The Bert and Ernie Controversies
If you watched Sesame Street in the 70s, and you especially liked the annoying-but-lovable Ernie being a perpetual nudge to the irritable-but-ultimately-forgiving Bert, then you’ll appreciate this clip.
There are several more like it on YouTube. Here’s another that I loved.
I wasted about 30 minutes today searching for the best one to select for this post. Genuinely funny. Very real, or, in politico-speak, “relatable.” And, believe it or not, there’s always a good life lesson or two snuck in there.
Frankly, I think the writing’s brilliant, but Rob and Denise are better judges of that. Fact is, though, I remember my mom laughing over my shoulder at episodes when she occasionally ventured out from the kitchen when I was 5 or 6.
Fast forward to the new millennium. Take a look at Bert and Ernie today. This is Sesame Street’s “Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures” series with the duo. You’ll notice a few changes.
My kids watch about 30 minutes of Sesame Street a day while my husband gets ready for work and I clean up the oatmeal and pack lunches. Bert and Ernie are totally emasculated and completely stripped of all personality. B.O.R.I.N.G. The whole show, except for the odd celebrity clip (such these with Ricky Gervais, Adam Sandler, and Feist), is a dud, in my opinion. Sanitized. Politically correct. Self-consciously inoffensive. No one gets angry. No one raises their voice. Everyone squeaks or smiles or offers positive reinforcement. It teaches (preaches?) about animal habitats and recycling and world music. Boo.
Are Bert and Ernie gay? Do the writers intend for them to be interpreted that way? That’s a question that’s been around for a while, granted. And Fox News stirred up the controversy again with this recent article. (h/t Ricochet Headlines page)
I think you can get some hints from the two clips above. Bert’s voice tone has changed. Check out Bert’s new mannerisms and gestures—more Oscar Wilde than Oscar the Grouch. Am I making that up?
To add to the fun, there’s an apparent inside joke. In Season 39 (2008) the “Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures” theme song included a mumbly (and totally inappropriate) little phrase that Bert says right after the bed passes through clouds that turn into horses in the sky. Listen and tell me what you think he says?
Well, whatever you think it is, Sesame Street said it was the harmless nonsense word that I’m sure we’ve all heard of -- “kicky” -- but they changed the word, nevertheless, by season 40 (2009). What does that tell you?
Here are the words to the song:
Every night when I lie in bed, (Oh no)
I see pictures dancing in my head. (Picture sleep!)
Buddy Bert, buckle up and we'll fly awaaaay!
We're adventuring!
Every time the bed starts tapping
Something special’s gonna happen
(This is kinda kicky / kinky ! - Season 39)
(This is kinda catchy! - Season 40)
My favorite kind of traveling.
We’re adventuring!
Come along with Bert and Ernie
We're going to take a little journey
Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures!
Adventures. I’ll say.
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May '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Bert was voiced by Frank Oz. He's now directing live action features so I don't know how much he's still involved in the CTW productions. That's the problem with cartoons and puppets. The characters can live forever but the original voice artists and creative forces die away. (See Blanc, Mel.)
Good Lord, is it possible that Jim Henson has been gone for 20 years now?
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
EJHill
Bert was voiced by Frank Oz. He's now directing live action features so I don't know how much he's still involved in the CTW productions. That's the problem with cartoons and puppets. The characters can live forever but the original voice artists and creative forces die away. (See Blanc, Mel.)
Good Lord, is it possible that Jim Henson has been gone for 20 years now? · Nov 3 at 3:02pm
That's a fun fact I didn't know, EJ. However, don't you think they could have found a replacement with more of a deep voice with that ornery-but-softie-inside kinda vibe that Oz brought to it? I think the change to a more namby-pamby voice might have been planned.
Jul '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
It's a sign of the drepavity and immaturity of our pop culture that people continue to attempt to sexualize puppets on a children's program. Sesame Workshop always handled this well when it was brought up:
- Sesame Workshop's consumer response prepared statement, 1993.
Sep '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
I agree with your assessment of Burt's voice changing a little, and, as to the "kicky vs. kinky" thing, the pronunciation of the word does sound muddled. Also, at the risk of reading too much into the whole thing and/or grossing the squeamish among us out, Burt experienced a "golden shower" (!?) of birdseed. Hmm.
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Whiskey, I'd agree with you, except that if they are only "designed to help educate preschoolers" then what is Bert doing "tweeting" via an official Sesame Street Twitter account? And, furthermore, "tweeting" about Mr. T?
Here's a excerpt of the Fox article above:
Jul '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Ursula Hennessey
Whiskey, I'd agree with you, except that if they are only "designed to help educate preschoolers" then what is Bert doing "tweeting" via an official Sesame Street Twitter account? And, furthermore, "tweeting" about Mr. T?
