[BIRDS CHIRPING]
AH. GETTING OLD, MAN.
[CLEARS THROAT]
[EXHALES]
[INHALES]
[EXHALES]
Woman: GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
WELCOME TO LARGO AT THE CORONET.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
Man: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WAYNE WHITE.
[PLAYING "CRIPPLE CREEK"]
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC ENDS]
White: HI, EVERYBODY.
MY NAME IS WAYNE WHITE,
AND I MAKE PICTURES
LIKE THIS ONE.
IT'S CALLED
"PICASSO'S ASS FALLING OFF."
[LAUGHTER]
THIS IS CALLED
"FUCK YOU INVASION."
[LAUGHTER]
Man: OH, MAN.
HA HA HA!
"JUST A PICTURE
SHUNNED BY SCHOLARS.
NOW IT COSTS $10,000."
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
[FOLK MUSIC PLAYING]
[MEN SINGING INDISTINCTLY]
[BANJO PLAYING "CRIPPLE CREEK"]
[HUMMING]
[PLAYS SOUR NOTE]
YO, OUT OF TUNE.
[CHUCKLES]
THIS HUMBLE ROOM IS MY STUDIO.
FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS,
THIS IS WHERE I'VE DONE
JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.
THESE ARE DRAWINGS
FROM THE FIRST SEASON
OF "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE,"
WALLPAPER DESIGNS.
THIS WAS
RIGHT BY THE FRONT DOOR.
I DESIGNED MOS OF THE PUPPETS ON THE SHOW.
THIS WAS COOL CAT.
HERE'S MY MAN DIRTY DOG.
"HEY, PEE-WEE,
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
I'M SMOKING CIGARETTES
NEARLY EVERY DAY."
I WANTED HIM TO HAVE THIS BUT HANGING OUT OF HIS MOUTH,
BUT THEY WOULDN'T LET US.
IT'S A KIDS SHOW.
BUT THE FIRST TIME
I THOUGHT I WAS AN ARTIS WAS LIKE, MAN,
I WAS A LITTLE KID.
I ALWAYS THOUGH I WAS AN ARTIST.
AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT,
FUCK YOU!
HERE I GO
WITH THE FUCK-YOUS AGAIN.
GOT TO STOP THAT.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ME SAYING
ALL THESE FUCK-YOUS ON CAMERA.
I'M GONNA LOOK LIKE
A REAL BITTER ASSHOLE.
THIS IS A PROP
FROM THE SMASHING PUMPKINS VIDEO
"TONIGHT, TONIGHT."
THIS IS THE SPACESHIP
THAT THEY GO TO THE MOON ON.
THIS IS THIS--WHOA!
WORD PAINTING--"FUCKIN' A,"
CHEERIOS SCULPTURE--
"F.U. SHACK,"
PALM TREE FROND THAT LOOKS
LIKE A WOMAN'S CROTCH.
THIS IS PETER GABRIEL
"BIG TIME" VIDEO FROM '87.
THIS THING IS IN
A VERY FRAGILE STATE NOW.
IT'S BEEN A LONG,
WILD RIDE FOR ME.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY IS LIKE,
"CHOOSE ONE THING
AND DO IT WELL, MY SON. NOW GO,"
AND I WAS LIKE,
"FUCK THAT," YOU KNOW?
I WANT TO TRY
EVERYTHING I CAN, YOU KNOW?
I WANT TO TAKE
THIS PAINTING IDEA
AND SEE IF YOU CAN DO
A PUPPET VERSION OF IT.
I WANT TO TAKE THE CARTOONING
AND TURN IT INTO A SET.
I WANT TO TAKE THE SET AND
TURN IT BACK INTO A PAINTING.
Paul Reubens:
THAT'S A TRUE PIONEER.
THAT'S A TRUE PERSON
WHO IS NEVER SATISFIED,
ALWAYS WANTS TO KNOW,
"WHAT'S THE NEXT THING?
HOW DO I UNDERSTAND MYSELF
OR THE UNIVERSE MORE?"
HE'S A HARDWORKING
MOTHERFUCKER.
HE'S GOT, LIKE,
SOUTHERN WORK ETHIC
GROUND INTO HIM HARD.
NOW EVERYONE WILL KNOW
OF MY SUFFERINGS.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
GET ALL PROUD OF YOURSELF
AND YOU'RE POLISHING YOUR EMMY.
EE-EE EE-EE EE-EE PLINK!
"OH! MY EMMY! OH!
I NEED A NEW EMMY,"
AND THEY GAVE ME ONE.
I CAN'T THROW ANYTHING AWAY.
EVERY PIECE OF WOOD I CU IS AN INTERESTING SHAPE TO ME.
I JUST IMMEDIATELY FALL IN LOVE
WITH SCRAPS AND JUNK.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY--
A PILE OF GARBAGE.
I'VE WORN A LO OF DIFFERENT HATS--
PAINTER, SCULPTOR, CARTOONIST,
PUPPETEER, SET DESIGNER,
ART DIRECTOR, ANIMATOR,
ILLUSTRATOR.
Mark Mothersbaugh:
WHO DID THAT, AND--
WAIT A MINUTE--
THAT'S THE SAME GUY
THAT DID THAT,
AND THAT'S
THE SAME GUY THAT DID THAT?
ARF ARF ARF
ARF ARF ARF!
I MEAN, WAYNE'S STUFF
KIDS MAINLINED.
HE WAS JUS IMPRINTING THEIR BRAIN,
AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.
HEY, GET THA GALDURN CAMERA OFF ME.
CAN'T YOU SEE I'M
TRYING TO TAKE A LEAK?
COME ON. GIT!
Matt Groening: THERE'S A LITTLE,
YOU KNOW, ZACH GALIFIANAKIS,
A LITTLE SNUFFY SMITH,
A LITTLE UNABOMBER.
YEAH.
Mothersbaugh: WAYNE IS ONE
OF THOSE ARTISTS
THAT HAS TOUCHED PEOPLE IN WAYS
THAT THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW.
AND WE'RE VERY, VERY LUCKY
TO HAVE HIM TODAY
TO PRESENT FOR US.
SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN GIVING
WAYNE WHITE A VERY WARM WELCOME.
SOMETIMES I MAKE BIG PICTURES,
LIKE THESE BIG WORDS
I PUT ON THE SIDE
OF THE WOLFSONIAN MUSEUM
IN MIAMI BEACH
FOR ART BASEL 2009.
IT SAYS,
"BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING,"
AND WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT,
"BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING"?
HMM. TELL YOU WHAT.
I'LL TELL YOU LATER.
[MACHINE WHIRRING]
THANK YOU.
MM. VERY NICE.
I KNOW WHY WAYNE MAKE ART.
BECAUSE HE HAS TO.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT COMES
DOWN TO, REALLY, FOR ANY ARTIST,
IS, IT'S A COMPULSION.
YOU HAVE TO.
YOU CAN'T NOT DO IT.
White: WELL, MIMI IS MY MOS IMPORTANT ALLY IN THE WORLD.
SHE IS THE NUMBER-ONE
UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORTER OF ME.
I HATE THE BEARD.
[HUMS]
WE GOT TWO BEAUTIFUL KIDS--
WOODROW AND LULU,
AND THEY'RE BOTH ARTISTS, TOO.
MAY GOD HAVE MERCY
ON THEIR SOULS.
THEY'RE VERY TALENTED,
BOTH OF THEM.
THEY BOTH GOT IT GOING ON.
Lulu: WHEN YOU'RE AN ARTIS IN A HOUSE OF ARTISTS,
IT'S HARD TO STAND OUT.
I TRY NO TO GIVE ADVICE...
BUT YOU KNOW WHA MY ONLY ADVICE IS?
WHAT?
I WOULD PUT IN
THE BIGGEST AREAS FIRST.
THAT'S ALL.
I MEAN, IT'S INTERESTING
TO WORK FROM DETAIL
TO LARGE LIKE YOU DO,
I GUESS.
I'M NOT GONNA
SAY NOTHING.
YOU ALREADY DID.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR
COMPOSITION, THOUGH?
YOU MAKE SURE
YOU GOT ENOUGH ROOM
FOR THE GREEN, RIGHT?
YEAH.
YEAH. I WAN TO BE LIKE MY DAD.
White: HERE'S A DRAWING,
WHAT HE DID
WHEN HE WAS ABOU TWO YEARS OLD.
HE STARTED DRAWING REALLY EARLY.
HE JUST DEVELOPED REALLY QUICK.
THESE ARE ONES I JUST DREW
BESIDES YOU AS YOU WERE DRAWING.
I WAS GETTING THIS REAL BURS OF THE ENERGY
JUST WORKING WITH HIM.
OUR FAMILY AS A UNI HAS THE IDENTITY
OF, LIKE, WE'RE ALL
IN THIS TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE
BEING AN ARTIST IN THIS SOCIETY.
YEAH? THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
THESE ARE
THE THRIFT STORE PAINTINGS
THE WAY THEY ARE
WHEN I FIND THEM, OF COURSE...
AND THEN I DO MY THING.
THEY WIND UP LIKE THIS.
THIS ONE SAYS,
"EASTERN. FUCK IT."
THE VERY FIRST TIME
I SHOWED WAYNE'S WORK,
PEOPLE JUST REALLY DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT TO THINK
BECAUSE THEY
JUST STARTED LAUGHING
AT SOME OF THESE PHRASES
THAT WERE ON THE WALL.
Groening: THE THING ABOUT WAYNE
IS, HE'S REALLY FUNNY.
HIS IDEAS ARE REALLY SMART.
White: I THINK HUMOR IS SACRED--
I REALLY DO--
AND IT'S MY SACRED MISSION.
I THINK HUMOR IS
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
WE HAVE AS HUMAN BEINGS.
IT'S THOUGHT AS A LESSER THING,
BUT IT'S REALLY
OUR MOST SACRED QUALITY,
AND WITHOUT IT, WE'RE DEAD.
HERE'S MY TRIBUTE
TO TELEVISION COMEDY WRITING--
"DICK JOKES FROM SHERMAN OAKS."
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
THERE IS A PRESSURE
TO KEEP THINGS FRESH, YEAH,
NOT TO FALL INTO A RU AND JUST BE A ONE-TRICK PONY,
WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE
THINK I AM
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MY TRADEMARK
IS THOSE WORD PAINTINGS.
THEY THINK THAT'S ALL I CAN DO,
AND THEY KIND OF SNIFF AT THEM,
"OH, YES.
IT'S JUST A CHEAP TRICK,"
YOU KNOW, "BLAH, BLAH, BLAH."
THERE'S A MILLION [INDISTINCT]
FOR THE ARTIST TO DWELL ON.
IT'S HARD.
YOU HAVE YOUR DOUBTS CONSTANTLY.
David Pagel:
THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIS WORK,
IT MADE ME LAUGH.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A HOWL,
BUT IT'S TOO EASY,
AND I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT I MUCH LONGER THAN THAT.
THE FIRST TIME I SAW THEM,
I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND
WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT.
Alison Mork: AT FIRST,
IT WAS SORT OF A HEAD SCRATCHER,
LIKE, "WELL, YOU DIDN' PAINT THAT WHOLE THING.
YOU JUST PAINTED THOSE LETTERS,"
YOU KNOW?
Charles Stone: YOU KNOW,
WITH HIS WORK,
IT CAN BE EASILY CONSTRUED
AS A GIMMICK.
THE SURFACE OF IT SEEMS
TO APPEAR TO BE NOVELTY.
White: THAT SAYS,
"HIGH & TIGHT."
THAT SAYS,
"PUSSY HOUNDS ON PARADE."
I'LL SETTLE FOR LAUGHTER
ANY DAY.
LAUGHTER IS A DEEP THING.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK IT IS,
BUT IT IS.
IN THE ART WORLD,
FUNNY ISN'T TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
White: PEOPLE WANT MORE
THAN JUST A JOKE.
OH, YEAH. THERE'S TWO
BEER CANS RIGHT HERE.
THE GUYS WHO BUILT THIS,
THEY HAD TO STAY THERE
ALL NIGHT.
"ENTERTAINMENT" IS A DIRTY WORD
IN THE ART WORLD.
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED
TO ENTERTAIN PEOPLE.
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO QUESTION
THEIR CORE VALUES
AND MAKE THEM
RE-EVALUATE THEIR LIVES
AND GIVE THEM
A DEEP INSIGHT INTO--
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH,
BLAH, BLAH, FUCKING BLAH.
THERE'S INSECURITY
IN THE ART WORLD
THAT REAL PLEASURE
OR THAT WHAT WE CALL FUN
IS NOT SERIOUS, YOU KNOW,
THAT IT'S NOT INTELLECTUAL.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY
LOOKS DOWN ON COMEDY--
THE OSCARS AND, YOU KNOW,
MY MOM--YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY.
THIS IS THE DITCH DIGGING
PART OF ART.
A LOT OF ART IS DITCH DIGGING.
MOST PEOPLE WANT THINGS
TO BE EASY.
IT'S NEVER EASY.
