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‘Pee-Wee as Himself’ Is a Vulnerable Tell-All About a Queer Jewish Legend

JL;DR SUMMARY The documentary series "Pee-Wee As Himself," streaming on Max, delves into the life of Paul Reubens, better known as Pee-Wee Herman, highlighting his Jewish heritage, queer identity, and the complexities of his career. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HeritageDocumentaryKvellerPaul ReubensIsraeli Air ForcePee Wee HermanHomophobiaFameChildren's TelevisionQueer Identity

Places mentioned

Israel
"His father, Milton Rubenfeld, who Reubens describes as a swashbuckler, an American Air Force pilot and a WWII veteran, was one of five pilots who helped start Israels Air Force."
Peekskill, New York, United States
"Paul Reubens was born Paul Rubenfeld to a Jewish family father Milton and mother Judy in Peekskill, New York."
Sarasota, Florida, United States
"When he was still a kid his family moved to Sarasota, Florida."
California, United States
"there was Pee-Wee Herman, who we all knew, one of many characters that Reubens came up with when he was in The Groundlings (a Los Angeles-based improv troupe), there was Paul Reubens, the actor who would sometimes rarely make public appearances as himself, and then there was Paul Reubens, the man, hidden to all but a few."
Tennessee, United States
"And his sister, Abby Rubenfeld, is an out lesbian civil rights attorney who has fought for LGBTQ+ rights in Tennessee and beyond."

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Cairo Item ID 53779
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Retrieved 2025-06-10 05:30:52 UTC
Curated 2025-06-11 08:31:41 UTC