![]() By: Conner James - MSTv Its been a question asked for decades: are Sesame Street characters, Burt and Ernie gay? Well, in the midst of the new Gay marriage ruling laid down by the Supreme court and according to next month's New Yorker magazine (left), they just might be. Or maybe not.. The two, who have been eternal roommates since the show's PBS debut in 1969, were crafted by Muppets creator, Jim Henson. The relationship of the characters was based on the real-life friendship of voice actors, Jim Henson and Frank Oz. The puppet duo were virtually the only Muppets to appear in the pilot episode. And since they tested well, they've been a mainstay ever since. However, allegations of the pair being "more than friends" has been circulating since the 1980's. Being roommates in a Sesame Street apartment, the duo share a single bedroom. However, they do sleep in separate beds. This, in addition to their not having much interaction with other characters on the show, (most of their segments are self-encapsulated) especially females, has led some to suggest that they might be a gay couple. These rumors, vehemently denied by the Sesame Street Workshop, have been spun and placed in damage control to squash the growing beliefs. Some examples to show otherwise have been segments of Bert's interactions with female characters and showing his attractions to women. But the idea of Bert and Ernie as a couple is so sufficiently widespread that it has been used as the basis for jokes on several television shows and remains strong within the general public conscious. Recently, The New Yorker magazine chose an image of Bert and Ernie by artist Jack Hunter, titled 'Moment of Joy', as the cover of their July 8, 2013 publication which covers the Supreme Court decisions on the Defense of Marriage Act and California's California Proposition 8. As trademarked images, usage of the characters in such a fashion had to be approved, despite adding fuel to the fire. But are the allegations true? As before, executives at Sesame Street remain staunch that the characters are "sexless" and celebrate friendship, despite their "differences." Differences? Hmm, can this be yet another question, or another can of worms opened?
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Dylan O'Brien speaks on "Teen Wolf S3," "The Internship," has fun and reveals secrets. Kinda..6/5/2013 ![]() By: Kent B - MSTv I've often heard the world revolves around timing - that everything hinges on timing. Now, I've never been one to believe in that phrase, but it seemed my specific timing was right on point this Monday past. I've worked in broadcasting and on our MSTv show for a minute. And, I've had the great fortune to meet several celebrities working in the SE Louisiana area over the years. But, how much were the stars in alignment when I just happened to be at my regular job when MTV Teen Wolf star, Dylan O'Brien was in our studio, doing satellite up-links for his new movie, "The Internship?" Even more coincidental, it just happened to be the day season three of Teen Wolf was premiering. From these simple incidents you gotta realize that, yes, now I completely believe in timing... ![]() Meeting, speaking and arranging the interview with Dylan, (after the usual talks with his "people") wasn't hard. After all, he was in my "backyard," so to speak. And since the average age of the people working at my station is 50+, most of them had no idea who he was anyway. So, I figured he'd be happy to escape from people his parents age and talk about topics near and dear. We caught up with him in the station green room, and since we had no prior knowledge of his coming, we made it a casual and quick shoot with my camera phone. Before the actual interview, we got to know him a bit and I can say that Dylan is a really cool, funny and laid back guy. And with my being more familiar with his character of, "Stiles" on Teen Wolf, I can attest he's just as funny in real life as the slapstick best-friend character he plays on the show. ![]() So, after lots of jokes and laughter, we tucked into the season 3 secrets behind Teen Wolf! Dylan throwing out general quotes like, "origins and history," "a war" and "Stiles finally gets to bust some heads" gave us an idea what to expect on this season's show. It was a just teaser, but when I saw Monday's premiere, I understood it a little better. BTW, how confusing was that episode, right? Alpha wolf packs, ninja girls, weird references to Alfred Hitchcock's, "the Birds," tattoos, Lydia banging it up rebound style and Scott and Allison not speaking? WTF??? Anyway, Dylan couldn't give too much away, of course. Dude needs to keep his job, we like him on the show and he was at our station pitching his current and upcoming films, "The Internship" and "The Maze Runner," after all. With "The internship," which premieres June 7th, Dylan plays a Google intern who befriends a couple of 40-something-old guys ( Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson) who become clueless interns at Google after losing their jobs selling wristwatches. Wristwatches? Wow, the 20th century is making a comeback, I guess. I know, it sounds like this movie might be some kinda "Revenge of the Nerds meet Wedding Crashers" feel good flick. But, Dylan made it sound cool, so guess I'll be checking it out and maybe reporting on it this Friday. With that, "The Maze Runner" flick he mentioned sounded somewhat like another, "Hunger Games/Battle Royale" type-ish movie that he's currently filming in Baton Rouge. Since it hits theaters Valentine's day 2014, I guess he'll be in town for a few months. Here's hoping we can wrangle another interview in the future and gain more ideas on what we can expect in the film.
![]() Reproduced from: BBC News Doctor Who star Matt Smith is to leave his role as the Doctor at the end of this year, the BBC has announced. After four years as the Time Lord on the BBC One show, viewers will see Smith's Doctor regenerate in the 2013 Christmas special. The 30-year-old actor said working on the show had been "the most brilliant experience". Doctor Who marks its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode, which Smith has already filmed. The BBC said Smith's "spectacular exit" was yet to be revealed and would be "kept tightly under wraps". Smith first stepped into the Tardis as the 11th Doctor in 2010. Taking over from David Tennant, he was the youngest actor to play the role. Speaking after the announcement, he said he was "incredibly proud" of what the show had achieved over the last four years under Steven Moffat, the show's lead writer and executive producer. Smith also thanked fans around the world for their "truly remarkable" dedication to the show. ![]() During his tenure, Smith's floppy-haired, bow tie-wearing Time Lord has fought enemies such as Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels and the Silence. His Doctor has shared his adventures with Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently, Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman). Referring to his time-travelling companions, Smith said: "It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the Tardis for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one'. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go..." Show runner Steven Moffat said: "Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me. The way he'd turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry - I just never knew what was coming next. "The Doctor can be clown and hero - often at the same time - and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him - sometimes literally - his behaviour was always worthy of the Doctor." ![]() Moffat added: "Great actors always know when it's time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break as we say goodbye to number 11. Thank you Matt - bow ties were never cooler." The announcement of Smith's exit is likely to spark months of fevered speculation about his replacement. 'Still so exciting' "Somewhere out there right now - all unknowing, just going about their business - is someone who's about to become the Doctor," Moffat hinted. "A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again. After 50 years, that's still so exciting." "Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show. |
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