The Secret Double Lives of the Muppets

I guess this was inevitable. With the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York, an online petitioner is now gathering signatures to encourage Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street to come out of the closet and formalize their relationship by getting married.

I, like so many other people, have wondered about this for a long time. I even remember when my son Kaleb was about six years old, on the way to school one morning he asked me, "if Bert and Ernie aren't brothers, why do they sleep in the same room?" I think I awkwardly muttered something to the effect that they were saving money on rent.

For the record, it wouldn't bother me at all if B&E did get married. It would be great for a beloved and respected kids' show like Sesame Street to have such a funny and friendly gay couple in their cast of characters, as a positive role model and lesson in tolerance for children. This would be perfectly consistent with the other messages of tolerance and equality that the show promotes. And I think the producers of Sesame Street, if they chose to make this move, could be counted on to handle this transition with appropriate sensitivity.

On the other hand, as the statement from the show's producers says, they are just puppets.

This article is a couple of years old, but its take on this "issue" is hilarious.