The Pee-wee Herman Show! Live! On Broadway!

Last weekend, a lifelong dream of mine finally came true.  Not only did I see the interior of Pee-wee's Playhouse in the flesh (although it was most likely made out of formica), but I even breathed the SAME AIR as the one and only Pee-wee Herman!

I heard late last year that Paul Reubens had revived his Pee-wee character for a limited run of The Pee-wee Herman Show at the Roxy in Los Angeles.  I tried to find someone to accompany me out there for it, but there were no takers.  Not that I had to go with someone, but if I was going to see Pee-wee, nevermind the whole playhouse - I would need someone there to pinch me so I would know it was really happening!

I have been a die hard Pee-wee fan ever since his show Pee-wee's Playhouse began airing when I was six years old.  Some of my favorite childhood memories were of my Dad and I watching it together on Saturday mornings.  And not until recently - when I decided to rewatch some of the original Playhouse episodes - did I realize how much his show had an impact on my personality.  Everything from my taste and my sense of humor, to my love of kitsch, social commentary and all that's gay - seems to have been influenced by his show.  The music on the show was even made by Mark Mothersbaugh, the leader of what would eventually be one of my all time favorite bands, Devo! It was obvious that Pee-wee penetrated my very psyche in ways that I had not yet realized.

And when his 1991 arrest went down for masturbating in an adult theater in Florida, I was crushed.  Reubens denies the allegation, but it never mattered to me, even as a kid.  I was so upset for the way the media crucified him and made him look like some sort of creepy pedophile just because he had his own children's show.  Nobody does that to my Pee-wee! Here's an excerpt of me preachin' on his behalf in one of my zines when I was just a kiddo:

So, when I heard earlier this year that due to the success of his L.A. show, there would be a month long run of The Pee-wee Herman Show on Broadway, I had to be there! As soon as tickets went on sale, I grabbed two tickets right in the front for a whopping $500! I didn't care how much it cost me - I wanted to see Pee-wee's pores! Up close and personal with Pee-wee!!!

And even after my injury this year and all the hell I have been through, I refused to miss his show and even scheduled my surgery so I would have enough physical therapy and recovery time in order to make it down to New York.  We will never forget Pee-wee!

And it was well worth every penny and all the struggle for me to physically get there.  First of all, Macaulay Culkin walked into the lobby right in front of me and I can't believe how goofy I got.  I never realized what a Macaulay Culkin fan I was, but I suppose it was because of what a huge star he was when I was little.  Oh, and he was there with Seth Green.  Meh.  Not so much.

 (Above: Yours truly with a teeny tiny Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green over my shoulder.)

Once my friend and I were seated and the lights went down... Pee-wee came out, and the only light in the room was a spotlight on him standing in front of the curtain RIGHT IN FRONT OF US... and then the curtain was raised to see THIS:

 

(Above: The magical stage from The Pee-wee Herman Show.  I couldn't find a picture of the Broadway set so here is one from the show earlier this year in Los Angeles.  Deal with it Missie!)

BAM!

The second that curtain went up, I felt like a little kid again, filled with wonder and excitement.  It was the playhouse right before my very eyes! Chairry was there, and Conky, Clockey, Mr. Window, Pterri, Globey, Magic Screen and even that bad ass Randy! Out of the original cast there was Miss Yvonne and Jambi, original characters like Cowboy Curtis and the King of Cartoons made an appearance and there were a bunch of new faces as well.  There was even a Penny stop-motion cartoon shown on a screen that lowered down and an 1960's era instructional film which taught the crowd about good manners (with special sound effects added - hee hee).  

I don't want to talk too much about the details of the plot or my favorite bits of the show in case you are going! I hate spoilers.

After the show was over, we waited by the stage door to see if Pee-wee would eventually come out.  And low and behold he did! Armed with a handheld loudspeaker, he talked about what a great audience we were and how much each show really means to him.  He kept repeating this over and over and spoke so earnestly about how he doesn't want us to think he takes his fans or anything for granted and how our support is so special to him.  Then he said, "I think you guys are really cool."

Then the crowd was silent for a few seconds.  So I yelled, "We think you're cool too Pee-wee!" Just like Miss Yvonne or Chairry would.  It was awesome.  Awww, shucks Pee-wee.  Thanks for such an unforgettable night!

Please remind me to stop talking to my mother.

Is it just me or do mothers have the inherent superpower to make you completely anxious about every aspect of your existence, within a mere 2 minutes of speaking with them? Even when you try to change the subject to something light, fluffy - meaningless even - does your mother continue to take you down the darkest of dark paths like mine does? Please someone remind me to stop talking to her.

It seems only fitting to add an excerpt from my first zine - Geek Patrol! - here, that I wrote about the woman herself back in 1995.  Upon reflection, it seems as though things haven't changed much!

Geek Girl-story: I Won a Dream Date With Axl Rose!

As promised, another excerpt from my very first issue of Geek Girl - Geek Patrol! - published in the Spring of 1995.  This is one of my all time favorite stories that I have written called - "I Won a Dream Date With Axl Rose!"

