Crash Course in Pee Wee

So when my nephews were here we decided to watch a movie. I checked the pay-per-view and the only thing they hadn't seen was 'Arthur and the Invisibles' but I vaguely remember hearing that movie sort of sucked or something. I didn't want to sit thru that. I had a copy of Pee Wee's Big Adventure and forced it on them instead. They had never heard of Pee Wee Herman. I guess Nickelodeon isn't too enthusiastic about Pee Wee nowadays. Pee Wee's Big Adventure is a top 20 movie for me so I was excited to see their reaction-- plus I hadn't watched it in a while.

Anyway, the movie starts up and after a dream of him winning the Tour de France.... it's this scene:

As I'm watching it I realized how truly nuts Pee Wee Herman must seem to a kid who's never seen him before. Ever. There's no context. No point of reference. He is a grown man! Talking to his breakfast! The laugh and giggles. The constant yelling at stuff. What's a kid supposed to think of him?

So the nephews started asking questions. The conversation was like this:

Nephews: Is he retarded? (that was the first question)

Me: No he's not retarded. He's just like a grown up who's still a kid or something...

Nephews: Did he make all that stuff in his house? He's like an inventor or something?

Me: I don't know if he 'makes' that stuff. He just sort of has that stuff. They're his ideas tho.

Nephews: Does he work?

Me: No I don't think he works.

Nephews: So why is he wearing a suit.

Me: Umm... because he likes it?

Nephews: Why does he love that bike so much?

Me: Look at it! It's awesome!

Nephews: It is?

 Then we stared at it for a little while longer and the nephews seemed sort of uninterested. Pee Wee wasn't clicking. The older one told me it was boring. Boring!? Pee Wee? They both agreed it was boring. They wanted to watch Arthur and the Invisibles instead. I told them I'd shut it off in five minutes if they didn't want to watch it anymore... and we could watch 'Arthur and the Stupid Invisibles'. Sigh.

Five minutes went by and I asked them if they still wanted me to shut it off. (I prayed the answer would be no. It would bum me out to be sitting watching some dopey ether movie after shutting this off). Fortunately they both agreed that they wanted to keep watching Pee Wee. The intrigue was getting to them. The music was too good! Soon they were laughing alot. They couldn't resist! Hahah!

I sat back and watched along very psyched to be exposing them to something different and good. Scene by scene I watched it through their eyes. I was secretly happy that Large Marge made them scream. (Everyone should have a Large Marge experience.) The balance to Large Marge was the huge giggles at the tequila dance. They seriously laughed through the whole scene. And by the end of the movie, when Pee Wee is walking out on his own movie and says, 'I don't have to see it... ' The older one yelled, 'I LIVED IT!' In sync with Pee Wee. Totally guessing the final line in the movie.

Neither woke up with nightmares about Large Marge neither...

ok bye!

tOdd