NOBODY WOULD GIVE ME REVIEWS
HERE IN L.A.
I'D GO OUT OF TOWN
AND GET ALL THIS NOTICE,
BUT PEOPLE IN L.A.
WERE SLOW TO NOTICE ME.
Pagel: ONE OF MY FIRST THOUGHTS
WAS LIKE,
"WOW, THESE ARE REALLY FUNKY
UPDATES OF ED RUSCHA,"
AND HE'S KIND OF THE L.A.
WORD MASTER.
White: WELL, L.A. HAS THIS BIG
HANG-UP ABOUT ED RUSCHA.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY
WANTS TO COMPARE ME
TO ED FUCKING RUSCHA
ALL THE TIME.
Pagel: RUSCHA IS KIND OF
A GIANT OAK TREE,
AND WHEN I SAW WAYNE'S WORK,
MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS LIKE,
"OH, THIS IS A YOUNG KID
WHO LOVES RUSCHA
AND IS DOING SOMETHING WITH IT."
AND SO ANYTIME YOU GET NEAR
THAT SACRED COW OF HIM,
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE,
"FUCK YOU. BACK OFF.
ED IS OUR MAN,
AND YOU'RE JUST AN IMITATOR."
THERE IS IT, COUPLE DAYS LATER--
"HOOZY THINKY IZ?"
[CHUCKLES]
MADE IT, MA,
COVER OF THE "NASHVILLE SCENE."
White: HEY,
WE SHOULD DO LBJ.
OH, YEAH.
THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
LET'S DO IT.
HE'S ON MY MIND.
White: NOW THAT I'VE GO A REPUTATION IN THE ART WORLD,
IT'S TIME TO SHOW
SOME NEW SIDES THAT I CAN DO.
HE'S KIND OF CROSSING OVER
FROM YOUTH
INTO THE CLASSIC LBJ FACE
FROM THE SIXTIES.
HIS HEAD IS PRETTY
SQUARE, ACTUALLY.
White: I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
JUST THINK OF ME
AS THE THRIFT STORE WORD GUY.
THINK THAT'S GETTING A HIS ESSENCE, DON'T YOU?
YEAH.
I'M JUST KIND OF LETTING
MY HAIR DOWN, I THINK,
AND JUST DOING EXACTLY
WHAT I WANT TO DO.
"HEY, Y'ALL,
WAIT A MINUTE NOW."
[BONK]
AAH!
MAKES NO SENSE, YOU KNOW,
AS FAR AS, LIKE, THE CAREER.
"I'M LYNDON JOHNSON.
I WANT YOUR VOTE FOR
THE CONGRESS OF TEXAS."
THEY DIDN'T SEEM TOO EXCITED.
SEE? THAT'S WHAT I GET AT HOME.
THEY'RE SO SICK OF ME NOW.
"OH, ANOTHER THING HE DID."
REGARDLESS OF ALL THAT,
I JUST WANT TO DO IT FOR MYSELF.
IT'LL BE TOTALLY DIFFEREN THAN ANYTHING
ANYBODY IS REALLY DOING
IN L.A. RIGHT NOW,
AND IT'LL BE A SIDE OF ME
THAT THEY HAVEN'T SEEN, AND--
I'M JUST AS INSECURE AS ANYBODY
IN A LOT OF WAYS.
EVERYBODY IS INSECURE,
BUT THERE HAS TO BE THIS OTHER
KIND OF FAITH IN YOURSELF.
I ALWAYS TAKE
THIS BIG, COSMIC VIEW.
MAN, YOU'RE ONLY GONNA BE ALIVE,
IF YOU'RE LUCKY,
80, 90 YEARS,
AND THEN THAT'S IT.
THAT'S ALL YOU GET. SO WHY NOT?
WHAT DOES IT FUCKING MATTER?
I CAN DO ANYTHING
I WANT TO DO, YOU KNOW?
FUCK, MAN. GET ON IT.
LET'S GO.
THE TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH .
. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH .
. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH .
. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH .
. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH .
WHERE DOES IT ALL START?
WELL, I'LL TELL YOU
WHERE IT ALL STARTS.
IT ALL STARTS FOR ME
IN NORTH ALABAMA
IN A PLACE CALLED SAND MOUNTAIN.
TECHNICALLY, WHERE MY MOM
AND DADDY ARE FROM
WAS WHERE THE WORD "HILLBILLY"
WAS FIRST COINED.
SO IF I CAN'T USE IT,
I DON'T KNOW WHO COULD.
[WHISTLES]
SHUT UP!
THIS IS MY FAVORITE PAR OF TENNESSEE RIGHT HERE.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL OUT HERE.
IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL,
IT HURTS MY FEELINGS.
THIS IS MY IDEAL.
IT'S WHY I'M ATTRACTED
TO LANDSCAPE IN THE FIRST PLACE,
TRYING TO KIND OF GE A PIECE OF THIS IN MY ART.
IT'S FUNNY, TOO, BECAUSE
WHEN I LEFT THE SOUTH,
I BECAME THE SOUTHERNER.
"I'M FROM THE SOUTH, EVERYBODY.
"YEP. THAT'S ME, FROM THE SOUTH.
REMEMBER, ME--WAYNE, SOUTH,
WAYNE, SOUTH."
I NEVER KNEW I WAS SO SOUTHERN
TILL I LEFT.
WILLIS WHITE.
BILLIE JUNE WHITE.
I'M HIS FATHER...
AND I'M HIS MOTHER.
WAYNE IS DIFFERENT.
HE'S A DIFFERENT CHILD.
IT'S JUST EXCEPTIONAL.
WHAT CAN I TELL YOU?
HE IS. WE'RE SO,
SO PROUD OF HIM.
HE ALWAYS
WANTED TO DRAW.
THAT'S ABOUT ALL
HE EVER WANTED TO DO.
WAYNE WAS DRAWING BEFORE
HE COULD SIT ALONE GOOD.
YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
IT WAS JUST FABULOUS,
THE WAY THAT CHILD DID.
WE'D BUY HIM BIG,
OLD, THICK TABLETS,
AND HE'D JUST SIT DOWN
AND JUST DRAW
TILL HE DREW UP
ALL THE PAGES.
THEN HE'D TURN OVER
AND DRAW THE OTHER SIDE.
MY EARLIEST MEMORIES
ARE OF DRAWING
OR OF PEOPLE WATCHING ME DRAW
OR PEOPLE REACTING
TO MY DRAWINGS.
I GUESS THAT'S WHY I LOOK
AT ART AS ENTERTAINMENT,
BECAUSE I ALWAYS USED I TO ENTERTAIN MYSELF.
White: SO, YOU KNOW,
I ALWAYS TALK
ABOUT YOU BEING
AN INFLUENCE ON ME.
ME?
Billie: I'M A FREAK
ON DECORATING.
I LOVE TO DECORATE.
CAN'T GET ENOUGH.
THIS IS HER
LATEST CREATION--
THE HOPE WALL.
I LIKE THIS, THESE STARS
AND THE LETTERS.
Billie: AND SEE, THAT'S
HOPE IN MY GRANDCHILDREN.
THAT'S HOPING THA THEY'LL TURN OUT GOOD.
THEN THERE'S
THE RISQUE HUMOR.
"DO NOT SERVE WOMEN.
YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN."
YOU KNOW, EH--
HERE'S A FRIGHTENING
CLOWN THAT LIVES
IN THE CORNER.
HE'S OFFERING CHILDREN
DRUGS, AS YOU CAN SEE.
"LITTLE PINCH
OF THIS, CHILDREN."
YES. HE'S A GOOD GUY.
MIMI, MY WIFE,
POINTED OU THAT MY MAMA'S HOUSE
WAS DEFINITELY
A DIRECT LINK TO
"PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE."
ONCE SHE POINTED IT OUT,
IT WAS OBVIOUS.
HERE'S MY BIG GRADE--
FIRST GRADE,
AND THAT'S MISS STODDARD,
WHO I WAS IN LOVE WITH.
SHE WAS ONLY PROBABLY ABOUT 23,
24 YEARS OLD.
SHE'S THE ONE THAT GOT ME
IN FRONT OF THE CLASS
AND TOLD EVERYBODY I WAS GONNA
BE AN ARTIST ONE DAY.
Willis: SHE SAID, "HAVE Y'ALL
NOTICED HOW WAYNE DRAWS?"
AND WE SAID, "WELL, YEAH,"
BUT WE DIDN'T THINK
ANYTHING ABOUT IT,"
AND SHE WAS JUS AMAZED ABOUT IT.
MAMA WAS THE FIRST ARTIST,
AND I WAS THEIR FIRST SON,
AND MY SISTER,
SHE WAS THE FIRST BADASS.
OH, SHE WAS THE ONE THAT TOLD ME
I WAS GONNA DIE ONE DAY
AND MADE SURE
I WAS CLEAR ON THE CONCEPT.
Melissa: AS A LITTLE BOY,
HE LIKED TO PLAY SOLDIERS,
AND HE HAD A BIG IMAGINATION.
HE ALWAYS HAD IMAGINARY FRIENDS
THAT HE WOULD TALK TO,
AND HE SPENT A LOT OF TIME JUS WALKING AROUND TALKING TO THEM,
AND I JUST REMEMBER HIM
BEING VERY PLAYFUL,
AND HE GOT A LITTLE CROTCHETY
AS HE GREW OLDER,
BUT HE WAS A FUN LITTLE BOY.
Billie: WE HAD A VERY,
VERY SEVERE CAR WRECK
WHEN WAYNE WAS GROWING UP.
White: WE WERE GOING DOWN
TO ALABAMA FOR THANKSGIVING.
THESE HILLBILLIES, LIKE--
[IMITATES CRASH]
HEAD ON.
Willis: THEY WERE JUS RIGHT IN OUR FACE
BEFORE WE SAW THEM,
WAS ON OUR SIDE OF THE ROAD
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THAT CURVE, HIT US HEAD ON.
DIDN'T HAVE SEAT BELTS
IN CARS THEN.
AFTER THAT HAPPENED,
IT WAS ROUGH.
IT WAS NOT SO GOOD.
I HAD
A BRAIN INJURY,
AND I HAVEN' GOTTEN OVER IT YET.
Willis: SHE WAS
IN THE INTENSIVE CARE
FOR, I'D SAY, OVER TWO MONTHS.
YOU WERE A LITTLE SLOW
AND EVERYTHING.
YOUR REACTIONS
WASN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE.
Billie: THEN I WASN' ABLE TO WALK,
TALK, OR DO ANYTHING.
White: I MEAN,
IT'S THE WORST NIGHTMARE,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
GOD, IT WAS LIKE JUST--KHHK!--
RIPPED ME OUT OF MY CHILDHOOD.
I'M STILL SORT OF
SORTING IT OUT,
WHAT IT MEANT TO ME.
Melissa: TOGETHER,
WE RARELY TALKED ABOUT IT,
BUT I'M SURE IT HAD TO IMPAC THE WAY HE MADE AR AND THE WAY HE SAW THE WORLD.
I GOT A REAL HARSH TASTE OF
HOW HORRIBLE THE WORLD CAN BE.
SO MAYBE THAT DID DRIVE ME
FURTHER INTO A FANTASY THING.
Billie: I COULDN'T HAVE MADE I WITHOUT WILLIS.
I JUST DON'T KNOW.
HE WAS JUST MY ROCK.
HE TOOK CARE OF THE CHILDREN.
HE HAD THE CHILDREN
TO TAKE CARE OF,
GET THEM OFF THE SCHOOL.
White: I DO REALIZE HE MADE
A LOT OF SACRIFICES,
AND IT WAS REALLY HARD ON HIM.
I THINK THAT REALLY PUT THE
CLAMP DOWN ON HIM EMOTIONALLY.
I DON'T THINK HE WAS EVER
THE SAME AFTER THAT, EITHER.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WOULD'VE
DONE WITHOUT HIM.
White: HE WAS LIKE
THIS GOLDEN GOD TO ME.
HE WAS MY HERO.
HE WAS, LIKE, THE STAR ATHLETE.
ANY GAME HE PLAYED, HE WAS
NEARLY ALWAYS THE STANDOUT.
EVERYBODY REALLY LOVED HIM,
AND, YOU KNOW,
THEY CALLED HIM WILLIE.
Willis: WHEN I WAS
GROWING UP IN THE COUNTRY,
THERE WASN'T NOTHING
TO DO BUT SPORTS,
AND I PLAYED FOOTBALL,
AND AFTER FOOTBALL,
I'D GO RIGH INTO BASKETBALL.
AT THE END OF BASKETBALL,
I'D PLAY BASEBALL
TILL SCHOOL WAS OUT.
THEN WE'D HAVE TEAMS
IN THE SUMMER
AND PLAYED BASEBALL
ALL SUMMER.
White: HE'S GO A CHAMPION MENTALITY.
YOU KNOW, HE'S THE SENIOR
BOWLING CHAMPION OF TENNESSEE,
BUT HE'S STILL COMPETING HARD
AND STILL GOING FOR THE GOLD,
YOU KNOW?
