I made the mistake of commenting on the subject of this post to my mom's board without having first read the article. My first reaction was this: "Because clearly two men can't be best friends without getting sexually involved. Seriously. It's a KID'S show. Why do people need to keep reading into shit that's just not there?"
My comment, I believe, was true enough, if left to its own merit. Americans are, in my opinion, hyper-focused on dirty sex and alternative lifestyles. The saying used to be that a girl and a guy couldn't be just friends without there being something sexual or romantic involved. I guess the same thing is now true of ANYONE who's ever friends with anyone else, regardless of their gender.
I don't believe that my initial reaction was entirely uncalled for. However, once I went back and read through the article, I was presented with a slightly different picture than the one I mistakenly assumed, and I believe one that's much worse than what I'd originally thought.
An online campaign is calling for the producers of TV’s “Sesame Street” to allow characters Bert and Ernie to get married in an attempt to “put an end to the bullying and suicides of LGBT youth”, according to the group’s Facebook page.
...am I the only one that found this entire idea to be completely absurd? I mean, I truly do feel for the kids and parents of kids that are dealing with LGBT issues, but this idea is ridiculous! Sesame Street is a KID'S show, meant for toddlers through kindergarteners!
But this needs to be handled in a different way. Parents: how about teaching your children-- when they're OLD ENOUGH to understand!-- to be accepting, to love and value everyone for who they are as a person, instead of introducing homophobia and bigotry? Why rely on a children's television program to do it for you if you actually WANT your children to grow up tolerant of others?
Moving on.
I understand completely the feelings of the parents that don't want something like this to take place. Not everyone in the world has religious or moral views in line with the LGBT lifestyle, nor does everyone feel that their four year old ought to be subject to learning about alternative sexuality (or any at all, for that matter!) through a children's television show. For all the people that would find this objectionable, marrying Bert and Ernie would be tantamount to taking Sesame Street away altogether.
Leave the infant through six year old age group alone, people! Let them live in a world where two boys or two girls can just be friends. They'll find out about the more lurid aspects of our nihilistic, sex-crazed society soon enough.
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