 

  

Wasn't that wonderful? To peruse the rest of the first issue, please visit my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/secretgeeksociety/

Halloween Perversion and Why it is my Favorite Holiday

Everyone knows that Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Perhaps its because growing up with just me, my Dad and my little brother, the typically jovial holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years' were anti-climactic and even downright depressing.  It was the worst feeling in the world for a kid to get back from a miserable Christmas vacation only to hear all the other kids bragging about the expensive presents they received, when I would get something worth about $30 -- if anything at all!

Halloween was my holiday refuge.  Since everyone dressed up for Halloween, it was also the one day where I could blend in and feel comfortable.  I could let my freak flag fly, loud and proud! And I could be who ever I wanted to be on that day. 

When I pick a costume, I start thinking about it as soon as the day after Halloween, and plan (in my head) all year long.  I am usually introduced to a person or character, and become obsessed with the idea of being them for a day.  I store that person/being in my memory bank, sometime for years, and when it feels right I select that particular idea.  Once that years costume is decided upon - I get really into it - planning the most subtle details far in advance.  One year, I was Sharon Tate (dead, of course) and I went as far as to study her autopsy report to make sure the clothes, wounds, etc. were all historically accurate.  Later, as an ode to the success of this past costume and as a token of my appreciation to her spirit for guiding me that night, I made sure to thank the woman herself!

(Above: Paying my respects to Sharon Tate Polanski and her unborn child at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, CA.)

I also celebrate the spirit of Halloween all year round, by wearing Halloween themed accessories like socks and earrings almost every day.

(Above: Keeping the spirit of Halloween alive each and every day!)

When I saw the film Sin City when it was released back in 2005, I really didn't care for it as a whole.  But what really stuck out to me was the character Kevin (played by Elijah Wood), and how terrifying and psychotic he looked! I knew I wanted to be him someday.  And a few years ago, this dream became a reality.

(Above: Me as Kevin from Sin City.  The secret to pulling off this costume was that everything had to be in black, white or gray like in the film - including my skin.  Also, the all-white reflection of the glasses added an extra level of creepiness.)

Last year, I felt it was officially time to be Carrie.

 (Above: Me as Carrie - Halloween 2009.  The clincher for this costume was the corsage, which I paid a florist to re-create using stills from the film.)

As Carrie, everywhere I went that night people stopped me to take pictures, ran up to me on the street and yelled, "Carrie! Carrie!" and proceeded to hug me (despite my being completely covered in a blood-like substance).  I had never felt so loved! I even won first place in a Halloween costume contest, over hundreds of other people at the club I was at! It was one of the happiest moments of my life.  Not only did I win the affection and acclaim of hundreds, I also won $100 in cash, concert tickets and a $50 gift certificate to a local sex shop! Last year is going to be hard to beat.

So, I have a character in mind for this year that I have wanted to portray ever since I was a teenager.  Laura Palmer.  The time just wasn't right until now.  I have all the items in mind necessary to pull this costume off, so last weekend it was time for me to go out and get them, or at least do some preliminary research.  But first! Its always important to celebrate the season by sporting some crazy Halloween designs on your nails for ordinary citizens to enjoy! I like to give back to the community whenever possible.

(Above: My wacky Halloween 2010 nail designs, orange with little black Franken-scars to match the one on my neck!)

Now that I was in the mood, I set out for my local costume store.  I was shocked by what I found.

Have costumes always been this slutty? Do women actually say, "I want to be a sexy Nurse/Cleopatra/Cop/Waitress/Swiss Milkmaid for Halloween this year?" Is Halloween just an excuse for us ladies to dress like total skanks? Believe me, I have no problem with scantilly clad women.  But that's not what Halloween is about! Is anything sacred? This is the day for people to get creative and take some time to gather the components for some kooky costumes! Not to just buy the pre-packaged "Lovely Lolita" or "Hospital Honey" getups! And women, I think that if you so desire to wear these kind of outfits, you should dress like that anytime of year.  Seriously! Don't be ashamed.  Stop hiding in the preppy shadows and feel free to be the freak that you are!

(Above: Has my obsession with Twin Peaks gone too far? I actually held this "Twin Peeks Ski Patrol" costume in my hands for 2-3 minutes, contemplating whether or not it had a place in my Twin Peaks memorabilia collection.  It even comes complete with a fleshlight! Err, I mean flashlight.)

After wading through the seas of sexy women's costumes, I discovered that the insanity did not stop there.

Apparently, Halloween also gives men an excuse to be total sex creeps.  "Oh, excuse this two foot long phallic projectile that has been bumping into you for the past two hours 'round the punch bowl... That's just my Fire Extinguisher®!" Or. "Hey, what's your name? Wendy? I love that name.  Oh, what's my costume all about? Well, I am a To-Do List of course.  And I'm saving the #1 spot for you!"

And if you thought this perversion was limited to adults... guess again! Pervert designers and pedo-seamstresses are in a sex-covered sweatshop somewhere right now making these outfits for your children!

(Above: Are they 3 or are they 13? Who cares, its Halloween!)

I also found several what I like to call, Confusing Costumes of Degradation.  Whether the costume be degrading to oneself or to others, the reasoning behind the selection of such a costume boggles the mind!

