Muppet Wiki

Kermiteye Welcome to Muppet Wiki!


Please visit Special:Community to learn how you can collaborate with the editing community.

READ MORE

Muppet Wiki
Muppet Wiki
44,519
pages
No edit summary
mNo edit summary
(4 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[Image:Ernest-and-Bertram.jpg|thumb|300px]]
 
[[Image:Ernest-and-Bertram.jpg|thumb|300px]]
   
'''''Ernest & Bertram''''' is a 2002 short film by Peter Spears [[Muppet Parodies|spoofing]] ''[[Sesame Street]]'' characters [[Ernie]] and [[Bert]]. The film ran at the Sundance Film Festival, but kept from further distribution when its director was served a cease and desist order by [[Sesame Workshop|Sesame Workshop's]] lawyers.
+
'''''Ernest & Bertram''''' is a 2002 short film by Peter Spears [[Muppet Parodies|that spoofs]] ''[[Sesame Street]]'' characters [[Ernie]] and [[Bert]]. The film ran at the Sundance Film Festival, but kept from further distribution when its director was served a cease and desist order by [[Sesame Workshop|Sesame Workshop's]] lawyers.<ref name=ABC>Wolf, Buck [http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WolfFiles/story?id=91748&page=1&page=1 "'Sesame Street' Threatens Lawsuit Over Gay Muppet Rumors" ''ABC News'',] April 9, 2002. Web. (Accessed 11/1/09.)</ref><ref name=Goodridge>Goodridge, Michael [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+best+films+you+can%27t+see:+Ernest+&+Bertram+is+the+latest+in+a...-a089871734 "The best films you can't see: Ernest & Bertram is the latest in a series of acclaimed queer films banned from public view because their makers stepped on some famous toes." ''The Advocate (The National Gay and Lesbian News Magazine)'',] July 23, 2002. Web. (Accessed 10/31/09.)</ref> The short is based loosely on ''[[wikipedia:The Children's Hour (play)|The Children's Hour]]'', a tragic play by [[wikipedia:Lillian Hellman|Lillian Hellman]] about unrequited love between two women.<ref name=Goodridge></ref>
   
 
When the film starts, [[Miss Piggy]] has discontinued a romantic relationship with Bert when [[Are Ernie and Bert gay?|rumors of the roommates being gay]] hit the media. Ernie comes home and through conversation reveals that he does love Bert "that way." Bert seems not to return the sentiment, resulting in [[Ernie is Dead|Ernie's suicide]].
 
When the film starts, [[Miss Piggy]] has discontinued a romantic relationship with Bert when [[Are Ernie and Bert gay?|rumors of the roommates being gay]] hit the media. Ernie comes home and through conversation reveals that he does love Bert "that way." Bert seems not to return the sentiment, resulting in [[Ernie is Dead|Ernie's suicide]].
   
The film makes no effort to hide the fact that they're using Sesame Workshop's characters. The blatant use of copyrighted characters is no doubt what initiated legal action on the part of the owners. This includes the two main characters, their likenesses and an arrangement of the [[Sesame Street Theme|''Sesame Street'' theme song]].
+
The film makes unabashed use of Sesame Workshop's characters and other copyrighted material. The similarities between ''Ernest and Bertram'' and ''Sesame Street'' included the names of the two principal characters, their physical appearances, and an arrangement of the [[Sesame Street Theme|''Sesame Street'' theme song]].
  +
  +
==References==
  +
<references/>
   
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Revision as of 03:34, 5 April 2011

Ernest-and-Bertram

Ernest & Bertram is a 2002 short film by Peter Spears that spoofs Sesame Street characters Ernie and Bert. The film ran at the Sundance Film Festival, but kept from further distribution when its director was served a cease and desist order by Sesame Workshop's lawyers.[1][2] The short is based loosely on The Children's Hour, a tragic play by Lillian Hellman about unrequited love between two women.[2]

When the film starts, Miss Piggy has discontinued a romantic relationship with Bert when rumors of the roommates being gay hit the media. Ernie comes home and through conversation reveals that he does love Bert "that way." Bert seems not to return the sentiment, resulting in Ernie's suicide.

The film makes unabashed use of Sesame Workshop's characters and other copyrighted material. The similarities between Ernest and Bertram and Sesame Street included the names of the two principal characters, their physical appearances, and an arrangement of the Sesame Street theme song.

References

External links