Bert and Ernie reference in Friends

Question

Friends Season 10 Episode 7..This is the scene where the adoption lady comes to visit Monica and Chandler.

Joey: Guys? Everything ok? It's me, Joe...

Chandler: (Screams to interrupt Joey) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA......AAAaaa-doption!!

Laura: What's going on?

Chandler: Oh, just like I said. That crazy... Bert... roaming the halls. (Joey bangs on the door again)

Joey: Guys!?

Monica: Keep on roaming Bert! We don't want any crazy today!

Joey: What's going on?

Chandler: WE'LL TALK TO YOU LATER, BERT. EVERYTHNG'S FINE!!

(cut to Joey on the other side, who finally leaves the door and goes to his apartment)

Joey: Everything doesn't sound fine!

Laura: Is he alright out there by himself?

Chandler: Oh yeah! He has a caretaker. His older brother... Ernie.

Laura: Bert and Ernie!

Chandler: (nervous smile) You can't make this stuff up!

Why does Chandler say you can't make this stuff up when everyone knows about the sesame street muppets? What does chandler mean by that?

Answer 1

Echoing Walt's comment, the situation is that, struggling for a name that goes with Bert, Chandler comes up with Ernie, the classic Muppet duo. When challenged by the adoption lady, his response is that the names must be real, because they're too ridiculous for anyone to have made up.

The humour largely derives from the fact that she's not privy to the reasons why Chandler and Monica are preventing her from meeting the mysterious Bert. On top of that, Chandler has shown himself on multiple occasions to cope poorly when he needs to think fast under pressure. He has an extreme tendency to make up over-the-top statements that are easily exposed. In this particular case, he may have outdone himself.