Some 'Sesame Street' Viewers Sense a Gay-Friendly Vibe
Sesame Workshop says it's not out to appeal to a gay audience but with such recent actions as a 'True Blood' parody, inviting openly gay guests like Wanda Sykes, and an interesting tweet by Bert, some are feeling the love.
October 24, 2010
By Melissa Maerz
Reporting from New York — Bert and Ernie are not gay. In their 31 years on "Sesame Street," they've never marched in a Pride parade or plastered a rainbow sticker on Oscar the Grouch's trash can. Sesame Workshop has always contended that they're just friends who happen to live together and sleep side by side in well-tailored pajamas.
And yet, because of a comment on "Sesame Street's" Twitter account, some are claiming that Bert is officially out of the closet.
On June 11, the mono-browed Muppet tweeted about the premiere of the recent "A-Team" remake. ("Sesame Street" plans to air a parody of the movie in November.) "Ever notice how similar my hair is to Mr. T's?" Bert asked, name-checking the original "A-Team" star. "The only difference is mine is a little more 'mo,' a little less 'hawk.'"
Reading "mo" as slang for homosexual, gay bloggers rejoiced. To some, it seemed as if "Sesame Street" was aiming sly in-jokes directly at them, right under the noses of unsuspecting straight viewers. Ed Kennedy of the gay pop culture site AfterElton.com noted that the tweet came during a week when many cities were hosting Gay Pride celebrations. "The people at Sesame Street are way too clever for their own good," he wrote.
Now some people are wondering: Is "Sesame Street" brought to you by the letters G-A-Y?
In its own subtle, perhaps unintentional way, the show's latest season feels more LGBT-friendly than ever. Lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes appeared on the show in October, following in the tradition of openly gay guest stars such as Neil Patrick Harris, who played ( cough, cough) "the shoe fairy" a few seasons back. A parody of "True Blood" — the HBO vampire drama that features several gay characters and draws many gay fans — aired in September. Recently, the Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am appeared on the show to sing "What I Am," a song about accepting who you really are, prompting much online debate about its underlying message. "Did Will.i.am just sing the next gay pride anthem on Sesame Street?" one commenter on AfterElton.com asked.
Sesame Workshop says it's not out to appeal to a gay audience but with such recent actions as a 'True Blood' parody, inviting openly gay guests like Wanda Sykes, and an interesting tweet by Bert, some are feeling the love.
October 24, 2010
By Melissa Maerz
Reporting from New York — Bert and Ernie are not gay. In their 31 years on "Sesame Street," they've never marched in a Pride parade or plastered a rainbow sticker on Oscar the Grouch's trash can. Sesame Workshop has always contended that they're just friends who happen to live together and sleep side by side in well-tailored pajamas.
And yet, because of a comment on "Sesame Street's" Twitter account, some are claiming that Bert is officially out of the closet.
On June 11, the mono-browed Muppet tweeted about the premiere of the recent "A-Team" remake. ("Sesame Street" plans to air a parody of the movie in November.) "Ever notice how similar my hair is to Mr. T's?" Bert asked, name-checking the original "A-Team" star. "The only difference is mine is a little more 'mo,' a little less 'hawk.'"
Reading "mo" as slang for homosexual, gay bloggers rejoiced. To some, it seemed as if "Sesame Street" was aiming sly in-jokes directly at them, right under the noses of unsuspecting straight viewers. Ed Kennedy of the gay pop culture site AfterElton.com noted that the tweet came during a week when many cities were hosting Gay Pride celebrations. "The people at Sesame Street are way too clever for their own good," he wrote.
Now some people are wondering: Is "Sesame Street" brought to you by the letters G-A-Y?
In its own subtle, perhaps unintentional way, the show's latest season feels more LGBT-friendly than ever. Lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes appeared on the show in October, following in the tradition of openly gay guest stars such as Neil Patrick Harris, who played ( cough, cough) "the shoe fairy" a few seasons back. A parody of "True Blood" — the HBO vampire drama that features several gay characters and draws many gay fans — aired in September. Recently, the Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am appeared on the show to sing "What I Am," a song about accepting who you really are, prompting much online debate about its underlying message. "Did Will.i.am just sing the next gay pride anthem on Sesame Street?" one commenter on AfterElton.com asked.
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I thought it was just me... As a child, I did not like Sesame Street (Mr. Roger's Neighborhood was more my cup of tea), but even I recognized Bert and Ernie as a gay couple (even if I didn't know what it meant at the time).
I have to admit that Sesame Street has grown on me in later life. Sometimes while channel surfing, I'll catch a glimpse of the show and stop to watch for a few minutes. I recently saw Neil Patrick Harris' appearance on the show and I did more than one double take as he "camped it up" while playing the "Shoe Fairy." I was instantly convinced that a new day had arrived on the street.
Although I missed Bert's "mo" comment in June, in thinking about it, I suspect that the always "gay friendly" show may indeed be testing the waters as it explores becoming a more openly supportive friend to GLBT people and their children.
Bravo, Sesame Street!
"Fear Eats the Soul"
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