What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

While I'm all for gay rights I am totally against this issue why would we as parents have to explain such an issue to a small child... What are your thoughts as parents

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

I am not sure at all why ernie and bert would need to get married- they are supposed to be young kids- best friends.

I dont have any issue with Sesame Street trying to educate kids on gay marriage/life styles- but just not sure this is the way to do it.

I am completely for gay marriage for the record though- we have two gay marriages in my family- my aunt and my cousin

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

WHAT! This is the 1st im hearing about this!! Dont get me wrong i have nothing wrong with gay marriage and think its awesome that it was passed in NY, but why would bert n ernie get married, i never thought of them as a couple just best friends, i dont think there is need to bring that to a toddlers attentions yet.. jmo

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

against it.

No, not cool.

Call me non PC or whatever, I don't care. I am against this. I don't feel the need to justify that in anway, either.

*dislike*

I just read though that they are NOT doing it. Thankfully.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

they're puppets for crying out loud!
let's let kids stay kids for at least a little while, before shoving PC attitudes down their throats!

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

THEY AREN'T GETTING MARRIED

Sorry, I just feel like I've seen this all over my FB feed and I'm annoyed already. Just because someone starts a petition and a bunch of people sign it, doesn't mean its happening. The Sesame Workshop has already officially responded saying it's not and was never happening.

"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 company said on their official Facebook page. "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."

https://www.facebook.com/notes/sesame-workshop/sesame-workshop-statement-on-bert-and-ernie-petitions/10150290119497855

ETA: Not that I'd care if they did or have any issue explaining it to my kids. I just don't even know why someone started this whole thing. Clearly, they're best friends and roomates, that's all.

Message edited 8/12/2011 10:09:00 AM.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

I'm the most social liberal you will ever meet.

BUT I think its crazy!

Why should children be exposed to sexuality. Its crazy. Marriage is for adults. Characters shouldn't get married to anyone. Kids relate to the characters on their own level. These characters aren't adults, IMO.

I think people are also wrong to think sex education in kindergarten is a NOT good thing. In a proper formal setting, where discussion is simple, age appropriate and open and questions can come up about adult behaviors and children behaviors, and that children are protected from adults thy try to force adult behaviors on children. Homosexual as well as heterosexual behaviors are reserved for adults. And this is what they need to be taught.

I would have little issue if say one of the human adults was married to same sex. But the kids do not need to know the details. Marriage is for adults.

Message edited 8/12/2011 10:07:42 AM.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

I've never bought that B&E were anything more than best friends and roommates. So I think having them get married would be weird.

I haven't watched since I was a kid, but Sesame Street doesn't do a lot of romantic plot lines, does? HOWEVER, I would be fine with two male (or two female) characters on Sesame Street getting married, just the same as I would feel about a male and female character.

I don't think it would phase kids the way it would bother a lot of parents. But I also don't think CTW is going anywhere near that any time soon.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

I am very pro gay rights, but I feel it isn't necessary. It would draw needless attention and almost mock Bert and Ernie. I don't believe there are any (other) couples on sesame street. I don't think there have been weddings on sesame street. I just think sesame street is about kids and friendship and not love and romance. I think it would needlessly confuse very young children.

Now, a sitcom for a slightly older child that features a gay/lesbian couple and their family, that I would be for.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

If this were true, I'd have no issue with it and no problem at all explaining it to my daughter.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

its not true, but even if it were, Im all for it. Why shouldnt kids be exposed to all kinds of lifestyles and acceptance and tolerance start at an early age? Since I dont see ANYTHING wrong with the gay lifestyle, I have no reason to shield my son from it and are more than happy and HAVE already explained it to him. When they passed the gay marriage bill, I was in my room crying watching the news bc I was so happy. My DS asked why I was crying and I told him bc they passed a gay marriage bill. He asked what it was and I told him, sometimes two men love each other and sometimes two girls love each other, but they werent allowed to get married like Mommy and Daddy and that made me sad. Now they are allowed to and it made mommy so happy she cried. To me, it was no different than explaining different races to a child and how all people are different.

My Uncle who is gay, called me bc I had posted something on FB about the exchange with DS that I mentioned above and he called just to thank me, for teaching him so early and for not being ashamed of his lifestyle or "hiding" it from my DS as if there was something wrong with it.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

I would only be for it if Ernie could convince Bert to fix up the unibrow

But honestly, even though I've read this is not even true, I don't think I would be for it. And I support gay marriage and I have several family members that are gay. I just believe there is a time and a place and personally I don't think Sesame Street is is it.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

I am against it.. mostly because I dont even see straight marriage promoted on SS, so why should we promote gay marriage on it?

ETA: I actually always thought of Bert and Ernie as brothers so..

Message edited 8/12/2011 10:12:22 AM.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Even though it's apparently not true...I think it'd be kind of cool!!
My daughter is constantly watching Princess movies where the princess searches for her prince, and then in the end marries him. She knows about wedding and marriage, and she's already started planning her own wedding....she'll be wearing a pink dress, have a pink cake, and marry "her prince"....she's not sure who he is yet...but she's sure she'll meet him any day now!
I see nothing wrong with introducing her to a different kind of marriage...I'd welcome the opportunity to open up that discussion with her! I'd rather start early when her mind is so young and open!

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

I think it would have been fine. I won't have a problem explaining to DD at an early age that love comes in all types of combinations of people... I dont think it's necessary to discuss "sexuality" at a young age. You wouldn't explain to a 3 year old that Mommy and Daddy are married because they are a man and a woman and go into the birds and the bees. You'd simply say "we're married because we love each other".. something you could easily say about a gay couple.

Though, we are talking puppets here... maybe it would be better to have two of the "human characters" in a same-sex relationship.

Sesame Street was pivotal in me accepting people's differences as a child(handicaps, races, nationalities, etc.) why not add one more?

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Ridiculous. LEAVE THEM ALONE

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Ok i'm ready for the flames that will follow, but this is how I feel..........who gives a shitt if they are or are not gay. I mean really. I get marriage equality, I get the "right" to wed by everybody I do but the fact that people are insisting this is crazy. I am really getting sick of this. I feel like certain groups are not promotng marriage equality but trying to flaunt gay marriage as to start a fight or debate. Maybe it's different since I am married and my brother isn't maybe that's why I just go about my life NOT talking baout marriage every 5 seconds, but seriously how can every freaking conversation come back to it's because i'm gay? This is more of a but it's the same. Why can't people just be themselves and move on. This is the WRONG place to push this and yes I feel it's pushing. I haven't watched in a long time but are there any married couples on SS that they make it a point to show are married and doing married things? What is it that would change between B&E? What would the actual point be of them getting married except to make a point. IMHO a childrens show is NOT the place to make this point and regardles of what I may think about marriage equality I do not appreciate others insisting that my child be taught that is ok.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Do the characters ever talk about relationships on Sesame Street? No. Are the other characters married? No. Just dumb.

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?

Posted by beachgirl

Ridiculous. LEAVE THEM ALONE

Re: What is your feeling on the whole Bert and Ernie get married issue?