Pee-wee as Himself

I absolutely loved Pee-wee as Himself. This was such a funny, poignant, and touching docuseries. I always hoped that Paul Ruebens would write an autobiography but this docuseries is even better thanks to Paul telling his life story on camera and sharing so much of his own archival video and photos. I loved hearing about how performance art, punk, and drag influenced not only the creation of Pee-wee but also his decision to keep his true self a secret. I always hated how Paul was unfairly villainized through media sensationalism for his arrests and how many people took the headlines (especially regarding his second arrest) at face value labeling him something he’s not. Thankfully, I feel like this docuseries absolves him which is something that has been very long overdue. Paul’s final message that was recorded the day before he died really broke my heart but I hope he knew that he was very much loved by all of the people he reached in his own life and through his art and comedy. I feel very lucky that I got to meet him and tell him how much he and Pee-wee meant to me. Pee-wee Forever!