Paging Sesame: Bert and Ernie share cuddly 'Moment of Joy' on The New Yorker's DOMA cover

Jenn Taylor | 10:52 AM on June 28, 2013

https://twitter.com/LoganDobson/status/350604289229598721

“No, not even Muppets can be spared a part in this culture war,” writes David Harsanyi at Human Events. In celebration of the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decisions, The New Yorker debuted this cover, titled “Moment of Joy:

https://twitter.com/silviakillings/status/350601302134382592

Ohhhhh. That kind of “roommates.”

Cover Story: Bert and Ernie’s “Moment of Joy” http://t.co/X4hDnGTeDl

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) June 28, 2013

One of the best New Yorker covers ever: Bert and Ernie's moment of joy – http://t.co/iqhVaEZgzk

— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) June 28, 2013

We’re pretty sure puppets don’t have sexual orientations and can’t actually get married (but don’t tell Kermit and Piggy).

Ernie and Bert are supposed to be six years old, I read once. (Big Bird is 4.)

— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) June 28, 2013

https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/350623666469474304

How bout we leave the kiddie shows out of this, for once pretty please http://t.co/AR6ZBu4nhi via @NewYorker

— Apollycalypse (@PollySpin) June 28, 2013

https://twitter.com/hale_razor/status/350613734131122176

I don't like thinking of childhood characters as sexual beings, no matter their orientation. Weird New Yorker cover. http://t.co/4DdYdBuMQr

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) June 28, 2013

Sesame Workshop doesn’t like it either. According to a 2011 statement, Bert and Ernie are most definitely not gay. Also, they’re Muppets.

“Bert and Ernie are best friends,” the statement read. “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.”