(Above: Bitch Wings and Anita Waxin'.  Need I say more?)

Needless to say, my initial goal of finding the pieces for my own costume was completely sidetracked by worried observation and social criticism.  How could people be doing this to my day? I mean, none of these costumes are even spooky! It ain't right.

So I would like send an S.O.S. to all of my reader(s) out there in the vacuum of cyberspace... PLEASE refrain from buying any pre-packaged sexual costumes this year - whether you be man, woman or infant! Its time to take back the night! Please take a moment right now to come up with an idea (think spooky, not sexy!), and feel the satisfaction of a day's hunting for all the pieces that you will need.  And if you do decide to go the down and dirty route with your costume, watch your back! I may send the Hottie Police out to find you.

(Above: If you bought a pre-packaged Halloween costume in the past 30 days, your name could already be listed in this Hottie Police summons book.  BEWARE!)

To see additional pictures from this excursion (and more!), check out my Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/secretgeeksociety/

Geek Girl-story: The History and Evolution of the Geek

Excerpts from my very first issue of Geek Girl - Geek Patrol! - published in the Spring of 1995.

 

I seriously used to type my school papers on a typewriter too.  Forgot about that.

To peruse the rest of the first issue, visit my Flickr page at:
http://www.flickr.com/secretgeeksociety/

The Origin of Geek Girl

So you're probably wondering what the name of this blog is all about.  I think we've gotten to know each other a little bit better over the past couple of days... I'll grab a couple of blankets if you get the chamomile tea brewin'.  Let's sit by the fire for this.  Or no, let's get in the jacuzzi.  Great, yeah that feels nice.

OKAY.

Almost sixteen years ago, I started a zine called Geek Girl from within the confines of my teenage bedroom in Lake Bluff, Illinois.  Well, actually the very first issue was called Geek Patrol!, and soon after I changed it to Geek Girl.  I used to glue the templates together using glue sticks and rubber cement, (before Photoshop, can you imagine?) and then sneak into my high school's copy room after hours to steal copies.  I would stay there into the night and staple each issue together, then pass them out to people in the hallway the next day like the dork that I was.  My Dean, Dean Hoffmann, who is now the Principal of that high school, still has signed copies of each issue on the shelf in his office.  And I met my best friend after I found a fan letter she wrote to me on my desk in Mrs. Gillespie's U.S. History class.  That's right, I had fans.  But don't worry, I never let the super-stardom go to my head.  Unlike Madonna, Britney or Lady Gaga, I never changed.  

If you don't believe me, just read a few pages out of one of these relics and you will see how unbelievably similar my writing was back then in comparison to what you are reading right now! Its like, we're the same person or something.  Wait, what?

 

But I digress.

After graduating high school one geeky year early at the tender age of 17, I began an illustrious career at Kinko's, where I further perfected the art of copying and theft.  Issues became fancier and more intricate: color copies, transparencies, bookletting, I mean, you name it.  There were no boundaries! Just as long as I didn't get caught with my hand in the copy jar.

There was even a fan club associated with Geek Girl, called the Secret Geek Society Internacionalé (or SGSI for short).  Hence, the name of the URL for this site and even my email address! If you joined the SGSI you even received a membership card in the mail.  Whether you were still in the closet or the "out and proud" type, it was official - you were a geek. Or was I? It was so long ago.

(Above: The official Secret Geek Society Internacionalé membership card you were required to have on your person at all times, in case you were to die suddenly and not want "Wind Beneath my Wings" played at your funeral.  Note: the wet spot pictured is from the card being rubber cemented to the back page of issue #4.  In retrospect, this unsightly stain was a design flaw, but Kinko's didn't offer any special stainless gluing services at the time.) 

Its hard to believe that its been over 7 years now since the last issue came out.  I really have been slacking.  But I thought it was about time to revisit Geek Girl, now by using the most easily accessible form of communication - the internet! 

So that's it in a nutshell.  This very blog, GEEK GIRL REVISITED, will be the new home for my thoughts, documentation, informative articles, weird shit, links to my photography, and whatever else I damn well feel like putting up.  Welcome.

Also, Geek Girl-story will be the tag for an ongoing series of blogs about my roots.  There will be more nuggets to come on Geek Girl (the zine), my past film and video work, writing, personal tidbits, photography, old toenail clippings or locks of hair... Hopefully I'll even find an old grocery list for you to enjoy.  It will be a blast from the past about anything I deem worthy of sharing with you, my fellow residents of Planet Earth, Milky Way Galaxy.  And I'd like to take the time to give a shout out to my peeps in the beyond, if you're reading this!

So you aren't left out, feel free to share your stories with me at secretgeeksociety@gmail.com.  This doesn't have to be the kind of relationship where I just give, give, give! You can give too if you would like.  

If you would like to peruse the very first issue of Geek Girl - Geek Patrol! - it can be viewed here.  Just look for the photo set called "Geek Girl Vol. 1 (Geek Patrol!)."  And before you start hatin' on it, let me remind you - I was only 14 years old when I made it.  Pretty cool I think!

xo
G.G.