Why It Matters That Bert and Ernie Are Friends, Not Lovers | Intellectual Takeout

Why It Matters That Bert and Ernie Are Friends, Not Lovers | Intellectual Takeout
"At this point, you’ve likely heard the controversy over whether or not the beloved Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie are a homosexual couple.
...Both Sesame Street Workshop, as well as Bert’s creator, Frank Oz, responded, saying that Bert and Ernie are not and were never intended to be a couple.
Sesame Street Workshop’s initial statement pointed out that, as puppets, they do not have sexual orientation.
This claim is not new. In fact, it is the exact same response that Sesame Street Workshop issued in 2011 when 11,000 signers petitioned to have Bert and Ernie get married.
...But perhaps even more, could this highlight a deep and growing problem within our culture? Salzman stated that he thought of Bert and Ernie as gay because he didn’t have any other way to contextualize them.
What happens when children grow up without having categories for friendship, without that friendship being sexualized?
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