The Two Bittersweet Words Paul Reubens Used To Describe Pee-Wee Herman

May 2024 · 2 minute read

After the release of the comeback film "Pee-wee's Big Holiday" in 2016, Paul Rust, who co-wrote "Big Holiday" with Paul Reubens, told Time his thoughts on the character Pee-wee Herman and the world he inhabits. "My favorite quality of Pee-wee is that he's not a weirdo in his world — he's accepted by everybody as normal," Rust said. "For anybody growing up feeling out of place, it's this utopia fantasy world where everybody's weird, everybody gets along. That's a bigger fantasy to me than 'Lord of the Rings.'" Anya Stanley for Crooked Marquee echoed these sentiments, writing, "The message, within minutes, is clear: don't overthink this, just kick back and regress. You're safe to be yourself here." She also said Herman was a "walking challenge to old concepts of masculinity" who "sits apart from society."

During his own talk with Time, Reuben acknowledged the character's unique, eye-catching nature but ultimately took a neutral stance on the character's nature, refusing to label his uniqueness as good or bad: "I'm just saying that you notice if Pee-wee Herman walks into a room." In a 2004 interview with Stone Phillips, following charges of indecent exposure and obscenity, the host noted that some were uncomfortable with the Pee-wee Herman persona. Here, Reubens was a bit less neutral: "I don't know if I can view Pee-Wee Herman as someone that would give you the willies."

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