Back in 1991, Paul Reubens was on top of the world. Pee Wee Herman was a huge hit and there had been movies starring his character. That all changed when he got arrested for masturbating in an adult theatre.
This month he talked about that arrest for the first time in a Playboy interview. He says that had he gone to trial he would have been found not guilty.
“Had we gone to trial, we had ready an expert from the Masters and Johnson Institute who was going to testify that in 30 years of research on masturbation the institute had never found one person who masturbated with his or her nondominant hand. I’m right-handed, and the police report said I was jerking off with my left hand. That would have been the end of the case right there, proof it couldn’t have been me.”
I don't know if that would have been all that was needed. I mean he could have been doing something with his other hand. The arrest was a career ender or at least a two decade career staller so to me if he thinks he was innocent I don't see the point in pleading no contest. At that point he really had nothing to lose in trying to fight it.
I just remember that his arrest was everywhere and I still to this day vividly remember his mug shot. Because there was no internet back then, people had really not seen many pictures of Paul Reubens outside of his character and I think that mug shot more than just his arrest was the reason it had such a powerful impact. Plus he was doing a kids show. Getting caught masturbating in an adult theatre when you are hosting a kids show is not really the best career move. Should have just grabbed a porn and done it at home.
Sorry, Peewee, but I don't buy the non-dominate hand thing, else why would computer porn be so popular?
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ReplyDeleteI LOVED Pee-Wee Herman when I was a kid. Meka Meka Hi Meka Hiney Ho.
ReplyDeleteAww good times.
It sucks that his career had to take a hit because of this. His show was the best. He was just ahead of his time because today no one would even bat an eye over this.
ain't nobody gonna be buyin' what he's sellin'. yeah right w/ the non-dominant hand excuse. sit down pervy mcperversen, enjoy your broadway stint and shut up.
ReplyDelete(((eye roll at Pee Wee)))
ReplyDeleteSo not true..
Take my husband.. Right handed.. ALWAYS masterbates with his left.. =)
30 years later dude.. admit it and move on.
I remember thinking "who the hell cares?" His show wasn't entirely a kid's show. Lots of double entendre. And really - do you think he was/is the only guy that's ever masturbated at an adult movie?
ReplyDeleteHmm, I masturbate with both so ...
ReplyDeleteWhatever. I still love Paul Reubens, if only because he was in that Buffy movie.
I still remember when he came on (no pun intended) an awards show...I think it was MTV and the crowd was going nuts and his first words were "Have you heard any good jokes lately?" BROKE me up! Took the edge off and he was fine! This was of course about a decade or so after this non-important thing happened. After that he started to be on the rise again (again...no pun intended).
ReplyDeleteisn't a movie based off pee-wee playhouse is in development? if so, would love it!
ReplyDeleteI thought wrong handed jerking was, like, a "thing" with most guys because it feels like someone esle is doing it? Stranger in the tub!
ReplyDeletelet the man jerk it,for god's sake puritans! it was a porno movie theater...whaddya think goes on in there, a bake sale?
ReplyDeleteI like using both - and its sucha wonderful thing to do. I remember when this story broke - I didn't understand why it was going to damage his career so much. It wasn't as if he was sitting on some un willing persons lap - or aiming it any person. Funny how this killed his career and Kim K gained one...funny.
ReplyDeleteRay - you are bad! Just bad!! I love Pee Wee. Especially loved him with Johnny Depp in Blow.
ReplyDeleteseriously. i've never been in one but i would imagine that in an adult movie theatre that jerking off is expected. and to see what hand he was or wasn't using, how long did the cops watch him?
ReplyDelete_-_=_: I'm a HUGE Paul Ruebens fan...LOVED him in Mystery Men! All I'm saying is I liked the way he came out and asked the question. I follow him on Twitter and PeeWee was at Sturgis...some REALLY fun pics he posted...check them out.
ReplyDeleteUmm...can we talk about the fact that someone gets paid to research masturbation??
ReplyDeleteThat reasoning is total BS, but whatever. I still love ya Pee Wee.
I'm right handed in everything EXCEPT masturbating. I ONLY use my non-dominant left-hand. ALWAYS. Never switch. Only the non-dominant. Sorry Pee-wee. If that's all you got I need to send off a letter to Masters and Johnson since I'm clearly an anomaly.
ReplyDeleteLOL...."Masters and Johnson" institute? At least he can still laugh about it :P
ReplyDeleteIf he wasn't waxing the weasel, why did he plead no contest? For the sake of his career, he should have fought it. I am calling BS to this one.
ReplyDeleteEvery guy knows you use the non-dominate hand when you want to pretend it is someone else doing the deed!
ReplyDeleteThis is quite weird to me.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I've never known of a cinema (movie theater) that screens pornographic films (apart from that scene in Taxi Driver).
The closest thing I can think of here is the seedy basement porn lairs in Soho, amidst the brothels and strip joints.
Secondly, if you want to masturbate, why go to a public cinema to do it, unless you want to be seen doing it?
Do it at home, like all sensible wankers!
Shmooey--Back in the day, there were plenty of porn theaters out there; hell, the drive-in in my tiny NH hometown used to run porn flicks back in the late '60s/early '70s. I think it was a combination of VCRs & being able to watch porn at home w/out worrying about who might catch you, and zoning issues for the theaters, that probably killed all that off; some people, though, get off more when jerkin' the gherkin in a crowd. (Don't remember what happened at home that got the drive-in to quit showing porn, but the local ministers were all up in arms about it; on the other hand, my parents own some property that looks down over the meadow where the theater, and plenty of people who lived along there would just watch out their windows or go outside and watch from the embankment...) As for non-dominant wanking, I'll just plead the 5th on that one, but suffice to say PeeWee's full of crap. But why DID the cops have to watch for so long?...
ReplyDeleteSo then what's his excuse about being busted for all the kiddie porn? "Couldn't have been me; whoever hung those naked child portraits hammered the nail in with their LEFT hand." Okey-dokey, PeeWee.
ReplyDelete@Robin:
ReplyDeleteHow very bizarre!
So people would congregate in a public space, porn showing on a giant screen, blaring out in the open air for everyone to hear, and then people would be in their cars wanking, and would look out the window and see their neighbours/colleagues/fellow townspeople wanking away in the car next to them, too?
Suuuurreeeeeeaaaal...
Add me to the list of people who alternate hands. In fact it's about the only thing my left hand is good for!
ReplyDeleteI don't buy it either. He should have never been there in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI remember when this whole thing happened back in the day. My first thought was...big deal. He was in an adult theatre, so there was no threat to minors (which seemed to be most people's concern at the time). What were the police doing there in the first place?
ReplyDeleteMy take on it then, and it is still my take now, is that the cops went on a gay witch hunt (still happens today) and Pee Wee just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. No one actually came out at the time and said PW was gay, but the big hint was that he was in a place where men congregate to get pleasure....so he MUST be gay and that is bad.
I remember when it happened, it was in Sarasota, Florida, and my family was visiting my aunt in Sarasota when it happened.
ReplyDeleteAlso, (OT) Joe Perry has a condo in Sarasota.