NOT A FIST PUMPING
KIND OF GUY.
GOT THEM SCARED NOW.
THEY'RE FALLING
BEFORE I GET UP THERE.
Willis: SO HE SPENT A LO OF TIME IN A BOWLING ALLEY,
THEN NOT TURN OU TO BE A BOWLER.
I GUESS HE GOT SICK OF IT.
I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS
A NATURAL THING
FOR A BOY TO WANT TO DO,
YOU KNOW,
BUT HE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO.
White: TO SORT OF GIVE UP ON I ON MY PAR WAS KIND OF TO GIVE UP
ON A BOND WITH HIM, YOU KNOW?
THE ONLY PLACE I WAS GOING
WAS 3 OR 4 NIGHTS A WEEK
TO THE BOWLING ALLEY
WITH MY DADDY,
AND, OF COURSE,
I HAD TO SIT THERE.
I COULDN'T RUN AROUND.
SO I BROUGHT ME BIG, OLD STACK
OF NOTEBOOK PAPER AND PENCILS,
AND I DREW.
HA HA! I GUESS.
Woman: YES!
THIS IS THE SOUTHERN DADDY
SHAME RAY REDNECK PUPPET.
AT LEAST SINCE ADOLESCENCE,
I'VE BEEN SORT OF REACTING
AGAINST THINGS,
AND COMING FROM THE SOUTH,
I REACTED AGAINST THE SOUTH
AND ITS STRING
OF AUTHORITY FIGURES.
YOU KNOW, HE'S
THE CLASSIC SOUTHERN
AUTHORITY FIGURE TYPE GUY
FROM MY CHILDHOOD,
A CERTAIN TYPE OF MAN
THAT'S SORT OF FADING AWAY.
"YOU LOOK LIKE A WOMAN
WITH THAT HAIR."
THAT IS THE SHAME RAY
THAT DIFFERENT SOUTHERN
AUTHORITY FIGURES CAN GIVE YOU.
I HAVE KNOWN GUYS LIKE THAT.
MY FATHER
IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE,
WAYNE'S FATHER EVEN MORE SO
BECAUSE OF HIS SILENCE
AND HIS STOIC QUALITY.
"I GOT TO MOW THAT YARD.
"I GOT MY BEANS COMING IN,
MY 'MATERS.
"SOMEBODY IS STANDING HERE
SAYING HE'S GOT TO PAINT ME.
GODDAMN."
THAT'S HIM, ALL RIGHT.
WHEN I WAS HITTING PUBERTY,
I WOULD GO OU WAY, WAY DEEP, DEEP, DEEP,
DEEP IN THE WOODS
AND STRIP NAKED AND RUN AROUND.
HA HA HA!
SOMETIMES THE DOGS
WOULD FOLLOW ME OUT THERE.
THE DOGS WOULD BE, "OH, BOY!"
THEY LOVED IT.
"HE'S NAKED LIKE US.
LET'S GO,"
AND I'D BE OUT THERE
WITH THE DOGS HOWLING
AND SNIFFING AROUND.
I JUST WAS COMPELLED TO DO IT.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS A COMPLETE
SAP-RISING URGE.
Griffin: GROWING UP
IN HIXSON, TENNESSEE,
YOU COULD LIVE
YOUR ENTIRE LIFE THERE
AND NEVER LOOK
AT A WORK OF ART.
ART WAS SOMETHING
THAT YOU BOUGHT AT KMART.
MY MOTHER GOT HER ART AT KMART.
I REMEMBER ONE DAY
GOING WITH HER
TO BUY A PAINTING AT KMAR WHICH HUNG IN OUR HOUSE
FOR MANY YEARS,
AND THEN WHEN WE MOVED,
IT DIDN'T FIT THE WALL VERY WELL
SO SHE THREW IT AWAY,
THREW IT IN THE TRASH.
THAT'S ART.
Melissa: MOST OF EVERYTHING
THAT HE DID AND LEARNED
WAS, PROBABLY A LOT OF THA WAS SELF-TAUGHT.
I MEAN, THERE WASN'T A LOT OF
INFLUENCE IN THAT LITTLE TOWN.
Roger White: I THINK ARTISTS
IN THAT COMMUNITY
WOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN AS CURIOUS,
AND I THINK THE BETTER
THE ARTIST WAS,
THE MORE CURIOUS THEY BECAME.
Willis: I REALLY COULDN' TALK TO HIM ABOUT AR I DON'T GE BECAUSE I DON' UNDERSTAND IT THAT MUCH,
BUT WE DIDN' REALLY KNOW HOW
TO RELATE TO IT BETTER,
I DON'T GUESS.
White:
SO MY HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHER,
THE ONE TIME HE DID TRY
TO DIRECTLY KIND OF HELP ME,
I'D DONE THESE
SALVADOR DALI DRAWINGS.
HE SHOWED THEM TO MY PRINCIPAL
B.E. EDWARDS,
THIS REAL OLD-SCHOOL,
SOUTHERN HARD ASS.
HE SITS ME DOWN.
HE GOES,
"YOUR ART TEACHER GAVE ME
SOME OF YOUR DRAWINGS YOU DID."
HE PULLS
THE SURREALIST DRAWINGS OUT.
HE GOES, "THOSE DO NOT LOOK
LIKE THE DRAWINGS
OF A RED-BLOODED AMERICAN BOY."
I WAS FULL TIME ON REBELLIOUS
FOR 3 YEARS SOLID, TENTH TO 12.
I MEAN, THAT WAS
MY FULL-TIME JOB.
I DISGUSTED HIM
WITH MY HAIR AND MY ART.
IT WAS HARD SOMETIMES BECAUSE HE
DID GET INTO SOME BIG TROUBLE.
HE GOT ARRESTED A COUPLE TIMES.
WHAT WAS THAT BAD THING
YOU GOT INTO, WAYNE?
WHAT WAS THAT?
I STOLE THAT MAILBOX
THAT TIME.
I GOT ARRESTED.
OH, YEAH.
ALL THE SOUTHERN DADDY
SHAME RAYS IN MY LIFE
WERE DISGUSTED.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISGUS GOING ON BACK THEN,
I MEAN, LITERALLY.
IT WAS JUST LIKE, "UGH."
THEY JUST--"UGH,"
BUT THEN IT TURNED
INTO DEFIANCE.
"OH, YEAH?
I'M GLAD I'M DISGUSTING YOU.
FUCK YOU," YOU KNOW?
THE DEFIANCE GREW
AND GREW AND GREW.
I WAS DYING TO GET OUT.
I WAS DYING TO, LIKE, YEAH,
GET AWAY FROM THAT WHOLE PLACE.
. HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
MR. PRESIDENT .
THESE ARE LIKE
JUNK SCULPTURE MARIONETTES
MADE OUT OF FOUND OBJECTS,
MOSTLY, LIKE, STICKS
AND A HAMMER
AND A COCONUT SHELL--
KIND OF LOOKS LIKE
MICHELLE PFEIFFER--
ODD, CUT OUT PIECES OF JUNK
THAT I HAD LAYING AROUND--
TINSEL, STYROFOAM, WIRE.
I LOVE STICKS.
I'M ALWAYS FINDING THEM
ON THE GROUND
AND PICKING THEM UP
AND PLAYING WITH THEM.
SO THIS JUST KIND OF, LIKE,
WAS A SPONTANEOUS APPLICATION
OF MY STICK COLLECTION.
I STARTED MAKING THESE
JUST OUT OF THE BLUE.
I WASN'T QUITE SURE
WHAT I WAS DOING.
I REALLY LOVE MAKING THEM.
THAT'S ALL I KNOW RIGHT NOW.
HEE! HEE HEE! HEE HEE!
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE SEVENTIES,
I ENROLLED AT MIDDLE TENNESSEE
STATE UNIVERSITY,
WHERE I PURSUED MY EDUCATION
AND BRALESS HIPPIE CHICKS.
[LAUGHTER]
THIS PLACE CHANGED MY LIFE
COMPLETELY.
IT WAS MY FIRST TIME
AWAY FROM HOME.
IT WAS MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO AR AND CULTURE.
SO THIS IS WHERE THE BARN WAS.
IT WAS TWO BIG ROOFS
AND THE TWO BIG,
GIANT SILOS OVER HERE,
AND RIGHT HERE
WAS THE PAINTING STUDIO,
AND THIS IS WHERE I WORKED
A LOT, RIGHT HERE,
ONLY IMAGINE ME UP IN THE AIR
BECAUSE IT WAS THE SECOND FLOOR.
IT WAS VERY MUCH THE ERA
OF THE COUNTRY HIPPIE
WHEN I ARRIVED HERE IN '75.
THEN WE DID A LO OF PARTY STUFF, YOU KNOW,
THAT KIDS MAY DO IN COLLEGE
THAT DON'T HAVE BETTER SENSE.
GOD, WE DID SO MANY
CRAZY THINGS TOGETHER.
SO THIS WAS MY FIRS BAND OF ARTISTS.
DID YOU SAY YOU'RE
SOME KIND OF ARTIST,
I HEAR YOU SAY?
WE'RE THE PEOPLE
THAT ARE TIRED
OF BEING PUSHED AROUND.
White: WHETHER WE WERE MAKING
SNOWY MONUMENTS TO DOGGY LOVE
OR PAINTING CRAZY CARS,
I LEARNED THAT ART CAN BE
A 24/7 LIFESTYLE.
I LEARNED THAT AR COULD BE FUN.
IT COULD BE A BIG PAR OF YOUR LIFE THAT NEVER STOPPED.
Quinn: NO HOLDS BARRED,
AND IF YOU GOT AN IDEA
TO DO SOME CRAZY PERFORMANCE,
YOU JUST DID IT.
MY NAME IS SCARY BOBBY.
White: WE REALLY LIVED IT--WE
REALLY DID--BECAUSE IT WAS FUN.
WE HAD FINALLY FOUND
FELLOW WEIRDOES
THAT SHARED OUR ENTHUSIASM.
SO WE WERE ALL, LIKE,
SMALL-TOWN KIDS
THAT FINALLY FOUND
KINDRED SPIRITS.
WHAT'S THE WORLD
LIKE, MAMA?
WE WERE JUST GOOFING AROUND,
HAVING FUN.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTAN PLACE FOR ME.
SO NICE TO
FINALLY MEET YOU.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
I'VE HEARD A LO ABOUT YOU, AND, OF COURSE,
I'VE ENJOYED YOUR WORK.
WE USED TO WATCH
"PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE"
EVERY SATURDAY MORNING.
HE'S THE VOICE
OF THE PIG IN THAT.
OH, MY GOODNESS,
YEAH. YEAH.
VANCE, WASN'T IT?
VANCE THE PIG.
I ENJOY YOUR ART, TOO.
IT'S JUST FANTASTIC.
I LOVE WHAT YOU DO.
THANKS.
THAT'S REALLY COOL.
THANKS.
MY PREDICTION,
IT'S GONNA BE ENCHANTMENT.
THERE'S GONNA BE
A MAGICAL CARPET RIDE
TO ANOTHER TIME AND PLACE.
THERE'S GONNA BE
THE FULFILLMENT OF FANTASIES
ALL OVER CHATTANOOGA TONIGHT,
AND I'M GONNA BE DOING THAT.
I'M GONNA INSPIRE...
AND AMUSE...
IN THAT ORDER.
HI.
EXCUSE ME.
COULD I HAVE YOU
SIGN THIS FOR ME, PLEASE?
SURE. HERE WE GO.
THANKS, DAVID.
TO ANYBODY?
I WOULD LIKE YOU
TO DO I "TO SANDRA STODDARD,
MY FIRST GRADE TEACHER."
OH, MY GOD.
HA HA HA!
OH, MISS STODDARD.
"TO MRS. STODDARD, THANK YOU
FOR STARTING ALL THIS!
LOVE, WAYNE,"
BUT, AS I TOLD HIM,
THAT ISN'T TRUE.
HE HAS A GOD-GIVEN TALENT,
AND IT WAS QUITE IMMINEN AT THE VERY BEGINNING
OF SCHOOL.
SO HE'S LIVED UP
TO MY PREDICTION.
THE INCOMPARABLE
HIXSON BOY WAYNE WHITE.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
THANKS FOR COMING, EVERYBODY.
RIGHT OFF THE BAT,
I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU
TO SOME NAMES I RECOGNIZE--
MY MOM AND DADDY
WILLIS AND BILLIE...
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
AND MY FIRST GRADE TEACHER
SANDRA STODDARD RIGHT HERE.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
IN THE FALL OF 1980,
I PACKED MY 1970 BLACK-GREEN
FORD MAVERICK,
AND I MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY,
AND LET ME TELL YOU,
IF THERE WAS EVER
A CULTURE SHOCK,
IT'S A BOY FROM CHATTANOOGA
MOVING TO MANHATTAN
AND LIVING ABOVE
THE PINK PUSSYCAT BOUTIQUE
ON WEST 4th STREET.
[BANJO PLAYING]
. WHEN I WAS YOUNG
AND IN MY PRIME .
. I LEFT MY HOME IN CAROLINA .
