Tomb

Ernie from Sesame Street is not dead. A bizarre rumour to the contrary rose up after the death of Ernie's creator/voice/puppeteer Jim Henson in 1990, but this urban myth has since subsided, only popping up occasionally among adults who remember Sesame Street but no longer watch it. It seems almost too absurd to argue. Ernie isn't dead, dying or gay. Ernie is a puppet.

There was a period of time, from 1990 to 1993, in which Bert and Ernie did not appear on Sesame Street, causing some viewers to fear the worst. A few believed that the character would be killed off on the show in order to teach the kiddies about death. Nope. Puppeteer Steve Whitmire now voices and operates the character, who continues to banter with his irritable roommate to this day.

Some Muppet characters have vanished from the show over the years, but they certainly weren't killed off. Bruno the trashman, Harvey Kneeslapper and Don Music all quietly disappeared, the latter because his trademark “slam his own head into piano in frustration” move was a little too easy for kids to emulate. However, one (human) character on Sesame Street has died, and the show took the opportunity to genuinely grieve for him.

When actor Will Lee died at the age of 74, his Sesame Street character Mr. Hooper died as well. The loss was handled with elegance, tact, directness and real sadness. It is first mentioned in a 1983 episode, in which Big Bird greets the human cast, then hands out hand-drawn portraits as presents. He has a portrait of Mr. Hooper as well and can't wait to give it to him. The adults become sad and uncomfortable. Maria finally stands up. “Big Bird... don't you remember... we told you? Mr. Hooper died. He's dead.”

“Oh yeah. I remember,” muses Big Bird. “Oh well, I'll give it to him when he gets back.”

The grief on the faces of the human cast is heartbreakingly genuine, as they explain the permanence of death to the childlike Big Bird. Yes, we all miss him. No, he's not coming back. No, it isn't fair. Yes, it won't be the same without him. But we remember him and love him, and are lucky to have known him.

I never saw this segment on television, because by the time it aired, I was too old for Sesame Street. I remember hearing that he had died and that the show acknowledged it, but I didn't think too much about it. By then I had moved on to other TV shows and movies. Of course, Sesame Street had been my favorite show as a kid, and I had always been fond of the kindly shopkeeper Mr. Hooper, with his bowtie and glasses, but I had never mourned his loss. Not until this week, when I finally saw the “Farewell Mr. Hooper” scene for the first time (on YouTube), and had a good cry.