This week, Queerty published an interview with TV writer Mark Saltzman about his Sesame Street days, who confessed he always wrote Bert & Ernie as a gay couple. A national media frenzy ensued.

Related: EXCLUSIVE: Are Bert & Ernie a couple? We finally have an answer…

The Sesame Street Workshop quickly rushed out a disclaimer claiming Bert & Ernie don’t have sexual orientations because they’re puppets. Never mind the fact that this never stopped Kermit the Frog and Ms. Piggy from enjoying their 40-year love affair, or from Gonzo the Great hooking up with his chicken chick Camilla. But we digress.

Related: People have a lot to say about the Bert & Ernie debate, and so do we

The story was covered by everyone from the New York Times to Newsweek to NPR, as well as Breitbart and even Fox News. All were asking the same question: Can puppets, er, muppets be gay?

And then came the memes…

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn8_NShATEe/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7UoaNHZk0/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7DYbABznM/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn5rAIhApBL/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn7CcGMlSCJ/?tagged=bertanderniegay

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn51XebHMqY/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn5UaJzByu2/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn4rO4IlkGP/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn6kdzEj6AI/?tagged=bertanderniememes

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn5WTx4CHty/?tagged=berternie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn6AThyhHLj/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn4fgOsnCU7/?tagged=bertandernie

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn4p_X2FTYI/?tagged=bertanderniememes

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn4ekwOFj_C/?tagged=bertanderniememes

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn40SALhOvU/?tagged=bertandernie

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