RIP Paul Reubens, aka Pee Wee Herman

[OCGuy81]

This one stings.  As a kid, I loved Pee Wee's Playhouse on Saturday mornings, and the movie Pee Wee's Big Adventure (Tim Burton's directorial debut) was a favorite!:-(

Paul Reubens, the children's entertainer known as Pee-wee Herman, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 70.

Reubens' estate confirmed news of his death on his official Instagram page Monday. "Last night we said farewell to Paul Reubens, an iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness," the announcement read. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit. A gifted and prolific talent, he will forever live in the comedy pantheon and in our hearts as a treasured friend and man of remarkable character and generosity of spirit."

The post included a quote from Reubens: "I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2023/07/31/paul-reubens-dies-pee-wee-herman-actor-comedian-cancer/70499351007/

[Jim]

My younger brother was a huge fan of Pee Wee's Big Adventure, played it over and over, so I know most of the lines to this day.

[Rothman]

Although Pee-Wee certainly became an important persona, Paul Reuben's more recent legal troubles make me hope that he was able to overcome his inner demons before the end.

[HighwayStar]

As someone without the nostalgia attached to the Pee Wee Herman show the first thing that came to my mind was his "legal troubles", a bit creepy.

[formulanone]

My younger brother was a huge fan of Pee Wee's Big Adventure, played it over and over, so I know most of the lines to this day.

That movie was on HBO for what seemed like 3 months straight when I was in middle school and therefore, I still want to believe there's a basement in The Alamo.

[Rothman]

As someone without the nostalgia attached to the Pee Wee Herman show the first thing that came to my mind was his "legal troubles", a bit creepy.

His earlier legal troubles were...cringey.

His later legal troubles were...unacceptable.

[Max Rockatansky]

As someone without the nostalgia attached to the Pee Wee Herman show the first thing that came to my mind was his "legal troubles", a bit creepy.

His earlier legal troubles were...cringey.

His later legal troubles were...unacceptable.

Getting caught jerking it in a movie theater certainly killed his career.  The child pornography thing certainly ensured he was never going to make a comeback after the movie Blow.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

My mom bought us a set of Pee-wee's Playhouse tapes when I was 8 or 9 and I watched those to death. I don't usually hurt too much at celebrity deaths but this one sucks today. As a "weird" kid I wish I would have taken the lessons that being weird is beautiful to heart.

[Henry]

My first time seeing Pee-Wee Herman was the movie Pee-Wee's Big Adventure when I was 14 years old. To this day, I still remember seeing the wacky stuff from that film, including the wacky road signs with nonsense curves that would never show up on any MUTCD, the journey with Large Marge and the nightmare of a T-rex eating his bike. That, and Pee-Wee's Playhouse, are my two best memories of him, even though I had outgrown the Saturday morning cartoons when the TV series debuted (but my little brother Jeff loved it!). And if it weren't for those big-time legal screwups, he'd still be performing up to the very end.

Although his comeback attempt at hosting the game show You Don't Know Jack (as Troy Stevens) didn't last long, I enjoyed him in that role as well.

RIP Paul Reubens

[jeffandnicole]

I enjoyed his humor on Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and especially Playhouse, which I would watch every Saturday morning.

His legal issues did sour me on him though, which was unfortunate. 

[roadman65]

I remember his bike sketch. " My bike! Someone stole my bike!"

[bugo]

He was great in Blow.

[OCGuy81]

He was great in Blow.

Yes! Awesome movie!