Of all the great flesh-and-blood cartoons of 1980s popular culture — Hulk Hogan, Madonna, Mr. T — the one easiest for small children to relate to was Pee-wee Herman.
In reality, Pee-wee Herman was nothing like us at all, a dreamy man-child in a red bow tie whose sugary smile could curl into a punky scowl.
A singular piece of comic performance art for a mass audience, Pee-wee Herman stood out in every form he appeared in, from improv theaters to late-night talk shows to the movies to Saturday morning television.
His appearances on that most ironic of late-night shows were like invasions from Candy Land.
You laughed not because the jokes were funny, but because they were told with such commitment to the fun of it all.
Persons:
Hulk Hogan, Madonna, Herman, wee Herman, Paul Reubens, David Letterman, ”, Brother Theodore, Harvey Pekar, Andy Kaufman
Locations:
Candy