i'm not going to reply to people replying to me about this so here's a blanket response if your reaction to bert & ernie being gay is "no because men need to be shown they can be affectionate without it being gay"
1. there is NO SHORTAGE of media in which men are affectionate without being gay* and here i will offer you a list from just one sector of media: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_film
*though i would argue actually a lot of it is gay
*though i would argue actually a lot of it is gay
2. the line between friendship and romance is actually pretty thin; this is widely acknowledged in the world of male-female fictional relationships, and only heteronormative assumptions keep it from being taken for granted about same-gender relationships as well
3. branching off that, i would argue that the reason people are in particular so defensive about "taking male friendships" and "making them gay" is because they're homophobic and afraid that their feelings of affection for other men might make THEM gay
OH NO
OH NO
4. that's not an accusation: homophobia is something we all have, internalized and externalized, because we live in a homophobic society. accept that about yourself and the world and ask yourself how it affects your views on the lines between friendship and romance
5. finally, saying out loud that characters who are gay, are gay, actually has nothing to do with characters who aren't gay. let me explain: bert and ernie, who were written by a gay man to be a gay couple, have nothing to do with the concept of straight characters
fictional characterization is not a zero-sum game. the only reason you think it is, is because heteronormativity has taught you it is, by making it seem like there's only a tiny sliver of room for non-heteronormative characters and stories
actually, fiction is unlimited
actually, fiction is unlimited
admitting that characters who are gay are gay does not affect the concept of platonic affection between other male characters who are not gay
instead of policing gay characters, please look for ways to fight for more platonic affection between men without doing that
instead of policing gay characters, please look for ways to fight for more platonic affection between men without doing that
in conclusion, and like multiple people in my mentions are saying, please go watch Magic Mike XXL, which is a perfect movie, and also i wrote a small thing about that like forever ago that you can read if you want my full recommendation: tinyletter.com/thingsthatareg…
