Okay, so a few years ago I made these huge Ernie and Berts masks for Hallowe’en. Much fun ensued, although my friend and I grossly underestimated the popularity of the two characters and we were frequently mobbed by revellers downtown (both adults and children alike) who kept running up to hug us.
The following summer, we sneaked into the Pride Parade as Bert and Ernie and were hugely popluar (750 000 people cheering for the public outing of Muppets – more hugging mobs).
The foam masks have been the worse for wear and have been destined for the trash for quite awhile. For a big CD launch concert held at a Victorian era industrial site (now under restoration), we used them as baffling under the stage to help absorb some of the sound from the drums.
Then the masks ended up in the dumpsters.
Apparently, they were rescued and are now on display in the offices adjacent to the site’s museum – antique industrial stuff on display… and smiling Muppet-heads across the hall.
One of the labourers working at the site is a bald ex-con – with a short version of a ZZ Top beard – who suffers from schizophrenia. I’ve been told he looks like he just walked off the set of Oz. I was informed today that he was “having words” with Bert. It started off friendly enough. The guy was telling Bert he was going to “find out what’s really going on around here.” However, he got progressively more hostile and belligerent.
Eventually, he threatened Bert and told him quite explicitly that he intends to “rip off Bert’s nose and shove it up is ass.”
And here I thought Bert and Ernie had long since been dispatched to the city dump.