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Bert is Evil

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Bert is Evil is the name of a heavily mirrored web site, founded by Dino Ignacio, which featured Bert, a Muppet character on the American children's television program Sesame Street. In 1998 Dino Ignacio, Wout J Reinders and Jasper Hulshoff Pol accepted the Webby Award and the People's Voice Award for Best Weird Website at the Palace of Fine Arts auditorium in San Francisco.

The website featured manipulated images of the puppet consorting with nefarious figures including Adolf Hitler[1], Osama bin Laden, and Jerry Springer,[2] and present at tragedies such as the JFK assassination,[3] humorously offered as "proof" that Bert was no mere innocent children's television character. The "Evil Bert" phenomenon was picked up by other humorists, who created their own images linking Bert to current and historical atrocities.

In the summer of 1998, due to the website's immense cult popularity, it became too cost prohibitive for Ignacio to continue running. Instead of shutting the site down, he offered to allow anyone who was willing to mirror his original website the opportunity to host it.[4] As a result dozens of mirrors popped up increasing the website's popularity and visibility.

Notoriety

The very first mirror, maintained by Dennis Pozniak, became the most popular by continuing where Ignacio left off by adding new "evidence" of Bert's evilness (such as Bert's connection to the Ramsey Family[5] and infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper[6]). In late 1998 Pozniak posted a contribution submitted by humorist J-roen photoshopped to depict a then relatively unknown international terrorist, Osama bin Laden,[7] posing with Bert.

In 2001, an undoctored Reuters news photograph was published showing a pro-Osama bin Laden protest rally in Bangladesh.[8] One protester is seen holding a large collage-style poster of bin Laden with a small image of Bert over his right shoulder – the same image posted to the Bert mirror in 1998 – which prompted much confusion and joking among Western audiences. The person who made the poster in Bangladesh copied it from the World Wide Web, leaving the image of Bert in his collage.[9]

After this photo was released on the news wires, Ignacio took down the "Bert is Evil" section of his website, stating that he doesn't want to undermine the character in the eyes of children who watch Sesame Street. "I am doing this because I feel this has gotten too close to reality," he said.[10] Since the original Bert/Osama picture had been posted to Dennis Pozniak's mirror, he too was bombarded by the international media seeking interviews. As a result of all the attention Pozniak also closed his mirror.[11]

The podcast Infected by Martin Sargent is currently showing the aftermath of the Bert is Evil fad with Martin Sargent playing Bert in a mock-interview. Two parts have been shown so far of the Evil Bert in two recent episodes of Infected. The interview ends with Bert demanding more booze from a woman in a maid outfit.

References

Royal Canadian Air Farce, a satirical Canadian sketch comedy show, once featured a segment where Don Ferguson dressed as Osama bin Laden and performed a lavish musical number. In this musical number, several references were made to the Bert is Evil incident, including an appearance by a Bert puppet sporting a turban and an Osama bin Laden style beard.

See also

References

  1. ^ Image of Bert with Adolf Hitler: [1]
  2. ^ Image of Bert with Jerry Springer: [2]
  3. ^ Image of Bert at the JFK assassination: [3]
  4. ^ Dec 06, 1998 Archive.org copy of the original Bert is Evil: [4]
  5. ^ Image of Bert with the Ramsey Family: [5]
  6. ^ Image of Bert as Jack the Ripper: [6]
  7. ^ Image of Bert with Osama bin Laden: [7]
  8. ^ News photographs: [8] [9] [10] [11]
  9. ^ For a detailed account of the use of the image, in South Asia as well as by Western news agencies, see [12]. This also argues against the notion that inclusion of the Bert image is some kind of coded communication. It is more likely that the protester did not know who Bert is.
  10. ^ Oct 14, 2001 Archive.org copy of the original Bert is Evil: [13]
  11. ^ Oct 31, 2001 Archive.org copy of the original Bert is Evil mirror: [14]

News Coverage:

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