rence Fishburne and Hartman. The show was a huge
hit with children and adults, running five years,
earning fifty-nine Emmy nominations, and winning
sixteen of the awards.
Pee-Wee’s popularity continued with a second
film,Big Top Pee-Wee(1988), which was set on Planet
Pee-Wee. In the movie, Pee-Wee, a farmer whose
talking animals make pancakes and get tucked into
beds at night, suddenly finds himself hosting a circus
that lands on his farm after being swept up by a hur-
ricane. Pee-Wee acquires a love interest and partici-
pates in the longest cinema kiss of its time. Some crit-
icized Reubens for allowing Herman to partake in
an adult relationship, while others claimed that it
was what the character needed to attract a larger au-
dience.
Impact Pee-Wee Herman charmed children and
adults alike throughout the 1980’s by allowing chil-
dren to relate to him on a personal level, while adults
lived vicariously through his character, who refused
to grow up. In an era obsessed with achievement and
advancement, Pee-Wee Herman offered an escape
into absurdity, fantasy, and eternal childhood.Further Reading
Burke, Timothy, and Kevin Burke.Saturday Morning
Fever: Growing Up with Cartoon Culture. New York:
St. Martin’s Griffin, 1999.
Neuwirth, Allan.Makin’ Toons: Inside the Most Popular
Animated TV Shows and Movies. New York: Allworth
Press, 2003.
Rettenmund, Matthew.Totally Awesome 80’s: A Lexi-
con of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and
Trends of That Decadent Decade. New York: St. Mar-
tin’s Griffin, 1996.
Sara VidarSee also Children’s television; Comedians; Film in
Canada; Film in the United States; Television.462 Herman, Pee-Wee The Eighties in America
Pee-Wee Herman, right, appears in a scene fromPee-Wee’s Playhouse.(AP/Wide World Photos)