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, whether improv theaters, late-night talk shows, the movies or Saturday morning television.
The world of Pee-wee is full of this loopy surrealism that could veer into innuendo but never got dark.
It was always welcoming, wildly diverse, profoundly silly.
Persons:
Hulk Hogan, Madonna, Herman, wee Herman, Paul Reubens