In my formative years I was exposed to many fine acts of colorful and engaging puppetry via the creative minds at the Jim Henson Company. The Muppets, Dark Crystal, The Labyrinth. But the one I remember the -least- about, funny enough, is actually Sesame Street. Oh, don't get me wrong. I remember sweet ol' Big Bird, the counting Count, adorable Elmo, the... green dude who hung out in a trash can. I remember little things, but for the most part, The Muppets was where I was at.
However, there are two characters that I do remember rather finely, and those are Bert and Ernie. An odd couple living together and, as odd couples tend to do on television, go through many cycles of frustration and hilarity with each other, often the high strung Ernie finding a certain issue with Bert's lackadaisical behavior. The two were friends, though, close and strong.
Over time, though, there were certain people, as they grew from children to worldly adults, that started to get some ideas. Not necessarily bad ideas, mind you, but notions would develop that these two were more than just an odd couple: They were *a* couple. That Bert and Ernie, for all intents and purposes, were romantically involved as homosexual partners.
This is somewhat understandable. They exhibit many qualities of a romantic couple at times, gay or straight, and even though they sleep in two seperate beds they still display a certain amount of closeness that, honest to goodness, could be taken certain ways. If the creators had actually decided to make the couple homosexual, if they had gone and told everyone that they, indeed, were in a relationship with each other... they'd hardly have to change a thing!
But the truth is: They're not. Bert and Ernie are good, longtime friends with respect and love for each other and that's all. While this disappoints some members of the LGBT who are always on the lookout for respectable gay/alternative role models for kids to observe, this is how it should be. Bert and Ernie are based on the friendship of Frank Oz and Jim Henson. To take that friendship and alter it like that would be wrong, flat out.
Would their relationship of been a good precedence for homosexual couples that children could take away from? I believe so. But as our world continues to become more and more progressive, we'll still have opportunities on the horizon to properly educate our kids on acceptance of those with different orientations. As long as we keep pushing and working for it!
To those who were offended by the idea of Bert and Ernie being in a homosexual relationship because you felt like it would "sexualize" them, I have a question for you: Were you ever offended by the relationship of Miss Piggy and Kermit? They were obviously involved in a romantic relationship and even married. Why would it be any more or less offensive for Bert and Ernie to take a step up in their relationship from roomates to a couple?
Just food for thought.
(Observation of Kermit and Piggy originally brought to light for me by Armistead Maupin. Thank you for that!)
