The Secret Word is Blog
Who remembers Paul Reubens? Maybe nobody but, many remember his character, Pee-Wee Herman. If you’ve seen Pee-Wee Herman, it’s hard to forget him. It may be because of an event at a movie theater, and it may be because of his playhouse. It’s both for me, honestly. Also, I read Elvira’s autobiography, which I highly recommend, and you can read my blog on it here. Apparently, the two were close friends. We’ll jump into the playhouse and the theater in the following prose. The secret word is “blog” Jambi, let’s talk about Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.
No offense to Reubens here who passed away in 2023 but watching Pee-Wee Herman now as a grown man was ultra-irritating. I remember watching his show when I was young and really enjoying it. Of course, I watched Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure in their day. I even had a Pee-Wee Herman toy if I remember correctly. Years later, after Adult Swim aired Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, my friend bought the DVD collection and our squad, which was a basically a frat house, sat around together for the next few weeks, drank Natural Light, and watched this incredibly irritating, surreal, and wild television adventure that we had all loved once upon a time. I will say, Pee-Wee Herman was consistent. Even if you go back to early shows on YouTube, which you can watch here, the character was essentially the same all the time. Same laugh, same mannerisms, etc.
Pee-Wee Herman and His Many Roles
I jumped in his big adventure recently and will pen some thoughts on it. Getting past his irritating behavior was the first challenge but, once you jump that hurdle there is some good stuff there. Reading about his character in some ways is like reading about Red Foxx or “Fred Sanford.” You can safely sit down with kids of any age and watch Sanford and Son but, don’t watch a live Red Foxx show because it’s NC-17. Apparently Pee-Wee Herman had adult shows too but, for the most part, was known for his children’s work. Knowing what I know about children, having raised 3 now and having been one myself, they typically like silly things that are fun, creative, have a lot of color, movement, and distraction. Pee-Wee Herman immediately got on a child’s level which made his shows and movies successful.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Tim Burton, & Kids' Bikes
I still LOVE all things surreal but, the silliness now has grown to irritate me. Even films that rely on silliness for comedy are typically not something I enjoy. Thus, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse and Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure really are not entertaining to me any longer. Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure still held some things that I did find amusing. Oh yeah, there’s a plus to Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and it’s a big plus, Tim Burton directed it. While this is always going to get a watch from me, you really don’t see the signature mark of Burton on this movie except for the Large Marge character and a few places later. Her bugged-out eyes were strikingly similar to those of the monster in Wednesday. Read my blog on this show here. This scene I remembered most because as a kid it was slightly frightening. Another thing I remembered was Pee-Wee’s bike.
I’ve said it before, Stranger Things was my childhood, minus the monsters. Part of Stranger Things and my childhood – a huge part – were adventures via bicycles. A kid’s bike, in the 80s and 90s, meant more to him than anything. We rode our bikes all over town, all through the woods, and slid them to park in the front yard of the friend’s house we were at. We loved our bikes and so did Pee-Wee. My bike was not a custom 1950’s looking red and white work of art, but an orange Huffy 18-speed mountain bike that had a custom water bottle holder. Man, I loved that bike. Of all the bikes I had, this was my favorite. I would have gone on a quest to save it too, just as Pee-Wee does in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure Filming Locations, and Philco Predicta Set
While on his big adventure, Pee-Wee encounters many things. One, as mentioned, is the ghost of a trucker named Large Marge. He goes to the Alamo, and we get to hear an awesome Texan accent which may or may not be an act. There’s a cool convertible Chevrolet Bel Air. There’s even a Stingray and a VW Bus – man these things were all over the silver screen. You can see a full list of cars in this movie here. Pee-Wee’s adventure took place in several locations in California. You can read more about the specifics here. One landmark I want to visit myself are the Cabazon dinosaurs. Read more about them and a salute they paid to Pee-Wee here. The opening scene inside of Pee-Wee’s house, though, is the best and holds an item I want for my antique collection, a midcentury Philco television set.
On Facebook a few years ago, I saw where someone had a 1950’s Philco Predicta Television set that they had working and were watching ‘60s science fiction movies on – I must do that in my lifetime! Dig the photo below to see one of these. Anyway, it’s in the background on his counter and it’s in great condition. Pee-Wee also has one of the scales that gives you a fortune. From what I’ve found, these were popular in the 1940s. My wife and I saw one tucked away on a ledge (hidden) in an antique store in Anderson, SC. It was loudly marked “Not For Sale” and rightfully so. I would not sell one of these if I had one either. This must be a VERY rare piece. I didn’t know that Pee-Wee Herman was into antiques! I guess that’s in addition to his interest in adult films.
