It is interesting to find out that the voice of Elmo is that of a gay black male. I did not know that and Elmo is a very popular character. It is amazing that this is not a larger topic for parents. I really don't care, since I grew up watching Bugs Bunny kiss Elmer Fudd and the other male characters on his cartoon. My dad preached a lot of messages against homosexual acts in his cartoons. I wonder how many homophobic men would take their son's Elmo toys and burn them if they knew the man that gave his voice to the character was gay.

I didn't know about Elmo's voice either. My daughter loves Elmo and watches Elmo's World regularly. I think the show is great - who does Elmo's voice doesn't matter to either of us.

When I read this I was reminded of all the uproar about Teletubbies. My youngest daughter loved to watch them at the time they were popular before all the duscussion about one being gay. She never had any idea about homosexuality and I never suggested anything about it so she only knew that she liked watching them.

Glad to hear that someone else like the Teletubbies! Not many people will admit to watching it, but me and Lee watched it when he was young. We even bought a few tapes. I knew about the uproar then but we still watched. I did know about Elmo, but I only found out last year. Seasame Street is a big proponent of diversity so I wasn't surprised.

Kevin Clash, who does the voice of Elmo, also did the voice of Splinter in the Ninja Turtle Movies. If you read the credits of many cartoons or characters with puppets, you will see Kevin Clash's name more than you realize.

Hey Eric,
I don't think very many people would object to Elmo's voice being produced by a gay man. I think will remember their own experiences with Elmo and Sesame Street when they were children and simply choose to ignore that fact. However, if they were pressured by the media, church, and other men, they may have a different outlook.

I could care less if Elmo or his voice is gay or if poor old Tinky Winky, I think that was the one, walked around with a purse. I just have never been able to stomach that little red monster or those freaky space guys.

I am a Zaboomafoo man myself.

Zaboomafoo Elmo The Teletubbies

Just to let everybody know, my son has an Elmo. I have not burned it, beat it up, or mistreated it in any way. I just asked how many macho men would react that way. OR How many preachers would preach against the use of a gay actor for the voice of a childrens character.

If anyone thinks cartoons are not full of homosexual references check out these: Marcie and Peppermint Patties relatinship in Peanuts, Bert and Ernie on Sesame ST.(Come on- two grown puppets living together, one plays with a rubber duckie and the other is a classic obsessive cumpulsive that wears turtlenecks)