MY DADDY, HE GETS A LITTLE
TEARED UP AT THESE THINGS,
WHICH ALWAYS SURPRISED ME
BECAUSE MY WHOLE LIFE,
HE'S BEEN...UNDER WRAPS...
. I'VE GOT THOSE
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN BLUES .
AND AS HE GETS OLDER,
SOME OF THE MASKS
ARE COMING OFF, YOU KNOW?
. MY BAG IS PACKED FOR TRAVEL .
HE GOES TO THE SHOW,
AND IT HITS HIM,
ALL THIS STUFF THAT I DO
AND HAVE DONE.
. I'M GONNA STAY
RIGHT BY MY PA .
. I'M GONNA DO RIGH BY MY MA .
EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN'T QUITE
UNDERSTAND ME GROWING UP,
THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD,
TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
. NO WORK, NO WORRIES ANYMORE .
. I'VE GOT THOSE
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN BLUES .
MAKES ME REALIZE THAT IT'S
JUST HIS STYLE TO BE WHO HE IS,
AND HE DOES THE BEST HE CAN.
BYE. GOOD NIGHT, GAL.
THANKS FOR COMING.
LOVE YOU.
LOVE YOU, TOO.
THANKS, DADDY.
SO WE'LL SEE YOU
ON THE NINTH.
ALL RIGHT.
THANKS FOR COMING.
OK.
White: HE CAN'T REALLY,
YOU KNOW,
EXPRESS HIMSELF EMOTIONALLY,
BUT IT'S ALL THERE.
. I SEE YOUR WINDOW
WITH THE LIGHT .
HE'S A STOIC GUY.
WHAT CAN I SAY?
. I SEE TWO HEADS
OF SNOWY WHITE .
HE'S PROUD.
HE'S PROUD OF HIS SON.
. WHERE IS
MY WANDERING BOY TONIGHT? .
. I'VE GOT THOSE
BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN BLUES .
. AND I'LL STAND RIGHT HERE
AND SAY .
. EVERY DAY, I'M COUNTING
TILL I CLIMB THAT MOUNTAIN .
. ON THOSE BLUE RIDGE FAR AWAY .
THAT'S A SAD SONG.
White:
EARLY ON, NEW YORK WAS TOUGH.
I HAD SOME WORK
IN "HIGH TIMES" MAGAZINE,
BUT MOSTLY,
IT WAS JUST HUSTLING,
HANDING OUT XEROX COMICS
AND TRYING TO MAKE A NAME
FOR MYSELF.
GET YOUR FREE COMICS!
I WAS ABOUT TO PACK IT ALL UP
AND HEAD BACK TO TENNESSEE
WHEN I REMEMBERED I WAS SUPPOSED
TO PUT ON A PUPPET SHOW.
IT WAS CALLED "ROOTLESS,"
AND IT WAS AT THIS ART GALLERY
CALLED SMALL WALLS.
SO I GO TO THE GALLERY,
AND MY GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME
DIDN'T SHOW UP, BUT MIMI DID.
Pond: I WAS FEELING
PRETTY CYNICAL ABOUT DATING,
PLUS I WAS REALLY
FOCUSED ON MY CAREER.
YEAH. MIMI WAS A STAR
IN THE COMICS WORLD,
WAY MORE SUCCESSFUL
THAN I WAS.
SO MY FRIEND ASKED
IF I WANTED TO GO
TO A PUPPET SHOW,
AND I SAID,
"YEAH, RIGHT.
MAYBE I'LL
MEET SOMEONE. HA!"
HA HA!
THEN AFTER THE SHOW,
THIS SKINNY GUY
POPS UP FROM
BEHIND THE STAGE,
AND I THOUGHT,
"THAT'S WHAT I WANT!"
OH, MAN, SHE HAD ME
FROM THE START.
HERE WAS THIS CUTE
COMIC BOOK STAR,
AND SHE LIKED ME.
I COULDN' BELIEVE IT.
PLUS, SHE HAD
HER SHIT TOGETHER.
SHE HAD WORK, AND
SHE HAD LOTS OF STUFF.
YEAH. I HAD NICE THINGS,
AND I COULD COOK.
SO I LURED HIM
INTO MY LAIR.
SHE HAD A COLOR TV
AND A VCR.
OH, MAN,
I WAS IN HEAVEN.
"COME. COME ENJOY
HOT COOKED MEALS,
TELEVISION,
AND A REAL BED."
I WAS IN HIGH COTTON,
I'LL TELL YOU,
ALL THAT AND A BRILLIAN ARTIST FOR A GIRLFRIEND.
WHAT MORE
COULD YOU WANT?
AND HERE WE ARE
27 YEARS LATER.
Pond: THE INVENTION
AND THE ORIGINALITY
AND THE FRESHNESS
AND THE ENERGY OF I REALLY DAZZLED ME,
AND I WAS LOOKING--
THAT'S REALLY
WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR,
WAS, LIKE, SOMEONE
TO DAZZLE ME.
I COULD SEE RIGHT AWAY
THAT HE HAD
INCREDIBLE TALENT.
AND, OF COURSE,
I AM A SUCKER
FOR TALENT MYSELF.
SHE HAD ALREADY CREATED
THE FAMOUS
"VALLEY GIRLS' GUIDE TO LIFE"
AND LAUNCHED A WHOLE CULTURAL
PHENOMENON WITH THAT.
SHE WAS MAKING ALL THE MONEY,
AND I WASN'T MAKING ANY MONEY.
WE MOVED IN
ALMOST RIGHT AWAY,
WHICH WAS
A FIRST FOR ME.
I HAD NEVER LIVED
WITH ANY BOYFRIEND
BEFORE THAT.
White: IT DIDN'T LOOK GOOD,
AND MY FRIENDS TEASED ME
ABOUT IT, THAT I WAS SPONGING
OFF ANOTHER WOMAN AND STUFF,
AND I HAD TO PROVE TO EVERYBODY
THAT I COULD PULL MY OWN WEIGH AND WAS WORTHY
OF HER ATTENTIONS.
Pond: IT WAS JUS ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST KNEW.
White: WE FELL IN LOVE.
WE HAD SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER.
THAT WAS THE BIG
TURNING POINT THERE.
I DECIDED I WAS GONNA STAY.
Kaz: WELL, WHAT WAS
HAPPENING BACK THEN
WAS THE EAST VILLAGE SCENE.
YOU'D SEE ANDY WARHOL
ALMOST EVERY DAY.
Kaz: JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT.
Heitzman: THAT'S WHEN
GRAFFITI STARTED,
AROUND THE EARLY EIGHTIES.
THERE WAS A WHOLE WORLD
OF UNDERGROUND CARTOONISTS
AND CARTOONISTS IN GENERAL
IN NEW YORK.
White: THE WORLD'S FIRS ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIS COMIC BOOK.
BY THE TIME I WAS
TO THE LAST PAGE,
I KNEW I HAD TO BE A PAR OF THIS WORLD.
Kaz: THE EAST VILLAGE CULTURE
WAS KICKING AGAINS MAINSTREAM CULTURE,
AND WE LIKE MUSIC THAT SOUNDS
IRRITATING, DISSONANT.
EVERYTHING HAD A SHARPER VIBE,
AND EVERYTHING
LOOKED LIKE RUINS,
BOMBED OUT BERLIN.
Heitzman: IT WAS A BIG
VISUAL EXPLOSION.
MUSIC VIDEOS JUST HAD STARTED.
VISUALLY, IT WAS QUITE EXCITING.
HELLO. IT'S ME--PEE-WEE HERMAN.
FOR THE NEXT 60 SECONDS,
MTV WILL CONDUCT A TES OF ITS OWN EMERGENCY
COMEDY SYSTEM.
THE SOUND YOU HEAR
IS JUST A TEST.
PLEASE STAND BY.
AAAAARRRRRAAAAAGGGHHHHH!
AAH! AAH!
White: I REMEMBER WALKING IN.
IT WAS A GIANT BEEHIVE
OF A ROOM.
EVERYBODY IS WORKING ON
CRAZY PUPPET HEADS AND MODELS,
AND MODELS ARE HANGING
FROM THE CEILING,
AND HALF-FINISHED MINIATURE
WORLDS ARE EVERYWHERE.
I MEAN, IT WAS CLASSIC.
YOU'RE JUST LIKE, "WHOA!
THIS IS AMAZING.
WOW, THIS IS LIKE FUNLAND."
THE MINUTE I SAW THIS SCENE,
I WAS LIKE, "YEAH, MAN.
I GOT TO GET IN ON THIS.
THIS IS MY THING."
SO I STARTED IN, LIKE,
APRIL OF 1986,
AND I INTERVIEWED EVERY CREATIVE
AND FILM PERSON IN NEW YORK,
PROBABLY 400 PEOPLE,
AND WAYNE WHITE HAD THE PERFEC SENSIBILITY FOR PEE-WEE.
IT'S LIKE, "OH, IT'S ALL COMING
TOGETHER WITH THIS THING,"
YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE YEARS
OF THOSE STUPID PUPPET SHOWS
DONE AT KEG PARTIES
AND GALLERIES
AND MY PAINTING
AND THE CARTOONING.
"IT'S ALL HERE.
IT'S ALL IN THERE."
I WENT TO WORK THE NEXT DAY.
HERE'S THE VISUAL GRANDDADDIES
OF "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE"--
GARY PANTER,
RICK HEITZMAN, AND ME.
THEY ALL WERE ALWAYS IN THEIR,
LIKE, LITTLE JOURNALS
AND SKETCHBOOKS
SKETCHING UP A STORM,
EXTREMELY PROLIFIC.
Groening: THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE
FOR SOCIALIZING
BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKING
DAY AND NIGHT.
WE JUST DREW. I MEAN, WE ALL 3
JUST LOVE TO DRAW.
SO IT WAS JUST LIKE--
I MEAN, WHAT COULD BE BETTER?
MAKE UP STUFF
THAT THIS WACKY GUY WOULD--
YOU KNOW, HOW HE WOULD LIVE.
IT WAS A DREAM JOB--
SITTING IN A ROOM,
SMOKING WEED,
DRAWING FUNNY PICTURES.
AH, IT WAS THE BEST.
I THINK BACK THEN,
IT WAS A BIG LOVE FEST.
ALL THOSE GUYS
WERE LIKE THE BROTHERS
THEY ALL NEVER HAD OR SOMETHING.
I WAS PUT IN CHARGE
OF THE PUPPETS--
STUFF LIKE FLOORY AND DIRTY DOG.
I DIDN'T KNOW SHIT ABOU BUILDING PUPPETS, YOU KNOW?
I JUST DID IT MY OWN CRAZY,
FUNKY, HOMEMADE WAY.
LIKE, TO BUILD DIRTY DOG,
I GOT AN OVEN MIT AND JUST GLUED FOAM RUBBER
AROUND THE OVEN MITT.
I CARVED RANDY OUT OF
A SOLID PIECE OF WHITE PINE,
AND HIS HEAD WEIGHED
ABOUT 15 POUNDS,
AND IT WOULD KEEP TURNING AROUND
ON SET, ON CAMERA.
IT WOULD START MOVING,
AND IT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN.
IT WOULD GO LIKE "EXORCIST."
IT WOULD GO ALL THE WAY AROUND.
THEY SAID, "CUT. WHAT'S WRONG?"
HE'S LIKE, "I DON'T KNOW
WHAT'S WRONG."
I KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING
IS WHAT WAS WRONG.
RANDY WAS MADE A COUPLE OF TIMES
OR TWO OR 3 TIMES,
AND RANDY WOULD FALL APART.
"YEAH. GET A BLOCK OF PINE
AND A POCKET KNIFE."
YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ANOTHER
LITTLE LESSON I LEARNED.
SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO MAKE IT UP
AS YOU GO ALONG.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
FOR WHAT THEY WERE PAYING
AND GETTING OUT OF WAYNE,
I THOUGHT THEY LOOK GREAT.
White: AGAIN, MY M.O.--
ONE-THE-JOB TRAINING.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE,
"CAN YOU MAKE THE PUPPETS?"
"YEAH. SURE. I
CAN MAKE PUPPETS. YEAH,"
AND SO ONE DAY, PAUL,
WHO'S THERE,
AND HE'S GOING LIKE,
"WELL, DO YOU DO VOICES?
DO YOU PERFORM?"
I GO, "YEAH. I DO MY OWN
STUPID PUPPET SHOW STUFF,"
AND HE GOES, "OK. LET'S HEAR,"
AND THAT'S WHERE I AUDITIONED
FOR THE PUPPETS,
AND, ODDLY ENOUGH,
I GOT THE JOB,
AND I BECAME RANDY.
"YEAH. RANDY."
HEY, REMEMBER THE TIME I ALMOS SET THE PLAYHOUSE ON FIRE?
THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE.
AND THEN I DID DIRTY DOG.
. HEY, EVERYBODY .
. GATHER ROUND .
. TO HEAR A TRULY GROOVY,
FUNKY SOUND .
I WAS FLOWER NUMBER 3,
ONE OF MY FEMININE ROLES.
