# Are you an Ernie or a Bert? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735 "2001-11-06T05:05:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Knight16](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/35a633/32.png) [@Knight16](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knight16)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/1 "2001-11-06T05:05:23Z")
Random self awareness poll: Some of us are Berts with Ernie tendencies. I am of the Ernies with few Bert tendencies. To get your mind off the news, ask yourself and answer this poll: Are you an Ernie or a Bert? P.S. My wife says neither. She’s a grouch! ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/2 "2001-11-06T05:13:09Z")
I’m not sure. What’s the criteria for being a Bert or an Ernie? ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/3 "2001-11-06T05:15:42Z")
A Cookie Monster. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Sota\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Sweet\_Sota\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Sota_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/4 "2001-11-06T05:18:27Z")
My dad is a total Ernie. And my mom is a total Bert. I’m definitely mostly Ernie, but just enough Bert so that the Ernie part of me doesn’t get annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Knight16](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/35a633/32.png) [@Knight16](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knight16)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/5 "2001-11-06T05:20:26Z")
We are all failiar with Ernie and Bert of Sesame Street. Ernie is fun-loving, wild, crazy, totally irresponsible without a care in the world. Bert is firm, dull, responsible, forthright, enjoys hobbies like bird watching or paperclip collecting alone, very “button-down”, reserved, conservative. Bert is also prone to fits when the world is not exactly as he sees it. There, that narrows it down. Hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/6 "2001-11-06T06:15:40Z")
Don’t talk to me about _Bert_. I’m still to shaken up to deal with my [traumatic experience](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=96855). [sup] **WARNING:** Thread Rated NC17 for partial nudity.[/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/7 "2001-11-06T06:32:19Z")
**Too.** As in, “Too shaken up to spell.” It was so horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/8 "2001-11-06T06:42:48Z")
My wife and I laugh about this all the time: I’m Ernie, she’s Bert. She laughs a bit sadly, cause Ernie has all the fun and Bert is the straight man. While I’m off laughing with rubber ducky, she’s counting her paper clip collection. ---
**Author:** ![whatmove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecc23a/32.png) [@whatmove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatmove)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/9 "2001-11-06T06:49:14Z")
I’ve always been an Ernie and always really enjoyed spending time with Berts. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/10 "2001-11-06T07:20:42Z")
I’m Bert for about 3-4 hours after I wake up then I do a 180 and turn into Ernie. ---
**Author:** ![Chickenhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Chickenhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chickenhead)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/11 "2001-11-06T07:54:49Z")
Ever seen the Bert is Evil photo with him and Prairie Dawn? ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/12 "2001-11-06T11:26:34Z")
The responsibilities of life usually bring out my Bert-ness, but I love nothing better that to let my Ernie flag fly. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/13 "2001-11-06T12:07:40Z")
I can’t hear you Bert. I’ve got a banana in my ear. ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/14 "2001-11-06T12:59:31Z")
Just based on the Sesame Street I remember, I’m Bert with Ernie tendencies. My partner is Ernie with some Bert tendencies. If we’re going to use Bert and Ernie as shorthand for ‘loose’ and ‘tight’ personalities, them maybe not. I mean, I’m not firm and dull. Honest. ---
**Author:** ![Sasquatch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@Sasquatch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sasquatch)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/15 "2001-11-06T13:46:00Z")
I’m Bert, but only the Bert that’s in all of the photos with Osama bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/16 "2001-11-06T15:13:42Z")
Hm… I think I’d _like_ to say I was an Ernie with Bert tendancies, but I think I’m really a Bert with a lot of Ernie tendancies. Yep, an Ernie wannabe, that’s me! ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Blue\_Green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Green)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/17 "2001-11-06T23:53:06Z")
I’m probably more like Kermit. He’s greener, of course 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/18 "2001-11-07T00:19:35Z")
I’m an Ernie. My husband is an Ernie, too. Our house is a mess. Fortunately, he has enough Bert-ness to make sure the bills are paid and the house doesn’t self-destruct. My brother _looks_ just like Bert. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/19 "2001-11-07T00:19:59Z")
I’m an Ernie with some Bert tendencies (nerdliness), provided all the urban legends are true. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_The\_Bold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dale\_The\_Bold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_The_Bold)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2001, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735/20 "2001-11-07T01:46:54Z")
I’m an Ernie by default. When I was a kid, I shared a room with my brother, who was a Bert. He used to get very angry if I even moved one of his toys. He hated when I woke him up to tell him I was thirsty, and he never thought I was being fair when we shared licorice. He forced me into a lifetime of Ernie-dom, and I love it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-an-ernie-or-a-bert/91735.md?page=2)