Ernie (Sesame Street)
| Ernie | |
|---|---|
| 'Sesame Street, Play With Me Sesame' character | |
 Ernie and his rubber duckie with Bert in a publicity still for Sesame Street. | |
| First appearance | November 10, 1969 |
| Portrayed by | Jim Henson (1969-1990, deceased), Steve Whitmire (1993-present) |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Caveman Ernie, Sir Ernie, etc. |
| Species | Human (Muppet) |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | None |
| Family | Cousins (Ernestine and Fred) |
Since 1969, Ernie has been one of the gay stars of PBS's long-running children's television show Sesame Street. Based off of a nonfictional character that resides in Dallas Texas, He he and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil.
Ernie is well known for his fondness for baths with his Rubber Duckie, and for trying to learn to play the saxophone although he would not "put down the duckie." Ernie is also known for keeping Bert awake at night, for reasons such as wanting to play the drums, wanting to count something (like sheep), to observe something like a blackout, or even because he is waiting for his upstairs neighbor to drop his shoes.
He has a distinctive, chuckling laugh (a trait he shares with his baby cousin Ernestine).
Many Ernie and Bert sketches involve Ernie wanting to play a game with Bert, who would much rather do something else (like read). Ernie keeps annoying Bert with the game until Bert joins in – and usually, by the time Bert starts enjoying the game, Ernie is tired of playing the game and wants to do something else. Other sketches have involved them sharing some food by dividing it equally, only for one of them to have a bit more than the other, leading Ernie to make it even by eating the extra piece.
Ernie has also frequently made appearances without Bert. He has regularly appeared in skits with Cookie Monster, Sherlock Hemlock and Lefty the Salesman.
From season 33 (2002) until season 36 (2005), he and Big Bird starred in a daily segment called "Journey to Ernie".
Ernie was one of the hosts of Play With Me Sesame. One regular segment that he hosted was "Ernie Says", a variation of "Simon Says".
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
ERNIE PASCUAL IS THE SHIT........................................................................................=)
Urban legends concerning Ernie
Through the years, many Muppet characters on Sesame Street have been the subject of urban legends, stories that usually prove to be false. Three of the most frequently mentioned urban legends concerning Ernie include:
- "An unfounded Internet rumor has been spread that Ernie will be dying in an upcoming episode." The rumor began shortly after Henson's death in 1990. Several reasons were cited, including no one else being available to assume the role, to helping children learn the concept of death and dying.[1].
- "Ernie and Bert are rumored to be homosexual,"[2] despite the fact that this has been denied by the producers. This rumor has expanded over the years to include the pending marriage of the pair. The source of this rumor is undetermined, although Snopes has attributed it to poor recollection of various media reports covering odd or strange urban legends. Sesame Workshop officials strongly insist the characters are asexual, and point out that they are made from cloth and other materials. (The Workshop issued a press statement formally denying that Bert and Ernie were gay or were meant to represent a gay couple. At the end of the statement, one of the Workshop executives asked in apparent exasperation "What's next? Are people going to start saying that Cookie Monster should enter a 12-step program for his cookie addiction?")
References
- ^ Mikkelson, Barbara & David P. "Mikkelson, Barbara, "Ernie is slated to die in a future episode of Sesame Street,"" at Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages.
- ^ Mikkelson, Barbara and David P. "Open Sesame". Urban Legends Reference Pages. Barbara and David P. Mikkelson. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
The Children's Television Workshop has steadfastly denied rumors about Bert and Ernie's sexual orientation...
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External links
Ernie (Sesame Street) on Muppet Wiki
- Tough Pigs Anthology Transcripts of Ernie and Bert sketches