I HARMONIZED
WITH RICK AND ALISON ON THAT.
WE WERE THE 3 FLOWERS
SITTING THERE LIKE ASSHOLES.
"PRESENTING..."
"PRESENTING..."
"PRESENTING..."
IT WAS JUST, LIKE,
THE LITTLEST VOICE.
"HIS ROYAL MAJESTY..."
THE KING OF CARTOONS.
WE'D SIT THERE ALL DAY
DOING THAT.
WHAT A JOB. HA HA!
THAT WHOLE FIRST SEASON
WAS CRAZY.
Fenton: IT WAS A JOKE.
THEY RENTED AN EMPTY LOF IN NEW YORK CITY
ON THE FIFTH FLOOR.
WE WERE LITERALLY
IN A SWEATSHOP.
THE SEWING MACHINES
HAD JUST BEEN THROWN OUT.
THERE WAS NO AIR CONDITIONING.
IT DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE RIGH AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY.
IT HAD NEVER HAD A STAGE IN IT,
AND PLUS, EVERY 15 FEET,
THERE WAS A COLUMN.
ALL DAY LONG, WE WOULD HAVE
TO STOP FOR SOUND PROBLEMS.
PAUL WAS IN A DRESSING ROOM
THE SIZE OF, YOU KNOW,
THE HANDICAPPED STALL
IN A MEN'S BATHROOM.
WE WOULD BE DOWN ALL THE TIME
SITTING IN THE DARK
BECAUSE THE GENERATORS
WOULD BLOW OUT.
EVERY TIME I DID RANDY,
I WOULD HAVE TO GET OU ON A DIVING BOARD HANGING OU OVER THE SE LAYING ON MY STOMACH
TRYING TO MARIONETTE
THIS CRUDE PIECE OF FOLK ART.
IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.
IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR THEM.
IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR PAUL.
I LITERALLY SLEP IN PEE-WEE'S BUNK BED.
Panter: LIKE, IT SEEMED KIND OF
LIKE A JOHN WATERS MOVIE,
ALMOST, OF, LIKE,
DESIGNER FRENZY.
ALMOST EVERYONE ON THAT SHOW
WAS DOING THEIR JOB
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
TEMPERS WERE FLARING.
THERE WAS A LO OF COKE BURNOUTS.
IT'S LIKE GETTING A JOB
PLAYING IN A SANDBOX
BUT THEY WON'T LET YOU OU AND THEY BEAT YOU.
IT WASN'T LIKE A HOLLYWOOD
PRODUCTION AT ALL.
IT WAS LIKE A DOWNTOWN
NEW YORK ART PROJECT,
AND THAT'S WHAT GAVE I ITS POWER AND ITS EDGE.
IT VIOLATED EVERY WORKING CODE,
BUT BECAUSE IT WAS SO CREATIVE
AND SO MUCH FUN, I DIDN'T CARE.
THE MINUTE IT AIRED,
EVERYBODY JUST FREAKED OVER IT.
. DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO .
. HA HA HA HO HO
HA HA HA .
AARRGH!
Cyndi Lauper: . COME ON IN
AND PULL YOURSELF UP A CHAIR .
Kaz: I WAS A GIANT FAN
OF "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE."
I LOVED IT.
GET UP ON SATURDAY MORNINGS
TO WATCH IT.
Mothersbaugh:
IT WAS A GENIUS SHOW.
THEY DID AN AMAZING JOB ON IT.
I THOUGHT, "OH, MAN,
IF THIS CAN WORK,
"IF SOMETHING THIS GREAT CAN
ACTUALLY MAKE IT ON TV,
THERE'S HOPE FOR US ALL."
Kaz: I LOVED HOW COMPLETELY
OFF THE WALL IT WAS,
HOW IT JUST WENT ANYWHERE.
Mothersbaugh: IT WOKE PEOPLE UP
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THEY SAW SOMETHING FRESH.
THEY SAW SOMETHING THAT RELATED
TO THE CULTURE.
WE WERE JUST TRYING TO--I USE
THE TERM--BLOW THEIR MINDS.
I JUST WAS LIKE,
"I WANT TO DO SOMETHING
"THAT PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT.
I WANT TO DO SOMETHING THA PEOPLE ARE GONNA REMEMBER."
THE "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE" SHOW
WAS THE PSYCHEDELIC HIPPIE SHOW
THAT THE HIPPIES WANTED TO MAKE.
Heitzman: THE WHOLE IDEA
WAS JUST TO MAKE SOMETHING
THAT PEOPLE WOULDN'T FORGET.
Mothersbaugh: THE SHOCKING THING
WAS THAT IT WAS, LIKE,
A REALLY SUCCESSFUL TV SHOW,
AND IT CHANGED THINGS,
AND IT WAS ATTRACTING
NOT JUST LITTLE KIDS
LIKE IT WAS MEANT TO DO,
BUT IT ATTRACTED KIDS
OF ALL AGES.
THERE WAS A WHOLE BIG THING
WITH COLLEGE KIDS
STAYING UP TO WATCH
"PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE."
White: IT WAS BIG
IN THE EIGHTIES.
IT CHANGED TV
IN ITS OWN HUMBLE WAY.
High-pitched voice:
. ...PLAYHOUSE .
HA HA HA!
THE THING THAT TRIGGERED ME,
THAT I REALLY REALIZED
THAT IT WAS A HUGE HIT,
AND IT'S AN ODD, LITTLE THING,
IS I HAD A SISTER-IN-LAW
THAT LIVED IN NEW YORK,
IN RURAL NEW YORK,
AND SHE SAID THA SHE GOT UP AND WENT TO A BAR
THAT WAS OPEN A 7:00 IN THE MORNING
AND THE BAR WAS FULL OF PEOPLE
WATCHING "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE."
White: AND THEN
THE SECOND SEASON,
WE ALL MOVED
THE PRODUCTION TO L.A.
PAUL GOT OUT OF NEW YORK
AS FAST AS HE COULD.
HE HATED WORKING THERE.
White: YUP. LOT OF MEMORIES
IN THIS OLD HOUSE.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I SAY?
I SAY, "FUCK IT!
I'M GOING TO CALIFORNIA! AAH!"
HERE WE ARE IN NEW JERSEY.
GOOD-BYE, MANHATTAN.
Heitzman: THE EXPERIENCE WAS
QUITE DIFFERENT IN L.A.
White: IT BECAME
A HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION.
IT BECAME A PROFESSIONAL
PRODUCTION, AS IT SHOULD
BE DONE, OF COURSE.
Fenton:
EVERYBODY'S SALARY DOUBLED.
I THINK IN L.A., THEY HAD
NO IDEA HOW RIPPED OFF WE WERE.
White: WE MOVED
INTO A SOUNDSTAGE
AND THE SETS WERE MADE
BY A PROFESSIONAL
SET PRODUCTION PLACE,
AND THE PUPPETS WERE MADE
BY PROFESSIONAL PUPPET MAKERS.
YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE SYSTEM
WAS APPLIED TO IT.
IT JUST MADE IT SIMPLER.
YOU'RE IN A PLACE THAT'S MEAN FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING
AS OPPOSED TO YOU'RE
DOING SOMETHING SOMEWHERE
WHERE EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM,
THE ANSWER IS,
"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED
TO BE DOING THIS HERE."
THERE WAS DEFINITELY
A CHANGE OF THE GUARDS.
YOU SAW, YOU KNOW,
LIKE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE
ON THE SET, YOU KNOW,
INSTEAD OF, LIKE,
THE "ANIMAL HOUSE CREW."
YOU KNOW, YOU DEFINITELY
WERE WITH
WHOEVER THE CONSERVATIVE
FRATERNITY WAS, YOU KNOW,
IN THE SAME MOVIE.
YEAH, WELL, WE LOS THE DESPERATE STRUGGLE.
IT BECAME, LIKE, EASY.
I MEAN, IT WAS, LIKE,
FUN COMING OUT HERE
AND WEARING SUNGLASSES
AND TELLING OTHER PEOPLE
WHAT TO DO.
IT WAS LIKE, YEAH,
NOW WE'RE, LIKE, BIG SHOTS.
I WAS DIGGING ON
THE HOLLYWOOD MYTH.
IT WAS A BIG LARK.
DAYS AT THE BEACH.
Reubens: ALL THOSE
NEW YORKERS CAME, TOO,
AND THEY'RE MOSTLY
STILL HERE, YOU KNOW.
WAYNE AND MIMI
BECAME CALIFORNIANS.
White: THAT WAS, LIKE,
THE FREE AND EASIES TIME OF MY ADULT LIFE.
WE WERE LIVING IT UP.
WE THOUGHT WE WERE, AT LEAST.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE
BEING MARRIED TO AN ARTIS WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR.
WE OFTEN COLLABORATE.
WE CAME UP WITH
THIS GEM TOGETHER.
"HEINIES AND SHOOTERS
WITH HOTTIES AT HOOTERS."
[LAUGHTER]
THAT'S SOME HIGH-TONED POETRY
RIGHT THERE, BOYS.
[PLAYING HARMONICAS]
Heitzman: THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES
OF "PEE-WEE" WERE HYSTERICAL.
White: WE GO KIND OF REALLY BORED
HANGING AROUND
AS PUPPETEERS WAITING,
AND SO WE TURNED THAT TIME
INTO A STUDIO TIME.
OUR DRESSING ROOMS
WERE LIKE ART STUDIOS.
Heitzman: WE HAD HEADSETS,
AND WE CARRIED ON
A CONSTANT PARALLEL SHOW
OF THESE PUPPETS' VOICES
AND THE CHARACTERS, WHICH WE
CALLED THE FLOCKED BOX THEATER.
Panter: YEAH, WE HAD OUR OWN,
LITTLE PSYCHEDELIC TRIP
GOING BEHIND THE SCENES.
White: WE EVEN MADE OUR OWN
PUPPET SHOW AND VIDEOTAPED IT.
[LAUGHING]
IT WAS JUST LIKE PSYCHEDELIC
GARBLE, REALLY, YOU KNOW.
[SLURPING]
AND IT RAN AND RAN AND RAN.
WHEN THEY WEREN'T USING US,
WE WERE IN FLOCKED BOX THEATER.
HELLO, EVERYBODY.
[INDISTINCT]
THERE WAS A WHOLE "PEE-WEE'S
PLAYHOUSE" NO ONE EVER SAW.
[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
UHH. ORGASMATRON.
THE PARALLEL SHOW
THAT WAS RUNNING
UNDERNEATH "PEE-WEE"
ALL THE TIME.
WHAT IS ALL THIS
FUCKING MUSIC
GOING ON
AROUND HERE?
AAAH!
IT'S LIKE A CLUBHOUSE EVERY DAY.
INTERRUPTED BY, LIKE,
A HALF-HOUR OF WORK
AND, LIKE, TWO HOURS
OF HANGING AROUND.
HALF-HOUR OF WORK.
3 HOURS OF HANGING AROUND.
YOU KNOW HOW IT IS ON A SET.
. I HATE YOU ALL .
. 'CAUSE I AM ALWAYS AWAY .
[UKULELE STRUMMING]
White: UNFORTUNATELY, "PEE-WEE'S
PLAYHOUSE" ENDED IN 1990.
HE HAD BEEN OFFERED TWO MORE
SEASONS AND HE DECLINED.
THAT WAS IT.
THERE WASN'T GONNA BE ANY MORE.
THE PLAYHOUSE WILL
ALWAYS BE HERE,
FOR EVERYONE TO PLAY IN,
FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER.
ON THAT, YOU HAVE MY WORD!
I KNEW WHILE I WAS DOING IT,
IT WAS THE BEST JOB
I WOULD EVER HAVE IN MY LIFE.
YOU KNEW THAT YOU WERE
MAKING SOMETHING THA YOU HADN'T SEEN BEFORE.
IT WAS IN MANY WAYS
A DREAM JOB, YOU KNOW.
IT WAS LIKE A FUN JOB.
YOU GOT TO BE
ARTISTICALLY FULFILLED.
LIVING YOUR INNER CHILD.
THE GROUP OF PEOPLE
THAT WE WOUND UP WITH
THAT CREATED THE SHOW
WERE LIKE THIS FAMILY.
IT WAS LIKE A BIG
GROUP OF ARTISTS
WHO REALLY LIKED EACH OTHER.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN...
I--I JUST GE SENTIMENTAL ABOUT THEM.
THEY WERE GREAT.
Reubens: WE WERE A GROUP OF
PEOPLE THAT FELT LIKE WE WERE
MAKING ART, AND WE WERE
DOING SOMETHING SERIOUS
AND SOMETHING IMPORTANT.
IF YOU'RE AN ARTIST,
IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER
THAN THAT, REALLY.
THERE'S--I CAN'T THINK
OF A BETTER SITUATION
THAN WE COULD HAVE HAD.
White: BEAUTIFUL.
THE WHOLE PASTORAL FANTASY
THAT I HAVE
WHEN I COME DOWN HERE,
YOU KNOW--
ROLLING HILLS, GREEN TREES,
NOW A RAINBOW.
