mo' controversy on the street

for forty-years bert and ernie, have cohabited at 123 sesame street, leading many to ponder, what is the nature of their relationship? are they really just roommates? or, perhaps, they are more than "just friends?" (not that there would be anything wrong with that.)

this deep philosophical question, which has long been debated by both mensa members and stoned college kids alike, is back in the news thanks to a tweet from bert on sesame street's official twitter page.

while referencing his hair style, bert tweeted: "ever notice how similar my hair is to mr. t's? the only difference is mine is a little more 'mo,' a little less 'hawk." well, hawk-ish people may have read a little mo' into this tweet than originally intended.

since the word "mo" is used by some in the gay community as a shortened version of "homosexual," it didn't take long before bert's comment became the ambiguous tweet heard 'round the world.

not only were gay bloggers, activists and parents questioning whether this was finally a tip of the proverbial hat to those who have long speculated about bert and ernie's sexuality, but mainstream media also jumped on the bandwagon in an attempt to "break the story."

the la times posed the question: "is sesame street brought to you by the letters g-a-y?" (that's some pulitzer prize winning writing right there.). some media even referenced the fact that sesame street has been inviting more openly gay celebrity guests to the show, such as wanda sykes and neil patrick harris (who came on as the shoe fairy – i love it!) as additional "proof" of...ummm...something...i guess?

everyone can speculate all they want but, according to long-standing statements made by sesame workshop, bert and ernie are just good friends. in 1993 they went on the record regarding the gay rumors and said: "bert and ernie...do not portray a gay couple and there are no plans for them to do so in the future. they are puppets, not humans...[they are] characters who help demonstrate to children that despite their differences, they can be good friends." sesame workshop president and ceo gary knell commented again in 2007, saying: "they are not gay, they are not straight, they are puppets...they don't exist below the waist."

my point and i do have one, is...while i would happily support the lifestyle choices of both bert and ernie, whatever they may be, i actually find it more interesting that bert tweeted.

sesame street is targeted to children ages five years and younger, so who exactly are the tweets on the official sesame street twitter page targeted to? are they suggesting it's the five-year olds in their audience? or, is it really the parents of these children, as well as long standing fans of the show? if in fact, as i suspect, it is the later, is it really such a leap to then believe that these same adults that follow sesame street, may read into the tweets posted, thinking there may be some hidden messages and double entendres?

either way, i think people have mo' time on their hands than they know what to do with. and besides, everyone knows that if bert and ernie did come out as gay, that would be about as news worthy as when clay akin, ricky martin and lance bass did. scandalous!

what's your point?