Ernest & Bertram

Ernest & Bertram is a 2002 short film by Peter Spears spoofing Sesame Street characters Ernie and Bert. The film ran at the Sundance Film Festival, but kept from further distribution when its director was served a cease and desist order by Sesame Workshop's lawyers.

When the film starts, Miss Piggy has discontinued a romantic relationship with Bert when rumors of the roommates being gay hit the media. Ernie comes home, and through conversation reveals that he does love Bert "that way." Bert seems not to share this sentiment, resulting in Ernie's suicide.

The film makes no effort to hide the fact that they're using Sesame Workshop's characters. The blatent misuse of copyrighted characters is no doubt what initiated legal action on the part of the owners. This includes the two main characters, their likenesses and an arrangement of the Sesame Street theme song.