IT'S ALL TOO GOOD.
I MEAN, IT'S PICTURE-PERFECT,
YOU KNOW?
TENNESSEE HAS ALWAYS BEEN
MY LITTLE ESCAPE PATCH.
WHENEVER THE STRESS IS TOO MUCH,
I JUST FANTASIZE ABOU MOVING TO MIKE'S LAND
AND LIVING AS A HERMIT.
LOOK--OUR RAINBOW'S STILL THERE,
LEADING US ON.
I LOVE IT.
I LOVE THE SKY AND THE TREES.
THIS WAS MY EARLY
ART EDUCATION, TOO.
WE HAD TO COME OUT HERE
AND DRAW THE LANDSCAPE.
AND THIS HOUSE RIGHT HERE,
THE YELLOW HOUSE,
IS WHERE I DID
MY FIRST PUPPET SHOW,
CALLED "PUNK AND JUICY,"
IN 1978 WITH MIKE QUINN,
AND THAT STARTED MY ILLUSTRIOUS
CAREER WITH PUPPETS, YEAH.
RIGHT THERE.
IT WAS AT A KEG PARTY.
[ENGINE STARTS]
I NEVER THOUGH ABOUT PUPPETS, EVER.
I NEVER PLAYED WITH THEM
AS A KID,
NEVER LIKED THEM AS A KID,
NEVER GAVE THEM TWO THOUGHTS,
EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE DAY
IN MIKE'S DODGE DART.
Mike Quinn: IT USED
TO BE THE TANEY FORKS
BAPTIST CHURCH VAN.
PAINTED THE DNA ON I BECAUSE I WENT THROUGH
A PHASE OF DNA BEING
GOD AND ALL THIS STUFF.
I LOOKED IN THE BACKSEAT AND SAW
ALL THOSE SHITTY HAND PUPPETS.
THAT'S WHAT IT STARTED,
RIGHT FROM THAT ONE DAY.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS
IN MY LIFE THAT I CAN PINPOIN TO A CERTAIN MOMENT, YOU KNOW.
AND THEN A WIND CAME, YOU KNOW,
AND BLEW A LOCUST TREE
RIGHT OVER THE TOP OF IT.
AND THEN I THOUGHT,
WELL, HECK, LET'S JUS CUT THE TOP OFF OF IT.
OH, GOOD, WAYNE.
YOU'RE JUST IN TIME.
[BANJO PLAYING]
Woman: I'VE NEVER MET ANYBODY
THAT DIDN'T LIKE MICHAEL.
HE CAN BE A LITTLE SURPRISING
AT FIRST, I THINK.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN HIS CAR.
THAT KIND OF MAKES YOU WONDER
WHAT KIND OF PERSON
WOULD DRIVE THAT.
White: HE'S GOT A GENIUS
FOR THE MOMENT,
AND PEOPLE RESPOND TO HIM
IN AMAZING WAYS.
Priscilla Quinn: PEOPLE JUS ALWAYS GET TO HIS CORE
QUICKLY, I THINK,
AND SEE THAT HE'S
A GREAT PERSON.
HEY, YOU GUYS.
HOLD ON.
NO KIDDING.
WATCH YOUR FACE.
WATCH YOUR FACE.
WATCH YOUR FACE.
WATCH YOUR FACE.
HERE'S A BIG ONE.
WATCH OUT.
WATCH YOUR FACE.
HERE COMES A HILL.
HOLD ON.
HERE WE GO.
HOLD ON,
HOLD ON. AAH!
WE'RE NOT GONNA
MAKE IT.
[LAUGHTER]
White: SO, I'M
HERE AT WEBB SCHOOL
IN BELL BUCKLE, TENNESSEE
WITH MY FRIEND MIKE QUINN,
AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE
A GIANT PUPPE OF THE FOUNDER OF WEBB SCHOOL--
OLD SAWNEY WEBB--
AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA
PARADE IT AROUND OUT HERE
IN THE FIELD SOMEWHERE.
THIS IS THE ART DEPARTMEN OF THE WEBB SCHOOL.
THIS IS MIKE'S DOMAIN.
SO--
OK, WHAT YOU GOT?
SAWNEY IS THIS
GIANT SOUTHERN DADDY.
HE'S OUR ICON THAT WE--
"SAWNEY SAYS, SAWNEY SAYS."
SAWNEY SAID IT.
WELL, HOW MANY
WOULD IT BE? 4?
4 TO MAKE
THE PANT LEGS?
SO IT'S GONNA BE
A PSYCHEDELIC SAWNEY.
YEAH! A PSYCHEDELIC
SAWNEY.
SHH. DON'T SAY THAT.
White: I LIKE TO IMPROVISE.
I'M BUILDING THE HEAD SHAPE.
THEY DON'T HAVE
A BIG BUDGET TO DO THIS,
AND WE ONLY HAVE
TWO DAYS TO DO IT,
SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
JUST CUT LITTLE TABS
OF CARDBOARD
THAT'LL ATTACH THESE--
YEAH.
RIGHT NOW? OK.
HOT GLUE AND CARDBOARD.
MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND.
YEAH, I'M HAVING
A FLASHBACK RIGHT NOW.
[CHUCKLES]
IT'S GREAT.
I LIKE THE LIMITED RESOURCES
KIND OF THING, TOO.
I LIKE TO USE WHAT'S AVAILABLE.
IT'S A REAL SPARK
FOR CREATIVITY.
LONG TIME.
LIKE 19--I THOUGH IT WAS MRS.
CABOBBLE'S CABOOSE.
I THINK IT WAS--
IT WAS CABOBBLE'S CABOOSE.
HI, BOYS AND GIRLS.
I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU TODAY.
COME ON IN.
[TRAIN'S WHISTLE BLOWS]
THAT WAS MY FIRST REAL
PROFESSIONAL PUPPE AND SET DESIGN JOB.
THE LOCAL PBS STATION
IN NASHVILLE, WDCN,
THEY WANTED TO DO A KIDS' SHOW,
15-MINUTE SHOW, NO COMMERCIALS,
THAT TAUGHT FIRST GRADERS MUSIC.
Woman: . ...CABOBBLE'S CABOOSE .
White: IT WAS A NICE, LITTLE SE WITH, LIKE, 4 OR 5 PUPPETS.
IT WAS HAMBONE THE DOG,
WHO WAS AN EARLY COUSIN
OF DIRTY DOG
FROM "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE."
THERE WAS MONICA THE MOOSE
AND A TALKING STOVE.
I MEAN, I HAD COMPLETE FREEDOM.
I GOT MY OLD FRIEND
MIKE QUINN A JOB
AS A CHARACTER NAMED
P.T. PICKENS.
[SPUTTERING]
OH, HI,
MRS. CABOBBLE.
PROFESSOR PICKENS,
HOW ARE YOU TODAY?
OH, JUST FINE,
MRS. CABOBBLE.
Mike Quinn: YOU COULD TELL
THAT WAYNE WAS SNEAKING IN
ALL OF THESE HEAVY ART ICONS
INTO A KIDDIE SHOW.
I'VE GOT A SURPRISE
FOR YOU RIGHT HERE
IN OUR WONDERFUL
MUSIC BOX.
OH, YEAH.
THE MUSIC BOX WHERE ALISON
HAD TO SIT LIKE THIS FOREVER,
AND THEN SHE COMES UP AND...
DOES THIS CREEPY SMILE
FOR THE CHILDREN.
OUR MUSIC BOX HAS
SOME INSTRUMENTS
FOR US
TO PLAY TODAY,
AND THEY'RE VERY
EASY TO PLAY.
. IN OUR RHYTHM SONG,
WE PLAY THE TRIANGLE .
White: IT WAS MY LITTLE
WEIRDO JOKE, YOU KNOW,
THAT I HAD--DIVED INTO I WITH THAT SPIRI THE WHOLE TIME,
AND IT WAS WEIRD.
[PLAYS TRIANGLE]
THEY SHOWED IT FOR 16 YEARS.
THE KIDS LOVED IT.
White: THE THING I LEARNED FROM
MIKE AT MTSU WAS THA ART WAS A LIFESTYLE.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING
YOU JUST DID FOR MONEY,
ALTHOUGH I CERTAINLY
OPTED FOR THAT.
IT WAS SOMETHING YOU JUST DO
AS PART OF YOUR LIFE.
IT'S OPEN FOR EVERYBODY.
EVERYTHING HE DID WAS ART.
IF HE WAS DRIVING DOWN
THE ROAD AND SAW
MYLAR IN THE MEDIAN,
HE'D STOP THE CAR,
GO OUT AND GET IT, AND COME HOME
AND MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF IT.
ONLY WITH MIKE WILL I USE
RAINBOW PEACE FLAGS.
I DO OWE A LOT OF
MY SUCCESS TO MIKE.
MIKE'S THE GUY WHO
GOT ME DOING PUPPETS.
THE CREATION OF
WAYNE WHITE MYTH.
THE BEARD HAIRS, LIKE,
GO ON LOOSE, LIKE THIS.
SO THERE'S SLACK
IN THE MIDDLE.
JUST FOLLOW
THAT LINE THERE...
AND THAT LINE THERE.
White: THIS IS THE MOST FUN PAR RIGHT HERE,
DOING THE FINAL PAINTING.
White: MIKE AND I'S PATHS
DIVERGED, OBVIOUSLY,
WHEN I MOVED TO NEW YORK AND HE
STAYED BEHIND IN TENNESSEE.
Man: THERE THEY GO!
Mike Quinn: THERE WAS A TIME
WHEN I PERSONALLY
MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION
TO NOT PURSUE
THE PATH THAT WAYNE WAS TAKING.
I DID NOT HAVE THAT GUMPTION.
Priscilla Quinn: THEY BOTH
HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE
TO GO TO THE BIG CITY
OR TO STAY IN THE COUNTRY,
AND THEY TOOK DIFFERENT CHOICES
BUT THEY STILL HAD SIMILAR...
STRUCTURE.
White: HE DECIDED TO DO
THE PASTORAL LIFE.
Mike Quinn: I DON'T KNOW
IF IT WAS BECAUSE
I WAS AFRAID OF BEING
SWALLOWED BY THE BIG CITY,
THAT I REALLY DIDN'T THINK
I WOULD HAVE THE SUCCESS,
OR THAT I WAS AFRAID
OF THE SUCCESS.
I MEAN, HONESTLY.
AND THE THINGS THA IT ENTANGLED YOU WITH.
YOU DO HAVE TO SACRIFICE
SOME ASPECTS
TO PURSUE A CAREER LIKE THAT.
I LIKE WHERE
WE ARE NOW, MYSELF.
I LIKE THIS
BUSINESS, YOU KNOW.
I'VE BEEN TO
WAYNE'S PLACE.
I LIKE
WAYNE'S PLACE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE
BOTH REALLY NICE
EXISTENCES.
THEY'RE REALLY GOOD
PLACES TO BE.
YEAH. I DON'T HAVE
A VAN WITH THE TOP OFF
THAT I CAN RIDE
THROUGH THE WOODS, SO--
YET. YOU'RE JUS WAITING ON THAT TREE
TO FALL
ON YOUR TRUCK,
YOU KNOW.
White: I KNEW
I WASN'T GONNA STAY.
THAT'S NOT EVEN AN ALTERNATIVE
FANTASY OF MINE.
I WOULD'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT,
"WHAT IF? WHAT IF? WHAT IF?"
Man: YEAH-EAH! WHOO!
[SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]
WELL, THE MANNERISMS OF LYNDON
ARE ALL CRUDE, YOU KNOW.
GRABBING HIS CROTCH.
SCRATCHING HIS ASS.
LOPING AROUND.
BIG LOPES.
USED TO SIT AT A TABLE
AND REACH OVER PEOPLE
AND GRAB FOOD AND SLURP AND SLOP
AND EAT WITH HIS MOUTH OPEN.
A BIG, OLD, COUNTRY BOY TYRANT.
HE WAS A SLACKER.
HE WAS A TEENAGE LAYABOU ON THE FARM.
HE DIDN'T DO ANY FARM WORK.
HE WAS A BIG, BLUSTERY,
FAT-ASS NERD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A CERTAIN TYPE
THAT I JUST KNOW.
IT'S VERY IN-YOUR-FACE
AND VISCERAL, YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW, I SHOULD
PUT, LIKE, CHEAP COLOGNE
ALL OVER THIS THING.
IT SHOULD HAVE A SMELL
TO IT ALSO. [CHUCKLES]
UP TILL THIS TIME,
I'D BEEN PAMPERED,
WORKING ON THIS HIT SHOW
AND WORKING AS A PERFORMER
AND 3 EMMYS BY NOW, ALSO.
I HAD ROSE-COLORED GLASSES ON.
[SMASHING PUMPKINS'
"TONIGHT, TONIGHT" PLAYING]
White: BUT IF YOU REALLY WAN TO IMPRESS THE LADIES,
YOU GOTTA DO THE ROCK VIDEOS.
YEAH. SMASHING PUMPKINS'
"TONIGHT, TONIGHT."
