What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that Pee-wee often behaves
disagreeably. He is greedy (when friends come over with
presents, he tells them to "fork it over!") and often rude to
those who visit his playhouse. Some of the show's humor is a
bit subversive, but that part will probably go right over most
kids' head.
Families can talk about whether Pee-wee's behavior is suitable. Is he a role model for kids? Should he be? How could kids approach a situation differently, and why shouldn't they emulate his rudeness?
Common Sense Media Review
It's practically impossible for an adult viewer to watch
PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE and not remember the reason it was canceled
in 1991 (when star
Paul
Reubens was arrested in a compromising position in an adult
theater). But whatever Reubens' private proclivities, campy
family-friendly fun was the order of the day on his wildly
popular Saturday morning TV show, which ran for five seasons on
CBS.
The magic of Playhouse was its dual audience: Children noticed only the show's imaginative whimsy, while adults warmed to the sly subversiveness of many of the characters and situations. Pee-wee's Playhouse pulled off a kind of Bugs Bunny trick -- it entertained the kiddies while giving grownups something to smirk at. For a few years in the late 1980s, Pee-wee was required viewing for both those on college campuses and those in elementary school.
Still airing in repeats and available on DVD, the now-vintage Playhouse episodes hold up beautifully. Mixing live animation, puppetry, animation, and vintage cartoons, the show centers around Pee-wee (Reubens), a smirking man-boy who lives in a playhouse that's equipped with a bewildering variety of toys and gadgets (such as Chairry, the talking chair, voiced by Alison Mork) and visited by a variety of Pee-wee's oddball friends.
Speaking of those friends, it's a hoot to see well-known actors like Laurence Fishburne saunter in playing Cowboy Curtis, or Law & Order's S. Epatha Merkerson show up as Reba the Mail Lady.
Most of the Playhouse gags still seem amazingly innovative when compared to the stale Saturday morning shoot-outs available on the networks today -- Pee-wee's cooking segments are particularly choice, as are any interactions with Jambi the Genie (John Paragon). Parents will still giggle over Pee-wee's double entendres while wee ones will lap up all the weirdness -- this is one Playhouse where everyone can frolic.
Fans might also like the more-straightforward but still-entertaining classic Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and the tamer but still-somewhat-surreal Wonder Pets!
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
