For generations, Bert and Ernie, the iconic duo from “Sesame Street,” have charmed audiences with their contrasting personalities and heartwarming friendship. However, a question about their relationship has lingered in the minds of viewers for years: Are Bert and Ernie more than just roommates? This debate reignited when Mark Saltzman, a former writer for the beloved children’s show, suggested the puppets were indeed conceived as a couple, drawing parallels to his own life.
In a 2018 interview with Queerty, Saltzman, who wrote for “Sesame Street” from 1981 to 1990, revealed his perspective on the characters. He stated, “I always felt that without a huge agenda, when I was writing Bert and Ernie, they were.” Saltzman explained that he didn’t have any other frame of reference to understand their dynamic, and even people around him referred to him and his partner, film editor Arnold Glassman, as “Bert and Ernie.” This personal connection heavily influenced his writing for the characters.
Saltzman elaborated on the similarities, noting, “I was Ernie. I look more Bert-ish. And Arnie, as a film editor — if you thought of Bert with a job in the world, wouldn’t that be perfect? Bert with his paper clips and organization? And I was the jokester,” highlighting how his real-life relationship mirrored the on-screen dynamic of Bert and Ernie.
However, Sesame Workshop, the production company behind “Sesame Street,” has consistently maintained that Bert and Ernie are simply best friends. In a statement released to NBC News in response to Saltzman’s comments, 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. Even though they are identified as male characters and possess many human traits and characteristics (as most Sesame Street Muppets™ do), they remain puppets, and do not have a sexual orientation.”
Despite the official stance, public perception has often leaned towards interpreting Bert and Ernie’s relationship as something deeper than just friendship. The characters have been embraced by the LGBTQ+ community, with many seeing them as symbols of a same-sex couple. This interpretation gained further momentum in 2013 when The New Yorker magazine featured Bert and Ernie on its cover, cuddling together while watching the Supreme Court’s decision on the Defense of Marriage Act, a law that had defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
Earlier, in 2011, an online petition urging “Sesame Street” to allow Bert and Ernie to marry garnered nearly 11,000 signatures, demonstrating the public’s desire to see representation of same-sex relationships even in children’s programming.
While Sesame Workshop’s official position remains that Bert and Ernie are not gay and do not have a sexual orientation, the enduring discussion around their relationship highlights the power of interpretation and the impact these characters have had on viewers. Whether seen as best friends or a couple, Bert and Ernie’s bond continues to resonate, prompting conversations about friendship, love, and representation in media. The ambiguity surrounding their relationship has, in many ways, allowed them to become icons for different generations, each finding their own meaning in the Bert and Ernie dynamic.