I ACTUALLY MADE THIS.
PAINTED IT ALL.
THAT'S WHAT GOT ME MY TRIP TO
THE MTV VIDEO AWARDS IN 1997,
WHERE I WAS IGNORED
LIKE A LEPROUS NERD.
[CHUCKLES]
THAT WAS THE WORST NIGHT OF
MY LIFE, WAS THOSE VIDEO AWARDS.
WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT.
SORRY, THAT'S TOO BITTER,
ISN'T IT?
Man: THERE AREN' THAT MANY
GREAT PRODUCTION
DESIGNER/ARTISTS/
CREATIVE THINKERS
OUT THERE,
AND SO WHEN
YOU FIND SOMEONE
GOOD LIKE WAYNE,
YOU GO BACK TO HIM.
THAT WAS MY FIRST PROJEC WITH JONATHAN AND VALERIE,
AND WENT ON TO DO
SEVERAL OTHERS WITH HIM.
[MYSTERIOUS MUSIC PLAYING]
LIKE THE SNAPPLE COMMERCIALS
WITH THE BOTTLES.
[MAN WHISTLING]
AND THE OLD SPICE COMMERCIAL.
THAT'S WHEN I PAINTED A
60-FOOT-LONG SCHOONER SAILBOAT.
I KEPT WORKING IN KIDS' TV.
I DID A SHOW CALLED
"SHINING TIME STATION."
RINGO STARR WAS
THE TINY, LITTLE CONDUCTOR
THAT LIVED IN THE WALL.
I DID A SHOW CALLED
"RIDERS IN THE SKY" FOR CBS.
GOOD MORNING, WAYNE.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU.
A TENNESSEE BOY MAKES GOOD
IN THE WILD AND WACKY,
WONDERFUL WORLD OF HOLLYWOOD.
White: IT WAS LIKE "PEE-WEE
GOES WEST," PRACTICALLY,
AS FAR AS THE DECOR.
IT WAS LIKE COWBOY KITSCH.
THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING
THAT HAS EVER BEEN
SEEN IN HOLLYWOOD,
THANKS TO WAYNE WHITE,
TENNESSEE GENIUS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE SHOW
WAS A DISASTER.
IT WAS A GIANT BOMB.
THERE WAS A LOT OF BAD
FEELINGS AROUND IT.
EVERYBODY WAS MAD AT EACH OTHER.
FUCK ARE YOU DOING, WAYNE?
YOU SUCKER, MAN.
YOU FUCKED ME WITH THIS SET.
I HATE YOU.
IT WAS A LESSON, YOU KNOW.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS
IN HOLLYWOOD, TOO.
COME IN WITH YOUR
DICKHEAD DRAWINGS.
I NEVER SEE YOU.
YOU'RE ALWAYS HIDING OUT.
YOU'RE GETTING TOO MUCH MONEY
FOR TOO LITTLE WORK.
I OUGHTA KILL YA.
I DON'T EVER WAN TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
White: AND THAT WAS
MY FIRST TASTE OF HOW
THINGS COULD GO HORRIBLY WRONG.
I WAS SUPPOSEDLY A HOT PROPERTY
BECAUSE I WAS OF
THIS GENERATION.
OF COURSE, EVERYBODY WANTED
TO FIND THE NEXT MATT GROENING
AND THE NEXT "SIMPSONS," BECAUSE
"THE SIMPSONS" HAD BROKE BIG.
I HAD DONE A 5-MINUTE
PUPPET FILM FOR MTV'S
"LIQUID TELEVISION" SERIES.
IT WAS A THING CALLED
"BILL AND WILLIS."
AND IT WAS JUST LIKE ALL OVER
TOWN FOR 2 1/2, 3 YEARS.
I DID A LOT OF PITCHING.
I WAS IN AND OUT OF
THESE OFFICES EVERYWHERE.
CBS, ABC, NBC, NICKELODEON,
CARTOON NETWORK.
IT WAS A REAL BANGING-YOUR-HEAD-
UP-AGAINST-THE-WALL
KIND OF THING.
I HATED IT.
HA HA! OH, GOD.
THAT WAS THE WORST EVER.
AND OF COURSE, I LIKE
TO TALK ABOU MY OLD DAYS IN SHOWBIZ
WITH MY PAINTINGS.
"ALL THAT FAKE LAUGHING
FOR NOTHIN'."
[LAUGHTER]
HOW MANY TIMES DO I SIT IN
A MEETING WITH SOME PRODUCER
AND HE'S GOING, "YEAH, IT'S
GONNA BE JUST LIKE "PEE-WEE,
YOU KNOW?
"IT'S GONNA HAVE, LIKE,
A "PEE-WEE" SET.
"HE'S GONNA HAVE A TALKING DOG,
AND THE KIDS ARE GONNA COME IN
"AND IT'S GONNA BE CRAZY
AND THERE'S GONNA BE
SHIT COMING DOWN FROM THE SKY,"
AND I'M SITTING THERE GOING,
"HA HA HA HA! HA HA!
YOU'RE GONNA PAY ME, RIGHT?"
[LAUGHTER]
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER
COMING OUT TO CALIFORNIA
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
YOU ALREADY ARE APPREHENSIVE
ABOUT WHAT IT'S GONNA BE LIKE
AND THEN YOU GET OUT HERE,
AND IT'S EVEN
WORSE THAN YOU THINK, AND IT'S
EVEN MORE INTENSE THAN YOU THINK
AND IT'S--THE BUSINESS
IS FILTHIER, YOU KNOW,
WHEN IT'S FOR REAL.
THERE'S A LOT OF EGO, GREED,
STUPIDITY, AND INSANITY,
AND THAT'S A REALLY
BAD COMBINATION.
HE FELT LIKE HE HAD
TO PURSUE HOLLYWOOD BECAUSE
THAT'S WHERE HE HAD
TO MAKE HIS LIVELIHOOD.
AND IT WAS A LOT OF
PRESSURE ON HIM.
I MEAN, I DON' HAVE ENOUGH MONEY
TO SIT AROUND AND ENJOY IT.
I GOTTA KEEP MAKING
THAT MONEY, YOU KNOW.
I DON'T HAVE "F.U." MONEY.
HA HA HA HA!
I WISH I DID, BECAUSE I WOULD
JUST SAY "FUCK YOU" TO EVERYBODY
AND GO ENJOY IT, BUT I CAN'T.
I MEAN, ISN'T THAT--
THAT'S THE AMERICAN DREAM.
FUCK YOU. HA HA HA HA!
BASICALLY, IT IS.
THAT'S WHAT THE AMERICAN
DREAM IS ABOUT.
"F.U." MONEY.
I WOULD WORK MYSELF
INTO EXHAUSTION.
I GOT A JOB IN "BEAKMAN'S WORLD"
THAT SAME YEAR.
I WAS LIKE THIS ONE-MAN
ANIMATION DEPARTMEN FOR THE SHOW.
THAT DOESN'T WORK.
YOU CAN'T BE A ONE-MAN
ANIMATION DEPARTMENT.
IT'LL KILL YOU.
HE REALLY WAS LIKE
A SLAVE IN THAT PLACE.
White: I DID A SERIES FOR THE
DISNEY CHANNEL--"CIRCLE TIME."
THAT WAS ANOTHER PROJECT THA SPIRALED ME INTO CRAZINESS.
I DID A OFFSPRING VIDEO.
"SHE'S GOT ISSUES."
THAT FUCKING PLACE
DROVE ME CRAZY.
AND I GOT OVERWORKED
AND OVERWORKED AND OVERWORKED.
BY THE TIME I FINISHED
THAT OFFSPRING VIDEO,
I WAS OUT OF MY MIND.
I HAD DRIVEN MYSELF
NUTTY, CRAZY.
YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN
TO SAY, "I NEED HELP,"
AND WAYNE LIKED
TO DO IT ALL HIMSELF.
I DIDN'T REALIZE
HOW HARD AT WORK IT WAS
AND HOW IT WAS GOING TO BRUISE
MY BRAIN LIKE A PIECE OF FRUIT.
I TOOK TO CALLING HIM
"THE THING IN THE BASEMENT,"
BECAUSE HE GREW THIS
LONG, GRIZZLED BEARD
AND HE WAS JUST DOING
NOTHING BUT ANIMATING
ON THIS COMPUTER DOWNSTAIRS
FOR WEEKS AT A TIME.
I WOULD JUST BE EXHAUSTED
AND JUST OUT OF MY MIND.
THAT WOULD MAKE ME
KIND OF CRAZY,
BECAUSE I WOULD WORRY
ABOUT HIS HEALTH.
White: I WAS MENTAL
AND WOULD FINALLY CRACK.
I GOT VERY DEPRESSED
AND INCAPACITATED.
THAT'S WHEN I STARTED
ON THE HAPPY PILLS,
THE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS.
EVENTUALLY, PSSHHH...PSSHHH...
BOING!
AND...I JUST TOOK A BREAK
FROM THE WHOLE THING.
Pond: WAYNE'S GO HIS VIDEO CAMERA OU AND HE'S FINALLY MAKING
THAT VIDEO OF THE HOUSE
THAT HE'S BEEN
THREATENING TO ALL THIS TIME.
I'M ASSUMING HE'S GONNA
BRING IT WITH HIM.
ARE YOU--
OH, MY GOD.
ARE YOU GONNA BRING
THE CAMERA WITH YOU?
White: MM-HMM.
OH, YEAH.
HE IS. GOOD.
AND I'LL HAVE TO LOOK
AT MYSELF SAYING,"
"ARE YOU GONNA BRING
A CAMERA WITH YOU?"
ABOUT 5 TIMES WHILE
WE'RE IN NEW YORK.
White: I COULDN'T HAVE DONE
ANY OF THIS WITHOUT MIMI.
SHE'S, LIKE, THE GROWNUP
IN OUR RELATIONSHIP.
I LEARNED EVERYTHING FROM HER.
SHE'S CREATED AN AMAZING
HOME LIFE FOR ME.
SAY, "HI, DADDY."
SHE DOES SO MANY THINGS
THAT BOTH BUOY AND SUPPORT HIM
THAT IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME
TO HEAR SOMEBODY GO, LIKE,
"OH, SHE'S THE BRAINS
BEHIND THE WHOLE THING."
I THINK SHE AFFORDS HIM
THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT HE DOES.
THE WINNER.
MIMI'S SORT OF THE GLUE THA KIND OF KEEPS EVERYBODY MOVING.
SHE'S SORT OF THE CENTER
OF THE UNIVERSE
THAT, LIKE, KIND OF KEEPS
ALL THE PLANETS IN ORBIT.
THAT GOES FOR THE KIDS
AS WELL AS WAYNE.
White: SHE'S VERY SERIOUS
ABOUT BEING A GOOD MOTHER
AND A GOOD NURTURER TO OUR KIDS,
AND YEAH, THAT TOOK UP HER TIME
THAT NORMALLY WOULD'VE
GONE INTO ARTWORK,
SO SHE HAS PAID A PRICE.
HER CAREER AS AN ARTIS DID HAVE TO KIND OF
BE PUT ON THE BACK BURNER
A LITTLE BIT.
AND HERE WE GO.
THERE'S THE FIRST EPISODE.
"SIMPSONS ROASTING
ON AN OPEN FIRE."
WRITER--MIMI POND.
Pond: IT'S PAINFUL
TO SORT OF, LIKE,
WATCH IT FALL AWAY
AND YOU WONDER IF YOU'RE EVER
GONNA DO ANYTHING EVER AGAIN.
IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING.
THERE WAS A POINT AT WHICH
I FELT ABSOLUTELY INVISIBLE.
HEY, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?
Pond: I WAS LIKE, HOW BADLY
DO I WANT THIS CAREER
AS OPPOSED TO EXPERIENCING
MY CHILDREN'S CHILDHOOD?
AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.
I SEE YOU.
Pond: IT'S HARD TO BE A MOM.
IT REALLY IS.
White: THE COMPENSATION IS,
IS WE'VE RAISED THESE
TWO INCREDIBLE KIDS
AND WE'VE HAD
A LOT OF HAPPINESS.
Child: THE LETTERS
SEEM VERY NICE.
YES, AREN'T THEY?
SHE'S NEVER QUESTIONED ANY OF
MY MOTIVES ARTISTICALLY.
ALWAYS SUPPORTED THEM.
PLUS, SHE'S SMARTER THAN I AM.
THE HANDFUL OF ARTISTS
THAT I KNOW
THAT HAVE BEEN WILDLY PROLIFIC
HAVE THIS SORT OF SECRET BACKUP
OF THIS FAMILY THAT'S
ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR THEM,
AND IT CERTAINLY IS IN SPADES
IN THE WHITE FAMILY.
Pond: HE'S ALREADY, LIKE,
DRIVEN HIMSELF CRAZY
MOST OF THE TIME,
SO I'M JUST THERE
TO GO, "IT'S OK."
[CHUCKLES] "THERE, THERE.
IT'LL BE ALL RIGHT.
Man: . I COULD SLEEP,
. I COULD SLEEP .
