Celebrities
“Any Good Jokes?” The Second That Saved Paul Reubens’ Profession
By the autumn of 1991, it regarded like the tip of Paul Reubens and his beloved persona, Pee-wee Herman. After his extremely publicized arrest that July on costs of indecent publicity at an grownup movie show in Sarasota, Florida, Reubens had turn out to be a nationwide laughingstock, and the actor had retreated totally from the general public view.
CBS immediately pulled syndicated episodes of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, and refused to air the ultimate 4 episodes of the collection, for which manufacturing had ended the earlier yr. Toys-R-Us removed all Pee-wee toys from their cabinets. Reubens would finally plead no contest to the fees, however within the courtroom of public opinion, many believed his profession was over.
As a substitute, Reubens—who died of cancer on Sunday, at age 70—pulled off one of the crucial unlikely and sudden comebacks in present enterprise historical past. And he did it with 5 phrases: “Heard any good jokes currently?” he requested a cheering crowd after strolling onstage through the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards.
The self-deprecating one-liner drew a standing ovation from the group, obtained glowing media reviews, and helped salvage Reubens’ publish–Pee-wee profession. However the memorable second got here solely after weeks of discussions and deliberations, in addition to Reubens’ personal doubts about whether or not to take the stage in any respect and what to say as soon as he bought there.
MTV’s Pitch
Within the weeks main as much as the VMAs ceremony on September 5, 1991, MTV executives had thought-about a number of attainable concepts to kick off the present, in keeping with Doug Herzog, the community’s senior vice chairman of music programming. “It was a part of common MTV brainstorming,” Herzog said. “We have been sitting round considering of what fascinating issues we might do with the present, and we simply got here up with the concept of Pee-wee opening the present.”
Paul Reuben’s mugshot following his arrest in Sarasota, Florida on July 20, 1991
MTV contacted Bender, Goldman & Helper, the Los Angeles–based mostly publicity agency Reubens employed to handle media relations following his arrest. The agency had already been giving thought to how, if in any respect, Reubens may make his public comeback, they usually rapidly agreed the VMAs have been a wonderful alternative, in keeping with the Orlando Sentinel.
“[Reubens] was involved about what he’ll say and what he’ll do when it comes time to say one thing to the general public,” agency partner Larry Goldman said. “He felt this was step one in that path, to make contact with the general public once more—to get that a part of the comeback out of the way in which. We felt followers ought to see him and know he’s doing OK.”
However Reubens wasn’t so positive at first, according to Entertainment Weekly. He wasn’t satisfied it was the precise time or place to talk. It took an excessive amount of convincing by MTV to influence him, and Reubens insisted it needed to be a shock, in keeping with Salli Frattini, the present’s government producer.
“We saved after him,” Herzog said. “We have been going forwards and backwards for some time. He wanted to get comfy with the concept. When he bought comfy with it, he agreed.”
A Nervous Pee-wee
Goldman mentioned Reubens’ long-standing relationship with MTV, and his excessive regard for the community, was one other consider his choice to take part.
“After the incident, they confirmed their assist, which he appreciated,” Goldman said. “After we began enthusiastic about what we might do to let his followers know he’s nice and doing properly and he’s on his approach again, showing on the MTV awards was a pure. That viewers is his viewers, and he’s comfy with them.”
Nonetheless, Reubens was extraordinarily nervous the day of the present. He was snuck into a personal holding space under the stage by means of a again door, as a result of “if individuals knew about it, he wasn’t going to indicate up,” Frattini said. Solely a small handful of crew members even knew he was there, she mentioned, and one among them noticed him pray earlier than taking the stage, according to the Sentinel.
Reubens’ look wasn’t rehearsed, and it was Reubens and his individuals who wrote his strains, not MTV. “We had given him a couple of concepts of what to say, however these have been actually his phrases,” Frattini said. Because the present started, Reubens took to the stage sporting his full Pee-wee Herman apparel for the primary time in more than a year.
The gang cheered wildly; it proved to be the one spontaneous ovation of the entire present, according to the Los Angeles Times. After thanking the group a number of occasions, Reubens delivered the now-famous “Heard any good jokes currently?” line, adopted by his well-known Pee-wee punchline “So humorous I forgot to giggle,” earlier than introducing the remainder of the present.
