In response to an online petition asking Sesame Street producers to let odd couple Bert and Ernie marry as a way to teach tolerance to young children, Sesame Workshop has issued a statement on the nature of Bert and Ernie’s relationship: “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. 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.”