It could very well have changed since those quotes are years old, but the original intent at least was not puppets with sexuality.
I know in the mohawk situation they claimed to be mortified anyone construed that as sexual in nature. They thought it was an innocent joke about Mr T's hair, and if you've ever watched the muppets, you know they loved puns and wordplay.
May '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Broader acceptance of homosexuality is happening in the culture whether Ernie Tweets or not. Just like Sesame Street never did a particularly good job of teaching children to read, or speak Spanish, neither can it impart values.
Bert and Ernie being gay is a punchline to a joke. But a liberal conspiracy? Come on. If it is, it's a pretty lame one.One slutty photo of Paris Hilton in a magazine has more influence on our nation's youth than 1,000 hours of politically correct puppets.
Should it be subsidized by tax dollars? No.
Sesame Street has presided over a striking and measured decline in pre-school students' academic, social and emotional readiness for school. Is it responsible? Of course not. But neither has it made any appreciable positive difference.
That god-awful second clip you showed Ursula, confirms what has long been true. Sesame Street would not survive in a commercial market, even against other PBS rivals that are infinitely more entertaining (Berenstain Bears, Handy Manny, etc.). If our children are to be ineffectively brainwashed by liberal eggheads, at least let them be entertained in the process.
Sep '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Jim Henson was a genius, one who definately enriched my childhood. His loss was very tragic, and what's been done with his properties since his death has lacked the zing of his own work. The video Ursula posted comparted to recent muppet and sesame street productions makes this decline obvious.
Sesame Street with Henson could survive in the free market. Today what remains could not, so good riddance. Let room be made for better childrens television.
Edited on Nov 3, 2010 at 4:36pmRe: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Ursula consorts with Terrorists!
Remember this funny picture with Bert over Bin Laden's left shoulder that turned out to be real? Snopes has the story of how Bert got on a pro-terrorist poster.
Aug '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
When I spent an hour watching E&B et al with the kids on you tube last Saturday I didn't expect to be posting on Ricochet about it.For the record,the girls prefer Miss Piggy and love Statler and .
Jul '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Tommy De Seno
Ursula consorts with Terrorists!
Remember this funny picture with Bert over Bin Laden's left shoulder that turned out to be real? Snopes has the story of how Bert got on a pro-terrorist poster. · Nov 3 at 5:06pm
That was a riot. The Bert is Evil thing was never funnier than when it actually worked its way into street protests.
Aug '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
... Waldorf.Any theories on their sexuality?
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
My kids are obsessed with all the old Muppets shows. I have them all on DVD. I think I have the only 6 year old who says her two favorite actors are Bob Hope and Steve Martin.
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Well, remember, Trace, I'm a few years behind you in the culture shocks. My kids won't see Paris Hilton (or whoever takes her place) for another few years. The tiny bits of brainwashing come now through their television, which has on only Sesame Street. Everything else they see is DVDs (Charlie and Lola, Thomas, Dora, etc.).
I agree it's not a liberal conspiracy. I have been lamenting how horrid the new B&E is for a few years now. Then I saw that Fox article and started watching, and comparing, them more closely. Not sure they're going directly for "gay" per se, but they are taking all the personality out of the characters. They have stripped away deep voices and have wiped out that charming brotherly love/hate stuff. Now it's .... different. Why? It's sad and disconnected and ... odd.
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Demaratus: Sesame Street with Henson could survive in the free market. Today what remains could not, so good riddance. Let room be made for better childrens television. · Nov 3 at 4:28pm
Edited on Nov 03 at 04:36 pm
Yes, Demaratus, you and Trace make this same excellent point.
Edited on Nov 3, 2010 at 7:09pmMay '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
I like Handy Manny which has some multi-culti programming but not bad and it celebrates the natural love that children have for tools and fixing things and celebrates competence, which can't be too bad.
May '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
Remember that The Berenstain Bears were not created by or for television- they were a highly successful series of books which were then picked up by TV to capitalize on their prior popularity.
My younger daughter stood in line on the Capitol Mall for 2 hours once as an ABD grad student just to see Stanley and Janice Berenstain, who wrote them all themselves before Stanley died.
Jul '10
Re: The Bert and Ernie Controversies
I pretty clearly hear "kicky" in the song. Not that it still isn't anodyne and lame.
Anyway, if we must politicize Bert & Ernie, they aren't gay, they're roommates. And since Sesame Street was a stand-in for a working-class neighborhood in NYC, the depiction of two independent adults who nonetheless need a roommate is a clear slap against the rent-control policies that cratered the New York rental-housing market in the '70s.
So there. :)