PeterRS Posted Tuesday at 02:30 AM Posted Tuesday at 02:30 AM For those who remember the early 1990s and the children's entertainer Pee-Wee Herman, there used to be a sick joke. Question: "What links the man who shot Ronald Reagan and the one who sat in front of Pee-Wee Herman?" Answer: "They were both shot in the back". The reference is of course to two events. The shooting of President Reagan by John Hinckley and the arrest of Pee Wee Herman for being caught masturbating in a Florida cinema. Not being American, I had never heard of Pee-Wee Herman until that event. I thought then, as I still do, that it was a strange name for a children's entertainer. But he was hugely popular. At the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, a new HBO documentary about the life of Herman (Paul Reubens) was shown. Titled "Pee-wee as Himself". it tore back the outward facade and impish grin of the actor Paul Reubens' iconic character and "offered audiences a rare gimpse at the tender, tormented and fiercely private man behind the [trademark] bow tie." Much of the film centres on the comments of Reuben's youger sister, Abby Reubenfeld, who came out of the closet soon after her brother had slammed the door of his well and truly shut. She is now a pioneering LGBTQ rights attorney and talked to The Advocate about her brother and their relationship. Even in discussions with his sister, for a long time Paul refused to come out. In the early 1970s he did establish a relationship with a man named Guy Brown, but he pushed Brown away to focus on his career. If the cinema incident was deeply embarrassing, worse followed in 2002 when he was investigated for possessing child pornography. The charges were ultimately reduced because it was bascially a collection of gay erotica. But again the damage had been done. When he was diagnosed with cancer, the deeply private man did not share the information. Reubenfeld not unnaturally sees her brother's legacy as bitter sweet. "A brillliant performer who made generations of kids laugh while hiding his own deepest truth." She hopes the documentary will help "others understand not only the cost of fame, but the courage of quiet survival." https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/paul-reubens-sister-interview Quote
Members Pete1111 Posted 9 hours ago Members Posted 9 hours ago I was young and closeted when his Saturday morning show was on. Loved it. A good documentary! Sheds light on what the LA cops were up to. Quote
