Bert's Bad Rap
[posted by Callimachus]
As a soon-to-be parent again, with a lag of 15 years in between, I'll have to reacquaint myself with the ugly ins and outs of preschool pop culture. The one thing I expect to recognize the second time around is Sesame Street. I said I expect to "recognize" it. Not "learn to like" it.
Our friend Bill here rises, brilliant and Darrow-like, to defend much-maligned Bert:
As a soon-to-be parent again, with a lag of 15 years in between, I'll have to reacquaint myself with the ugly ins and outs of preschool pop culture. The one thing I expect to recognize the second time around is Sesame Street. I said I expect to "recognize" it. Not "learn to like" it.
Our friend Bill here rises, brilliant and Darrow-like, to defend much-maligned Bert:
If Bert is evil, it's because his asshole roommate drove him over the edge and he finally snapped. You might be able to make the case for a worse roommate than Ernie -- and I'll discuss a few -- but he is definately the most unpleasant person/monster on Sesame Street. He's a vindictive, mean-spirited cheat with no morals or scruples. His modus operandi is ruthless badgering, with no regards for the feelings of his victim, until that victim finally cracks and agrees to go along with Ernie. At that point, Ernie changes the rules or decides he's finished and disappears, leaving the victim in a homicidal rage. And for some reason we're supposed to think that Ernie is the funny one and Bert is the one with the stick up his fabric ass. Again, I say bullshit.
