AZipperfor Pee-Wee Herman
Ethel O' Grady
History of Television
December 3, 1996
Leaders in childrens television are and always have been
concerned about
what programs actually make it on the air. Most early
programming for children
of school age in the 1950's was the western program. Another
type was the
science-fiction thriller which tended to be based on hero's from
the radio,
comics, and films. However, a favorite of the youngest audience
was the
children's equivalent of the variety show. This usually
contained circus,
puppet, and/or animal segments. "Super Circus", which aired in
1949, consisted
of music, circus acts, animals, and of course, clowns.
In 1952, yet another type of program came about which
reached a very
similiar audience as the circus variety shows. It was called
"The Ding Dong
School". The Ding Dong School offered the conversation, low-key
instruction,
commercials, and entertainment of Miss. Frances, a professional
teacher.
With the help of these types of shows, a new genre was
born. Children's
television which was a mixture of songs, education, fun, and a
whole lot more.
In 1969, the first airing of "Sesame Street" took place. Sesame
Street had
programs which were sponsored by different letters of the
alphabet or numbers
each day, and relied on very short, animated cartoons with live
and puppet
segments which kept the interest of preschool children. The show
was an
instant outstanding success, and still broadcasts today.
In 1970, "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" was born. Mr. Fred
Roger's used
puppets and music to teach patience and cooperation, while
providing guidance
to help children cope with feelings and frustrations. Mr.
Roger's land of
makebelieve's handpuppet characters interacted with humans in the
mythical
kingdom of King Friday XIII. There, the puppets and humans would
deal with
their feelings and emotions as they solve typical, everyday
problems.
This new genre of programming was a sensation. The
children loved it,
and the parents approved of it. During the following years, many
new shows
came about which still fit this genre. In the year 1986, yet
another show was
born into childrens television. "Pee-Wee's Playhouse". This
series, starring
host Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) used animation, puppets, and
vintage
cartoons to entertain and educate its audience. Between Pee-Wee
Herman and his
extraordinary playhouse, children were given the opportunity to
let their
imaginations go crazy.
The "playhouse" had no permanent residents, that is,
besides the
furnishings. Not ordinary furnishings, you see, Pee-Wee's
furnishings could
move, talk, dance, and sing. These "characters" could be seen at
the
playhouse on a regular basis. Some of the favorites were:
Globey, a talking
globe who would show Pee-Wee the countries that his pen-pal's
letters came
from; Magic Screen, a toy of Pee-Wee's that enabled him to
actually get
"inside the screen" and play a life-size game of connect the
dots; Konkie, a
talking robot which revealed the secret word of the day; and of
course Genie,
who granted Pee-
Wee one wish a day.
The playhouse also welcomed a series of visitors during
each episode,
which could also be seen on a regular basis. Some of these
favorites included:
Rina the mail-lady, who came to deliver Pee-Wee's pen-pal letters
everyday;
Miss Yvonne, who Pee-Wee referred to the most beautiful woman in
Puppetland;
and of course the King of Cartoons who brought the "vintage
cartoon of the day"
to Pee-Wee.
Besides the spectacular furnishings and outrageous
visitors, the
television show also had an unusual daily theme. This theme
could have been
anything from "a fire in the playhouse", "a trip to another
planet", or even
"Pee-Wee getting sick". In all of these situations, Pee-Wee
stressed the
importance of friendship, sharing, and just being nice.
One particular show, "Monster in the Playhouse", was
about being in the
dark. Pee-Wee explains that when your with your friends, the dark
is less
spooky. Suddenly Mrs. Steve, a neighbor of Pee-Wee's, begins
panicking because
she thinks there's a monster on the loose. Just then, a great
monster with one
eye and one leg enters the playhouse. His name is Roger, and he
stays and plays
with Pee-Wee. All of a sudden Roger's mother is on the
picture-phone saying
that Roger is late for dinner. This show ends with Pee-Wee's
elaborate
closing: Pee-Wee mounting his scooter with Roger and giving him
a ride home.
Unfortunately, Pee-Wee's Playhouse came to an startling
end only five
years later. Why? Well, on July 26, 1991, Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee
Herman) was
arrested for indecent exposure in a porno-theater. This incident
both shocked
and worried the leaders of children's television programming due
to the morals,
ethics, and values of the society during that time. Questions
flooded the
minds of parents, teachers, and officials. People began to fear
that Pee-Wee
was perhaps a poor role-model for their youngsters.
The real question is this: Should Pee-Wee's behavior
have been such a
shock to society? Lets look a little deeper into Pee-Wee's
Playhouse. This
children's television show was actually a refined version of Paul
Reuben's
nightclub act: "The Pee-Wee Herman Show". It is difficult to
imagine that
anyone who had seen his nightclub act, actually agreed to run
Pee-Wee's
Playhouse during Saturday morning, children's programming.
The Pee-Wee Herman Show can best be described as an adult
version of
Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Paul Reubens played the part of Pee-Wee
Herman, a boy who
acts out his infantile sexuality by "playing doctor" with the
ladies and
looking up women's skirts. Numerous accounts of sexual innuendo's
are made by
Pee-Wee during the entire show.
I don't think Pee-Wee Herman ever gave the impression
that he was a "Mr.
Rogers-Captain Kangeroo" kind of role model for children.
Pee-Wee was who he
was: a creative comedian who had a clever way of looking at life
through the
eyes of a child. Whether he was a disgusting pervert or just
plain human, his
television show and movies were a huge success.
Though no longer in syndication, Pee-Wee's Playhouse's
fire still
continues to burn. There is now a collection of video tapes
available which
allow Pee-Wee to be where he belongs: in the center of family
room's across
the country.
Long live Pee-Wee Herman!
Works Cited:
Textbook:
Christopher Sterling & John Kittros. Stay Tuned: A
Concise History of
American Broadcasting (Revised Edition). (Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth, 1990)
The Museum of Television and Radio (NYC):
1. Pee-Wee's Playhouse: A Fire in the Playhouse
2. Mr. Rogers Neighborhood: Superhero's
3. Before They Were Stars III (TV)
4. Comic Relief, pt. 2 of 5 (1986)
5. Television, pt 8: The Promise of Television
6. Andrew Dice Clay: For Ladies Only
7. The Muppets: A Celebration of 30 Years
. been
concerned about
what programs actually make it on the air. Most early
programming for children
of school age in the 1950's was the western program. Another
type. that
anyone who had seen his nightclub act, actually agreed to run
Pee- Wee's
Playhouse during Saturday morning, children's programming.
The Pee- Wee