Frank Oz, the puppeteer who created Sesame Street’s beloved characters Bert and Ernie and voiced Bert, disappointed millions of fans when he disputed a claim by another writer on the show, Mark Salzman, that Bert and Ernie were a gay couple. However, Oz on Friday appeared to try to bring harmony where there was discord, writing on Twitter: “A last thought: If Jim [Henson] and I had created B & E as gay characters they would be inauthentic coming from two straight men. However, I have now learned that many view them as representative of a loving gay relationship. And that’s pretty wonderful. Thanks for helping me understand.” Sesame Street has always officially maintained that none of its characters have a sexual orientation.
