer Mark Saltzman reveals Bert & Ernies sexual orientation

[Vineri]

It was no accident that Bert and Ernie chose to live together as unmarried male bachelors. Mark Saltzman, writer for Sesame Street, finally revealed their relationship in a recent interview, as a loving couple.


September 16, 2018
https://www.queerty.com/exclusive-be...nswer-20180916

David Reddish, Interviewer:
"Ok, so we have to address—that’s the big question, right? In the writer’s room, you’re all adults. Were you thinking of Bert & Ernie as a gay couple? Did that question ever come up?"

Mark Saltzman:
"I remember one time that a column from The San Francisco Chronicle, a preschooler in the city turned to mom and asked “are Bert & Ernie lovers?” And that, coming from a preschooler was fun. And that got passed around, and everyone had their chuckle and went back to it. And I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert & Ernie, they were. I didn’t have any other way to contextualize them. The other thing was, more than one person referred to Arnie & I as “Bert & Ernie.”"
"Yeah, I was Ernie. I look more Bert-ish. And Arnie as a film editor—if you thought of Bert with a job in the world, wouldn’t that be perfect? Bert with his paper clips and organization? And I was the jokester. So it was the Bert & Ernie relationship, and I was already with Arnie when I came to Sesame Street. So I don’t think I’d know how else to write them, but as a loving couple. I wrote sketches…Arnie’s OCD would create friction with how chaotic I was. And that’s the Bert & Ernie dynamic."


The Arnie person referred to in the interview was Marks's domestic partner Arnold Glassman, who passed away in 2003.

Sesame Workshop was somewhat quick to respond with their own version.


September 18, 2018
https://mobile.twitter.com/SesameWor...587395/photo/1

Sesame Workshop:
"As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation."

So who do we believe, the writer, or the people who just sign paychecks. I'm going with the person who actually wrote all the skits.

[Kithelle]

The writer may have intended them to be, but in the end it's probably the bosses who say what is.

[minkage]

Why do we have to apply sexuality to muppets of all things... There friends and thats all that matters.

[Rainbow Sun]

Thought they did this years ago?

[Vineri]

Thought they did this years ago?

It was speculated in the past, and Sesame Street Workshop (SSW) would always deny it. There was a petition in 2011 for them to marry, but SSW's response was pretty much the same Twitter answer as posted earlier. This time the writer came forward to contradict SSW's version.

Also to their Twitter rehash, if muppets didnt have sexual orientation, then Rowlf the Dog wouldn't be singing "Can't live with 'em, Can't live without 'em". Miss Piggy wouldn't be chasing Kermit, and wouldn't eventually marry him. Gonza and chickens ..

[Rainbow Sun]

It was speculated in the past, and Sesame Street Workshop (SSW) would always deny it. There was a petition in 2011 for them to marry, but SSW's response was pretty much the same Twitter answer as posted earlier. This time the writer came forward to contradict SSW's version.

Also to their Twitter rehash, if muppets didnt have sexual orientation, then Rowlf the Dog wouldn't be singing "Can't live with 'em, Can't live without 'em". Miss Piggy wouldn't be chasing Kermit, and wouldn't eventually marry him. Gonza and chickens ..

Ah gotcha, and yeah makes sense on the second part.

[Blueobelisk]

Who cares. Big Bird and that green trash can guy were the best. Even Elmo was better. Bert and Ernie were only useful for their place in Dexter's Lab, as far as my childhood is concerned.

[Deleted]

Why do we have to apply sexuality to muppets of all things... There friends and thats all that matters.

thread closed. only sjw who wants to stir up shit will sexualize them.

[Shadowferal]

I'm certain that my former 4yr old self didn't give a damn about this.

[yetgdhfgh]

If they are a couple then damn do they have a shitty relationship cause they both sleep in separate beds!!

Also who cares about the sexuality of muppets?

[Dhrizzle]

So who do we believe, the writer, or the people who just sign paychecks. I'm going with the person who actually wrote all the skits.

It's not that hard to reconcile. Bert and Ernie's relationship was based on a real-life homosexual partnership but within the context of Sesame Street "canon" they're just friends because they are asexual puppets who have more interest in preschool education than sex and romance.

[xskarma]

This thread goes against our rules on forbidden topics. Closing this here.



CLOSED.