This makes no sense. Ernie, Bert, and Elmo are wearing Bloods colors, and Cookie Monster and Grover are wearing Crips. Who is CTW's gang culture consultant, Yan Can Cook?
If you have a ruler with an iron enough fist, you can hold anything together. Look what Tito did in The Artist Formerly Known as Yugoslavia. Obviously, Bert is so evil, he's got these folks firmly by the balls.