- Cynthia’s son Finnegan holds up his favourite Pee-Wee’s Playhouse episode.
Celebrities stage comebacks all the time, but we at Bunch were particularly excited to find out that Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee-Wee Herman would be doing a live theatre version of his popular kids’ show in Los Angeles this month. And when we found out a Pee-Wee movie is coming to the big screen in 2011, it was enough to make us strap on our huge platform shoes and do a tabletop dance to “Tequila.” But in light of Reubens’ 1991 indecent exposure arrest, we wondered how parents felt about introducing a new generation of kids to Pee-Wee. Blogger CynthiaK shared her thoughts with us.
“I’m a loner, Dottie. A rebel.”
What’s the secret word of the day, Conky? Scream real loud! Mekka lekka hi mekka hiney ho! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then you must have missed the most unique Saturday morning children’s show from the ’80s, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.
Now, Pee-Wee Herman is a love-him-or-hate him kind of guy — I know this. In our family, we fall to the former. Well, most of us, anyway. I definitely enjoyed Pee-Wee in my younger years, and with the help of three seasons of show on DVD and two of his movies, my three kids are also reveling in the hilarity of Pee-Wee.
But what was — or rather is — the appeal of Pee-Wee? He’s a man, he’s a boy. He’s hip but retro. He’s edgy and silly. Where the heck did he come from, anyway?
Bear in mind Pee-Wee was first developed on the improv stage through Paul Reubens’ work with The Groundlings and was created for an adult audience. The act has been performance art right from the beginning, and that’s why Paul Reubens stayed in character all the time when he was doing the show.
It was first the movie — Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure — that drew me in. Pee-Wee’s fantastical bike, his crazy house that any kid would love to live in, the witty comebacks: “I know you are but what am I?” or “I meant to do that.” Where else would you hear a line like “It’s like a sweater you’re unraveling, but someone keeps on knitting and knitting…”
And what kid couldn’t laugh at Large Marge? Who knew that the Alamo didn’t have a basement? Tim Burton was exactly the right choice for director of this quirk-fest.
But back to the show. What made it so special? It was like nothing else on Saturday morning television. I liken it to Mr. Rogers having a head-on collision with 1950s kitsch and then it’s all taken over by carnies, beatniks and the same people who created the Hilarious House of Frightenstein.
The cast of Playhouse was also part of its charm. Captain Carl (the late Phil Hartman), Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), Miss Yvonne, Jambi the Genie…not to mention the inanimate objects. Chairry, Globey and Magic Screen were characters we came to love.
Now, I know some people may say how can you let your kids watch him after what he did? While I don’t condone some of the choices he’s made, he hasn’t done anything that has hurt anyone, as far as I can tell. He’s human and he’s in the entertainment industry, so his dirty laundry is aired for all to see, which is something I cannot stand about the media, but that’s a topic for another time. I can make a long list of celebrities who have done far worse.
When all is said and done, I simply think that Paul Reubens is a brilliant actor and comedian. He puts on a wonderful show, whether live or onscreen. He’s quirky, and his humour is not for everyone, but neither is Eddie Murphy’s or Jim Carrey’s. He is an entertainer, and I look at him from that perspective. Pee-Wee is funny, and I’m thrilled to see he’s back to entertain me and my children some more.
CynthiaK is a freelance writer who enjoys spoiling her three children with music, laughter and a whole lotta dancin’. You can find her complaining (always with love) at Crumbs in the Minivan.
