The Ultimate Anti-Environment…….
"We have now become aware of the possibility of arranging the entire human environment as a work of art, as a teaching machine designed to maximize perception and make everyday learning a process of discovery." -Marshall McLuhan, The Medium is the Massage
I love Pee-Wee’s Playhouse so much that I just might want to marry it. The show, which is now available as a DVD box set, is a creative powerhouse. If you are lacking inspiration or feeling drained of your creative mojo help has arrived.
There is so much to love. The show is bursting with a campy exuberance which unifies all of the other elements. The eye-popping set is a perfect shrine to 50’s Americana. The retro musical sensibility further transports the viewer into the land of play and possibility. Name another tv show which has its credits open to a re-worked Quiet Village courtesy of Mark Mothersbaugh and the theme song belted out by Cyndi Lauper?
Cleverly, the story and characters are a mix of imaginative play. Something you would expect to see if you found a child playing alone with her toys.
The human actors interact with inanimate objects which have feelings, hopes and dreams. The furniture talks. Toys feel left out and at times the puppets seem more real that the humans they share the playhouse with.
If this wasn’t enough, the show is overflowing with talent. Laurence Fishburne plays Cowboy Curtis. Phil Hartman does a terrific job as the crusty Captain Carl. Miss Yvonne done by Lynn Marie Stewart is a perfect blend of naughty and nice. Finally, S. Epatha Merkerson provides the ideal straight woman as Reba the mail lady. What’s not to love?
Playlist track four: Cyndi Lauper with Girls just want to have fun from Twelve Deadly Cyns
Add comment April 28th, 2006