The Comeback Begins
After the present, Reubens was “elated” by the enthusiastic crowd response, according to the Sentinel. Critics have been equally effusive. MTV called it “one among VMA historical past’s greatest moments,” and Entertainment Weekly wrote, “Proving he had the gumption to poke enjoyable at himself… Pee-wee had escaped from the stigma of being a punchline.”
“Herman’s was the proper comeback, emotional even in its excessive brevity by the hint of nervousness actor Paul Reubens belied in resurrecting his childlike character,” Chris Willman of the Los Angeles Occasions wrote in a review of the present. “It was a touching and humorous TV second.”
Paul Reubens had a supporting function within the 2001 film Blow following his comeback.
The second kicked off a modest comeback for Reubens, whose profession had been on life assist simply days earlier. He went on to look in a wide range of movies all through the Nineties, together with in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Batman Returns (1992), The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas (1993), Duston Checks In (1996), Matilda (1996), and Thriller Males (1999).
Reubens earned an Emmy nomination in 1995 for his string of visitor appearances on the tv collection Murphy Brown. He additionally earned rave reviews for his supporting flip as a hairdresser turned drug supplier in Blow (2001), starring Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz. He even introduced Pee-wee Herman out of retirement, starring on Broadway in The Pee-wee Herman Present in 2010, and the Netflix authentic film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday in 2016.
And it was all made attainable by that one memorable second on the Common Amphitheatre stage in Los Angeles in 1991. As The Atlantic wrote, it was “step one in direction of his profession revival.”
Senior Information Editor, Biography.com
Colin McEvoy joined the Biography.com workers in 2023, and earlier than that had spent 16 years as a journalist, author, and communications skilled. He’s the writer of two true crime books: Love Me or Else and Deadly Jealousy. He’s additionally an avid movie buff, reader, and lover of nice tales.
Celebrities
As Theo fakes his personal disappearance, spoilers reveal how his ‘heroic’ actions result in Todd discovering him
Theo thought it will be humorous to faux his personal disappearance in Coronation Street tonight to get underneath Todd’s pores and skin.
This night (Friday, October 3), Jake Windass handed Theo’s cellphone to Brian. Todd then recognised that it was Theo’s and began to stress.
It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Todd then headed to the police station to report Theo lacking. However, if solely he knew the reality…
Theo fakes his disappearance in Coronation Road
Since he bumped right into a former blast from the previous on the membership on Wednesday evening (October 1), Theo’s gone walkabouts.
Todd grew to become involved for Theo when he seen his anger begin to creep up throughout a enjoyable afternoon out with their mates. This ended up with the couple arguing and Theo heading off in a strop.
Tonight, Todd frightened when he tried to contact Theo however heard nothing again. Jake Windass then informed Brian that he’d discovered a cellphone on the ground, with Todd then realising it was Theo’s.
Involved about Theo’s welfare, Todd headed to the police station and tried to report Theo as lacking to PC Jess Hayward.
Believing that his considerations had been being dismissed, Todd then determined to go away.
In the meantime, Theo was completely high-quality as viewers came upon that he’d paid Jake Windass to ‘discover’ his cellphone.
Jake believed that Theo was solely pranking Todd, not realising Theo Silverton’s cruel ulterior motive.
Coronation Road spoilers reveal Theo ‘hero’ twist
Subsequent week in Coronation Road spoilers, Todd finds Theo though this was not a part of Theo’s authentic plan.
Discovering Asha on a bench in a foul method, Theo manages to name for assist. Todd’s furious as he blasts Theo for going AWOL.
Nonetheless, Amy then tells Todd that Asha would possibly’ve died if Theo hadn’t of noticed her when he did. Will this make Todd soften his stance?
In a while, Theo attends Noah’s funeral as Todd lies that he can’t be part of him as he’s slowed down with work.
Secretly, he’s getting examined for bowel most cancers, with Billy supporting him.
However, when Theo spots Billy Mayhew and Todd having a drink within the Rovers, he’s furious. Can Todd clarify the state of affairs?
Learn extra: Coronation Street star Sydney Martin hints a major upcoming ‘twist’ in Becky Swain storyline
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Tyrese Gibson turned himself in on Friday when a warrant was issued for his arrest in reference to animal cruelty, after his canine allegedly killed a neighbor’s canine in his Atlanta neighborhood.
