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explicit language. I'm Dana Stevens, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest. Do Bert and Ernie

Get It On edition? It's Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013, and today we'll talk about the controversial New Yorker cover, featuring Bert and Ernie as possibly gay lovers.

Then we'll discuss the new Pedro Almodovar film, I'm So Excited.

And finally, Showtime's new drama series, Ray Donovan, starring Liev Schre as a Boston fixer transplanted to Hollywood.

Have we had it up to here with the TV anti-hero? Joining me in the Slate studio is June Thomas, Slate's culture critic. Hello, June. Hey, Dana. And the editor of Slate's culture blog, Browbeat, David Hagelin. Hello, David. Hi, Dana. So Stephen is out this week. He'll be joining us again next week. On the occasion of the Supreme Court decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act last week, the New Yorker was inspired to run a cover that has become a point of controversy, especially here on Slate. Let's describe the cover together here. I think everyone has probably seen it and is familiar with it now, but let's get a sense of what it looks like. So it's kind of a vibey room, right?

It's kind of a not a terribly luxuriously appointed room.

There's a very old, creaky television set with a black and white image of the Supreme Court on it.

And sitting on this sofa.

Scene from behind.

Right.

They're sort of familiar figures.

One round-headed little chap.

And one banana head.

Has his head on the more banana-headed guy's shoulder.

And banana head has his arm kind of lovingly poised around round-heads back.

So what we're seeing is...

Burton Ernie...

...