Everything I Always Needed to Know, I Learned From Pee-Wee Herman

The secret word of the day is "Comeback". Now, you all know what to do whenever anybody says the secret word right? RIGHT?

If you haven't heard, Paul Reubens has resurrected our lovable little Pee-Wee Herman from the dead. That's right. Everyone's favorite man-child is back on-stage with "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" and better than ever. An updated version of the acclaimed 1980 Roxy Theatre stage show of the same name, the four week only event at Los Angeles' Club Nokia Theatre has won over critics, fans, and newbies alike. The success of the show has helped fuel rumors of a new Pee-Wee movie or two in our future.

Watching Reubens on Conan the other night made me realize that our Pee-Wee, my Pee-Wee is back (though I'd like to think that he never went away, but rather changed his name to El Pee-Wee and worked as a bartender in a Costa Rican coastal resort for a little bit ).

Pee-Wee represented a generation, yet is timeless.  He made me, my mother, and my grandmother laugh. Though awkward and often simple, his humor was relatable. He was a relic of the 50's living in the 80's. Now we can say he was a relic of the 80's, living in the 10's. Pee-Wee taught people it was okay to be different, all while Paul Reubens was creating a unique character that has never been replaced.

In honor of the man who encouraged me to wrap tape around my face and steal my mother's platform shoes and dance awkwardly for strangers, I present "Everything I Always Needed to Know, I Learned From Pee-Wee Herman":

1.) Be Green- Not only should your main mode of transportation be a (freakin' amazing fire engine red!) bicycle, but you can practice self-sustainability by growing cocktail weiner trees.

2.) Be Thrifty- You can save money by creating your own popsicles with juice and ice cube trays. Or by wearing the same suit every day for the rest of your life.

 3.) Don't Take Rides From Strangers- Accepting rides from frizzy haired truck drivers will only leave you abandoned on route 40 with underwear stains.

 4.) Decorate! - Don't listen to your friends when they suggest falsetto speaking flowers is passé. Or that styling your house to look like Liberace accidentally ate Howdy Doody and regurgitated him back up on the walls is over-the-top.

 5.) Matters Of The Heart- Always chose the feisty Italian acrobat over the egg-salad sandwich carrying school teacher. Always.

 6.) Clowns Are Evil- Especially mechanical sidewalk clowns. 

 7.) Abide By The Law- Cutting the "Do Not Remove" tag on mattresses only leads to life on the lam.

 8.) Be Prepared- You'll never know when that trick gum or boomerang tie will come in handy.

 9.) Know Your Friends- Anyone who wears a monogrammed romper or whose last name is a cold cut is not to be trusted.

 10.) Be You- So what you're a man-child and get more excitement from inanimate objects that interacting with human beings? Don't go changing.

I declare 2010 the year of Pee-Wee Herman.

Glad you've made a comeback (AAAHHHHHHH!)

Comments

[Mom]

I love it ! Long live Pee Wee !

[Amanda]

This was too funny. I don't care who you are, everyone loved Pee Wee at some point. Great job. I'll be checking in for more postings!

[Laurie]

Pee Wee was cool, although I was distrustful of chairs with big armsrests through out my youth.

Inanimate objects should be just that. Inanimate. Didn't these people ever see Maximum Overdrive?

[Jenn]

Totally agree, any clown is totally hideous. And I love the green message. He was so ahead of his time.

[Collleen]

I was delighted to see Pee Wee on Conan, but baffled that he hasn't aged at all since I last watched his show 21 years ago. He is truly the eternal man-child.

[Cinema Obsessed]

Love it, Hippy. That list could probably go on and on. I'm sure you had to cut it short!

PS - underwear stains! LOL!

[Leah Fry]

I always loved Pee Wee and secretly hoped he'd find his way back. I can only hope for another movie, since I can't make it to L.A. for the stage show.

[Christina Harper]

I think I "squeed" whenever I heard he was staging a comeback. Lol. I grew up watching the guy and, indeed, all of life's important lessons can be learned from him. :P

[Suburban Sweetheart]

"Silly, there's no basement in the Alamo!"

[Adrienne]

I definetely agree in regards to clowns...creepy.