The relationship between Sesame Street’s iconic duo, Bert and Ernie, has been thrown back into the spotlight after a former writer for the show suggested they were conceived as a couple. Mark Saltzman, a writer for Sesame Street from 1981 to 1990, revealed in an interview that he wrote Bert and Ernie as a reflection of his own relationship with his partner, Arnold Glassman.
In an interview with Queerty, Saltzman stated, “I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert and Ernie, they were.” He explained that he lacked a different framework to understand them, and humorously noted that he and his partner were often referred to as “Bert and Ernie” by others. Saltzman identified with Ernie’s jokester personality, while he saw his partner, a film editor, as embodying Bert’s organized and meticulous nature.
However, Sesame Workshop, the organization behind Sesame Street, has consistently maintained that Bert and Ernie are not a couple. In a statement to NBC News, Sesame Workshop clarified, “As we have always said, Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves.” The statement further emphasized that while Bert and Ernie are male characters with human-like traits, they are ultimately puppets and “do not have a sexual orientation.”
This isn’t the first time the nature of Bert and Ernie’s relationship has been a topic of public discussion. For years, viewers have speculated and debated whether the two roommates were more than just friends. This speculation gained further momentum as societal views on LGBTQ+ relationships evolved.
Back in 2011, a petition advocating for Bert and Ernie to get married on Sesame Street garnered nearly 11,000 signatures, reflecting public interest in seeing same-sex relationships represented in children’s media. Adding to the cultural conversation, in 2013, The New Yorker magazine featured Bert and Ernie on its cover, depicted cuddling while watching television coverage of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Defense of Marriage Act. Saltzman acknowledged the New Yorker cover as a form of “vindication,” yet pointed out the absence of Bert and Ernie in Pride parades, highlighting the nuanced and often debated public perception of the characters.
While Saltzman’s perspective offers a personal and creative insight into the characters’ development during his time writing for Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop’s official stance remains that Bert and Ernie are simply best friends, designed to teach children about friendship and acceptance of differences. The enduring popularity of Bert and Ernie, and the ongoing discussion about their relationship, underscores their impact on popular culture and how audiences connect with them on multiple levels.
