RIP Paul Reubens
On this very day, one hour ago, in a dense pain fog... I heard the worst news I ever heard.
There was this sound, like a garbage truck dropped off the Empire State Building.
It was the sound of my heart breaking.
Jeff broke the news this evening: Pee-wee Herman died! It took a moment to process what he had said. Paul Reubens was one of my favorite comedians from the 80s. I hadn't known about his battle with cancer. He had dropped off this fan's radar.
LOS ANGELES (Associated Press) — Paul Reubens, the actor and comedian whose Pee-wee Herman character — an overgrown child with a tight gray suit and an unforgettable laugh — became a 1980s pop cultural phenomenon, has died at 70.
Reubens, who’s character delighted fans in the film “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” and on the TV series “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” died Sunday night after a six-year struggle with cancer that he kept private, his publicist said in a statement.
“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement released Monday with the announcement of his death. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”
Created for the stage, Pee-wee with his white chunky loafers and red bow tie would become a cultural constant in both adult and children’s entertainment for much of the 1980s-
Reubens' Pee-wee character is woven into my high school memories. It was the genesis of so many silly quips doled out in equally silly voices. My friends and I loved his movie and his TV series. And, like so many entertainers, Reubens never aged in our minds.
His death brings down another curtain on our own youth. The news arrives on the heels of Sinead O’Connor's death. Add to that the passing of David Crosby, Tony Bennett, Raquel Welch, Harry Belafonte, Alan Arkin, Tina Turner, Cindy Williams, and Jerry Springer. These were pillars holding up our world, defining our culture, entertaining us at the best and worst times. Yes, even Springer. But this slow boat to heaven departed in 2023. Even more icons passed in the years prior.
It's hard for me to sum up the man himself. Conan O'Brien states it perfectly in his tweet today.
No tweet can capture the magic, generosity, artistry, and devout silliness of Paul Reubens. Everyone I know received countless nonsensical memes from Paul on their birthday, and I mean EVERYONE. His surreal comedy and unrelenting kindness were a gift to us all. Damn, this hurts.
— Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) July 31, 2023
RIP Paul Reubens. Thank you for the laughs.