On Facebook a few years ago, I saw where someone had a 1950’s Philco Predicta Television set that they had working and were watching ‘60s science fiction movies on – I must do that in my lifetime! Dig the photo on the left to see one of these. Anyway, it’s in the background on his counter and it’s in great condition. Pee-Wee also has one of the scales that gives you a fortune. From what I’ve found, these were popular in the 1940s. My wife and I saw one tucked away on a ledge (hidden) in an antique store in Anderson, SC. It was loudly marked “Not For Sale” and rightfully so. I would not sell one of these if I had one either. This must be a VERY rare piece. I didn’t know that Pee-Wee Herman was into antiques! I guess that’s in addition to his interest in adult films.
Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) Arrest & 90's Culture
On to the infamous arrest of Pee-Wee Herman, well Paul Ruebens. You can read all the details in an article here. I’m not using this blog as a platform to bash Pee-Wee, rather to touch on, no pun intended, the affects I remember seeing in the small town of Belton, SC where I grew up. When the arrest came out, I remember my parents discussing it in front of me and talking about how upset they were about it. I was 9 years old at the time. The next time I remember the discussion coming up was when we prepared to watch Batman Returns a year later. My parents couldn’t believe that anyone had cast Ruebens again following the arrest.
Looking back at his arrest and trial now, what’s worse I ask? P-diddy and “freak off” parties and Jeffery Epstein or Ruebens caught, literally, with his pants down? At the point of writing this bog, there are no convictions in the P-diddy case. I say this to make the point that Ruebens’ crime was mild mannered compared to things celebrities are accused of today. Today, we are trafficking people, children, sacrificing people, practicing witchcraft, ruining people’s careers’, and making folks disappear like we were the old school Italian mafia. A ‘90s mindset was completely different and it’s hard to remember that and look at the news today. I sound like my dad and need to be on one of the commercials. Let’s move on.
In Defense of Pee-Wee Herman at 41 Years Old
I didn’t know Paul Reubens personally but, Elvira did. She spoke very highly of him and regarded him as a friend. I trust her opinion of the man. I only knew Pee-Wee Herman and as a kid, I was a fan. As a sot on a couch surrounded by my closest friends, we were fans. As an adult, I am an appreciator of his work and a delighter in the nostalgia of days long gone. In defense of Paul Reubens, we all do and have done stupid things. It’s just a matter of what we have been caught doing, I think. Reubens was caught. What have you done that you weren’t caught doing? I hold nothing against Paul Reubens or his character Pee-Wee Herman and will say that, while I will not watch Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure again most likely, I enjoyed experiencing this big adventure again at 41.
The laugh, the Pee-Wee laugh, is a good one. You never forget it. Maybe that’s part of his success. If you get something that sticks, it makes you memorable. Being remembered is branding, branding is marketing, and marketing can become a lot of success. I read somewhere that Taylor Swift is great at writing uniquely catchy choruses and thus, her songs are more memorable than others – apply the previous equation and she has the success that she does. Some of his corny jokes stood out as well. Near the film’s end, the man playing “PW” on the screen at the awesome Drive-in Theatre complete with period sign is going in to kiss the attractive female playing Doddie and, he uses the “I know you are but what am I” line. You see it coming like a tornado in Kansas but still, I laughed out loud even at 41.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, More Nostalgia, & Gojira?
Some other things to see in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure are old Coke machines, drive in motels, beer joints, Airstreams, and Godzilla movie sets. Which it’s funny because there are a lot of Godzilla toys in the Pee-Wee’s home complete with a fishtank window. I wonder why this is? Oh well, something to research. As the movie rolls on, there are touches of Tim Burton for those looking. For instance, one biker is wearing black and white stripes and the scene where’s Pee-Wee’s bike is being transported by paramedics has the markings. Another scene that I remembered was the dance to the “Tequila” song by The Champs. I remember riding around in my dad’s S-10 truck and listening to the oldies station with him. Frequently, they played this song. It’s these rides that spawned the love of music I have today and for which I am forever grateful.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is Over and so My Blog On It
I was reluctant to watch Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and really tried to find something else to watch instead but, I’m glad that I did. I enjoyed going down memory lane and this movie was the red and white 50s style bike that made the trip possible. Surprisingly, I gained a lot of enjoyment out of this live action Looney Tunes episode. I hope that you have gotten as much enjoyment out of reading this BLOG as I did out of watching Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. If you have thoughts on this movie or know anything about the Godzilla ties, let me know in the comments. If you’ve ever been to the dinosaur roadside attraction, let me know about that too. When me and my wife go across the country, I want to stop there. While you’re on my site, read more blogs here and check out my art here. Peace.
You are so good with words!!