The strange image of 2000 anti-American Bangladhesis carrying giant placards of Bert (Sesame Street, New York) peering from behind Osama Bin Laden (Rubble Street, Tora Bora) was a bizarre twist even for the subversive origins of the Bert is Evil website. Despite this catapulting into the mainstream media arena, however, there is no truth to the rumour of a planned TV spin off profiling world terrorists to the under fives. Fetch The Vet meets Robert Mugabe, or Bill and Ben entertain Slobodan Milosovich remain under wraps.

Bert is Evil began innocently in 1996, when Dino Ignacio incorporated images of Bert, Zelig-style, cavorting with shady company, present at suspicious events or involved in dubious pastimes, thereby 'proving' that Bert was, indeed, evil. And it is this crazy juxtaposition of a bizarre-looking children's TV show character doing things only gangsters, drug barrens and George W Bush would do, combined with EXCELLENT photoshopping which makes for hours and hours of fun. The site fractalcow.com was even nominated for a Webby Award in 1997.

Myriad imitation sites were spawned, and it was one of these, spacecat.com/bert created by Dennis Pozniak, which included the 'Bert and Bin' image. This was picked up and downloaded by a Bangladesh print shop, to be flashed across the world's television screens.

But the exposure was too much for Dino. He took down 'Bert Is Evil' from his server saying 'I am doing this because I feel this has gotten too close to reality and I choose to be responsible enough to stop it right here.'

Sesame Street say they're outraged. 'We're outraged...' (told you) '...that our character would be used in this unfortunate and distasteful manner.'

Bert Muppet said 'La la la la lightbulb.'

Bin Laden said 'I prefer Elmer's World.'

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