# So then....is Bert really Pro-Taliban? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901 "2001-10-11T21:44:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 11, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/1 "2001-10-11T21:44:04Z")
Is this a hoax or is it for real? [http://www.bertisevil.tv/img/osamabinladen/bertandbin.htm](http://www.bertisevil.tv/img/osamabinladen/bertandbin.htm) I always wondered about that Bert, but now he’s appearing all over posters in Afghanistan. I sure do hope this is real, it shows how little they know aobut American culture and the true meaning of Bert. So, fellow dopers, is this legitimate or just another series of altered pictures? ---
**Author:** ![NutWrench](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nutwrench/32/20193_2.png) [@NutWrench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutWrench)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/2 "2001-10-11T21:46:50Z")
I knew it! This explains a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Toaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@Toaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toaster)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/3 "2001-10-11T21:49:35Z")
Snopes said it was real, but I am afraid I can’t link because the website is not working for me. ☹ No wonder I was always frightened of Bert when watchin’ Sesame Street… ---
**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/4 "2001-10-11T21:50:59Z")
[Appears](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,36218,00.html) to be real. And, despite everything, I find it to be extraordinarily amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/5 "2001-10-11T22:16:04Z")
Most amusing! Just glad it’s not Cookie Monster. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/6 "2001-10-11T22:23:17Z")
Wahaha! Though I undestand the dismay of both the Sesame Street creators and the guy who originally started the “Bert Is Evil” site, I still think that’s pretty funny. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/7 "2001-10-11T22:25:46Z")
Snopes has been a bit overloaded lately, but if you can get there, here’s the link to the [Bert](http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/bert.htm) story. Snopes labels it as true. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/8 "2001-10-11T23:32:36Z")
**I want one of those posters!** Don’t think I’ll find those on eBay, though ☹ ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/9 "2001-10-11T23:43:40Z")
From CNN: [http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/11/muppets.binladen/](http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/11/muppets.binladen/) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/10 "2001-10-12T00:24:47Z")
> [@](#): > > “Sesame Street has always stood for mutual respect and understanding,” a spokeswoman said. “We’re outraged that our characters would be used in this unfortunate and distasteful manner. This is not at all humorous. The people responsible for this should be ashamed of themselves…” Aww, this really is pathetic.☹ But hey, let’s face it, folks: when such a totally bizarro juxtaposition just pops up out of nowhere, making you go “What the…?!?” it reminds us all just how utterly frickin’ _weird_ life is. And how can that not be funny? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-then-is-bert-really-pro-taliban/86901/11 "2001-10-12T05:13:08Z")
Somewhere on the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh a carefully disguised CIA operative is laughing his ass off. Is it psyops on our part?, or a coded message from Al Qaeda?, or a devilish prank by a clever Westerner?