The actor and R&B singer was booked in Fulton County and launched on $20,000 bond, in accordance with Fulton County Sheriff’s Workplace jail data.
Gibson’s authorized counsel, Gabe Banks, shared a press release with ABC Information following the singer’s launch and stated, “Regardless of what others would possibly say, all through this whole course of Mr. Gibson has cooperated absolutely with authorized authorities and can proceed to take action till this matter is resolved.”
Arrest warrant issued for actor Tyrese Gibson
Banks added, “Mr. Gibson as soon as once more needs to increase his deepest condolences to the household who misplaced their canine and respectfully asks for privateness and understanding as this matter is dealt with by means of the suitable authorized channels.”
Gibson, who can be recognized for his position within the “Quick and Livid” movies, was accused of animal cruelty after police stated his 4 Cane Corso canine ran out of his mansion and killed a canine, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, at a neighbor’s house on Sept. 18.
Phillip Faraone/Getty Photographs – PHOTO: Tyrese Gibson attends the MACRO Pre-Oscars Social gathering at Laya Restaurant on February 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
Based on a police report, officers visited Gibson’s house on Sept. 22 to impound the 4 canine after Gibson instructed them by means of his assistant that he would flip them over. Nevertheless, the report states that when officers arrived on the house, Gibson was not there, and his assistant instructed police they might not take the canine, as Gibson wanted “a number of extra days” to seek out “one other place” for them to go.
Authorities subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Gibson.
Robb Pitts, the chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Fulton County, Georgia, instructed ABC Information that whereas Gibson turned himself on this week, he’s “nonetheless not co-operating,” and officers nonetheless need the canine turned in too.
“We will not drive him to inform us the place the canine are however the choose will be capable to compel him to show the canine over to us,” Pitts continued. “From our perspective, the canine can be deemed as harmful based mostly on all the things that has occurred up to now.”
The canine that Gibson’s Cane Corsos are accused of killing belonged to Harrison Parker, Gibson’s neighbor.
“The pack of these 4 canine have been there minutes earlier than I discovered Henry’s physique,” Parker instructed “Good Morning America” in an interview earlier this week. “And there was completely no vehicles, no people, simply the canine. And he was useless. And the actual fact he died like that alone within the darkness at night time and I wasn’t there… it is simply horrible.”
Parker added, “I actually hope that justice is absolutely served.”
Gibson, who was out of the state the night time that the incident occurred, stated in a press release shared this week on Instagram that he’s “devastated and heartbroken” for Parker’s household.
“To the household who misplaced their beloved pet: please know that I’m praying for you, grieving with you, and can proceed to face this tragedy with honesty, accountability, and compassion,” he stated.
Gibson’s authorized counsel stated in a press release shared with the actor’s put up that Gibson had “made the extremely troublesome resolution to rehome his two grownup canine and their three puppies in secure and loving houses” after studying what had occurred.
In a separate assertion on the time, Gibson’s authorized counsel stated the singer initially obtained the canine after he had been “coping with stalkers randomly displaying up at his house” and added that the canine have been “by no means skilled to be vicious.”
Police stated Gibson’s neighbors have complained that the canine have been typically seen operating unfastened.
In Gibson’s arrest warrant, police stated that they’d spent greater than per week making an attempt to persuade the actor to give up his canine.
“It has been an issue and it is not going to go away,” Pitts instructed ABC Information in an interview on Thursday.
Pitts added that rehoming the canine is “not adequate.”
Prince Williams/WireImage – PHOTO: Tyrese performs throughout Keyshia Cole: The Means It Is twentieth Anniversary tour at State Farm Area on July 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We now have to have possession of them,” he stated. “Him rehoming them does not imply a hill of beans to us.”
Pitts additionally stated there’s a accountability that comes with pet possession.
“Pet possession is an efficient factor, however there is a accountability that comes together with proudly owning a pet,” he stated. “And based mostly upon the footage that I’ve seen, based mostly upon the complaints that I’ve seen that the neighbors have launched towards him over a time frame, this didn’t simply occur.”
He added, “The concern is, on this case, it was a small pet canine, one other canine, however it may have been a baby out taking part in. It may have been an grownup. It may have been a human being.”
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