. I COULD SLEEP,
. I COULD SLEEP .
. WHEN I LIVED ALONE,
IS THERE A GHOST IN MY HOUSE? .
. WHEN I LIVED ALONE, IS THERE
A GHOST IN MY HOUSE, MY HOUSE .
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Woman: OH, MY GOD. AAH!
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
. WHEN I LIVED ALONE,
IS THERE A GHOST IN MY HOUSE? .
. WHEN I LIVED ALONE,
IS THERE A GHOST IN MY HOUSE? .
. MY HOUSE... .
WHAT DO YOU LIKE
ABOUT PUPPETS?
White: I LIKE THE FAC THAT THEY COME ALIVE.
THEY'RE ANIMATED.
YOU COULD DRAW
A CHARACTER,
BUILD A CHARACTER,
AND IT LIVES
OUTSIDE OF
YOUR IMAGINATION.
IT GOES INTO THE WORLD.
SO, THAT'S A THRILL.
I MEAN, IT'S ALL COMING
TRUE RIGHT NOW.
IT'S GREAT.
[MAN SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY]
Second man: HERE WE GO.
STAND BY AND, PLACES, PLEASE.
PRINCESS OUT ON THE FLOOR.
ROLLING.
White: I HAD TO REALLY KNOCK MY
HEAD UP AGAINST THE WALL HARD
TO REALIZE THINGS IN HOLLYWOOD,
AND THAT'S THE WAY
HOLLYWOOD IS, MAN.
IT'S TOUGH.
AND I CAN'T WHINE ABOUT I BECAUSE I KNEW
THE RULES GOING IN.
THEN I CAME TO THE REALIZATION
THAT I DIDN'T WAN TO WORK IN HOLLYWOOD.
IT WASN'T WORTH IT TO ME.
AND THE FIRE WENT OU COMPLETELY ON THAT.
SO, THAT'S WHEN I STARTED
THINKING ABOUT PAINTING MORE.
I JUST TOOK A BREAK FROM
THE WHOLE THING AND REASSESSED
MY WHOLE DRIVE AND WHA I REALLY WANTED.
I WANTED TO WORK
BY MYSELF IN A STUDIO.
THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE ONE-MAN
ANIMATION THING IS ABOUT.
BUT, SEE, IT WAS
ALL WRONGHEADED.
I DO LIKE CIVIL WAR BATTLES.
THE BATTLE OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN.
I DID STEAMBOATS COMING DOWN
THE TENNESSEE RIVER.
HERE'S ONE CALLED
"DeSOTO IN ALABAMA."
A YOUNG
GEORGE WASHINGTON'S DREAM.
AND FOR SOME REASON,
THIS IS ABOU TWO WOLFMEN FIGHTING IN A ROOM
WITH HISTORICAL PAINTINGS
HANGING IN IT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS.
[LAUGHTER]
WOLFMEN. I DON'T KNOW.
[LAUGHTER]
THE HISTORICAL SCENES
WERE BECOMING MORE SURREAL.
I WAS STARTING TO PU WEIRD THINGS IN THEM.
IT WAS ALL IN
THE SPIRIT OF ABSURDITY.
MY MESSAGE WAS JUS I WANTED TO HAVE FUN.
HERE IT IS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL
WORD PAINTINGS THAT I DID.
IT WAS ON PAPER.
THIS WAS WHEN I WAS STILL DOING
REALIST PAINTINGS.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME
I PUT WORDS IN THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A SIGN
THAT HAS FALLEN DOWN
IN THE WOODS MYSTERIOUSLY,
AND IT SAYS, "I COWARDLY ROBO IN A 1930s DESERT SUNSET."
WHAT THE FUCK
DOES THAT MEAN, RIGHT?
SO, I STARTED BUYING THESE
THRIFT STORE PAINTINGS
JUST FOR THE FRAMES.
AND RIGHT BEFORE I KICKED I OUT, I THOUGHT, "HMM.
"YOU KNOW, MAYBE I SHOULD
JUST THE LANDSCAPE
THAT'S ALREADY IN THERE."
[LAUGHTER]
IT WOULD SAVE A LOT OF TIME.
[LAUGHTER]
THUS WAS BORN MY FIRS WORD PAINTING--
"HUMAN FUCKIN' KNOWLEDGE."
[LAUGHTER]
White: I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT.
I THOUGHT, THIS IS
JUST A GAG, YOU KNOW.
IT'S JUST FUNNY.
HA HA! LOOK AT THIS.
PEOPLE WOULD COME BY THE STUDIO.
I WOULD TRY TO SHOW THEM
MY LATEST OPUS
AND THEY WOULD BE
MORE INTERESTED IN THIS
WORD PAINTING ON
THE THRIFT STORE PAINTING.
MORE SO THAN ANY PAINTING
I'D EVER DONE.
I MEAN, IT WAS NIGHT AND DAY,
YOU KNOW.
IT WAS WEIRD.
BEFORE I KNEW IT,
I'D DONE 10 OR 15 OF THEM
AND I DECIDED TO TAKE THEM DOWN
TO A LOCAL COFFEE SHOP
CALLED FRED 62.
Man: WHEN I DESIGNED THE PLACE,
I LEFT THE WALLS EMPTY,
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,
"SOMEONE'S GONNA
COME IN THE DOOR
WITH SOMETHING REALLY COOL."
White: STARTED SELLING THEM
RIGHT OFF THE WALLS.
YOU KNOW, I'D GO DOWN THERE
AND HAVE TO REACH OVER THE TABLE
WHERE PEOPLE WERE EATING
AND TAKE IT DOWN
AND PUT UP A NEW ONE--
"EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME."
BECAUSE THEY NEVER
CLOSE THAT PLACE.
Pagel: GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF
YOU'RE SHOWN IN A COFFEE SHOP,
YOU'RE NOT GONNA END UP
ON A WHITE-WALLED GALLERY,
BUT IT--IT HAPPENS.
SO THEN THERE'S THIS PACKE AND IT HAS THIS NAME
"W. WHITE" ON IT.
I'M LIKE--
SO I OPEN IT UP
AND THERE'S NO--
THERE'S NO NAMES
ON ANY OF THE SLIDES.
THERE'S NO ADDRESS.
THERE'S NO PHONE NUMBER.
THERE'S NOTHING.
SO I HOLD IT UP
AND I'M LOOKING AT I AND I SAID,
"THIS IS THE GUY THA HAS THOSE PAINTINGS IN FRED 62."
White: AND HE WAS
REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THEM
BECAUSE THERE'S THIS BUZZ
ABOUT THEM AT FRED'S.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WERE TALKING
ABOUT THEM AND STUFF.
THE--COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME.
THEY'RE SO COOL VISUALLY.
THEY'RE SO INGENIOUS
THAT THEY WORK ON THAT LEVEL,
AND THEN WHEN YOU
ACTUALLY READ THEM,
THEY'RE EITHER POINTED
OR FUNNY OR BOTH.
AT FIRST, I WAS
TOO MUCH OF A SNOB
TO THINK IT WAS...
WORTH LOOKING AT FOR LONG,
BECAUSE I HAD THE PROBLEM--
IT WAS TOO FUN.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE A SENSE OF
RELIEF, LIKE, I CAN GO IN
AND I CAN ACTUALLY KIND OF HAVE
A GOOD TIME AT A GALLERY.
Pagel: MONTHS WENT BY
AND I SAW IT SOMEWHERE ELSE
LIKE, "NO, THERE'S MORE THERE."
THEN I STARTED TO THINK
A LOT MORE ABOUT IT.
I THINK HE'S REALLY A POE AS WELL AS A PAINTER
IN THE USE OF HIS LANGUAGE.
White: I KEEP A NOTEBOOK
JUST OF PHRASES.
"POT, CHEETOS, DR. PEPPER,
"MORE THAN A FEELING" BY BOSTON.
THE INVISIBLE PEOPLE I'VE BEEN
TRYING TO IMPRESS MY WHOLE LIFE.
YOU KNOW, MY MISSION IS TO BRING
HUMOR INTO FINE ART,
AND THAT SOUNDS KIND OF SILLY,
I KNOW, BUT I REALLY DO.
I WANT TO BRING HUMOR,
AND I MEAN REAL HUMOR.
FUNNY STUFF.
NOT ART WORLD FUNNY.
REAL WORLD FUNNY.
AND IF YOU AGREE WITH ME,
I THINK YOU'RE GONNA
COME UP AGAINST RESISTANCE,
BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN THE ART WORLD
WITH STICKS UP THEIR BUTTS,
AND IF YOU MEET SOMEBODY LIKE
THAT, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS SAY,
"I'LL SMASH THIS PAINTING
OVER YOUR FUCKING HEAD."
[LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE]
I SAW WAYNE'S FIRST NEW YORK
SHOW, AND I WAS ASTONISHED.
IT REALLY JUST BLEW ME AWAY,
AND I HAD TO FIND OU MORE ABOUT IT AND HIM.
THIS IS CALLED "SEXY PAINTINGS
BY SEXY PAINTERS
FOR SEXY PEOPLE,"
AND I ALWAYS LOOK AT--THERE'S
A LITTLE, TEENY GHOST OF
THE RED UNDERPAINTINGS,
WHICH INDICATE
VERY CLASSICALLY TRAINED
PAINTING SKILLS.
THERE'S NOTHING AMATEURISH
ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HE DOES,
AND THIS IS SERIOUSLY
SKILLED WORK.
I'VE DONE THIS ONLY A FEW TIMES
IN MY LIFE, THANKFULLY,
BUT I BATTLED MY WAY IN
TO MEET HIM.
Benjamin: YOU KNOW,
OUT COMES THE DRAWINGS
AND OUT COMES THE THIS
AND OUT COMES THE THA AND IT'S LIKE, WHERE DID
HE COME FROM?
AFTER SEEING ALL THAT WAYNE HAD
IN THE STUDIO THAT DAY,
IT WAS SO CLEAR.
RIGHT AWAY, I KNEW THA WE HAD TO DO THIS BOOK.
White: IT'S ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
A VISIT, AND YOUR LIFE CHANGES.
TITLE OF THE BOOK IS "MAYBE NOW
I'LL GET THE RESPEC I SO RICHLY DESERVE."
BAM. IT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY.
I MEAN, IT WAS, LIKE, ON IT.
BANG! I'M IN THE ART WORLD.
JUST LIKE THAT.
JUST LIKE THAT.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
RIGHT NOW, THIS IS ONE OF
THE EARLIEST ONES I HAVE
STILL IN THE STUDIO.
"DATE, MATE, SATE, GRATE."
IT'S SORT OF A BLACK-HEARTED
LOOK AT RELATIONSHIPS, YOU KNOW.
WOMEN HATE THIS PAINTING.
THEY REALLY DON' LIKE THIS AT ALL.
I PULL THIS ONE OUT AND THEY'RE
LIKE, "OH." [CHUCKLES]
I THINK THAT'S
WHY IT NEVER SOLD.
I FIND THAT THE ONES
THAT SELL THE BES HAVE THE F-WORD
IN THEM, YOU KNOW.
PEOPLE LOVE THE F-WORD
IN ALL ITS FORMS.
PEOPLE LOVE THE DIRTY ONES,
YOU KNOW, LIKE
"WEST COAST PUSSY," "CUNT."
"FANFUCKINGTASTIC."
THEY LIKE IT AS LONG AS IT'S GO A LITTLE BIT OF
A CUTENESS TO IT.
EVERYBODY, HERE WE GO.
All: FANFUCKINGTASTIC.
ONE MORE TIME.
All: FANFUCKINGTASTIC.
White: "GODDAMN, FUCKED UP
PIECE OF SHIT."
NOW, THAT ONE WENT TOO FAR.
[LAUGHS]
NOW, I'VE BEEN DOING THESE
PAINTINGS SINCE 1878.
[LAUGHTER]
I'VE DONE APPROXIMATELY 859,372.
[LAUGHTER]
WHEN YOU DO THAT MANY VERSIONS
OF THE SAME THING, YOU TEND
TO GET A LITTLE BURNT OUT.
AND I'VE BEEN THINKING LATELY
ABOUT PUPPETS,
ABOUT COMING FULL CIRCLE
BACK TO MY PUPPET LAND.
IT ALL STARTED TWO YEARS AGO
DOWN AT RICE UNIVERSITY
IN HOUSTON
WITH THE BIGGEST PUPPE I EVER MADE.
BIG. LECTRIC. FAN. TO KEEP.
ME COOL. WHILE. I SLEEP.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
THE WORLD'S LARGES GEORGE JONES HEAD.
[LAUGHTER]
Man: . ...BIG LECTRIC FAN TO
KEEP ME COOL WHILE I SLEEP... .
WELL, I WAS
ORIGINALLY INSPIRED
TO DO THIS PIECE
WHEN I WAS INVITED
HERE IN JUNE,
AND OF COURSE
IT WAS 102 DEGREES,
AND I HAD THIS GEORGE JONES
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD--
"RAGGED BUT RIGHT."
THE COLOSSAL COUNTRY MUSIC
LEGEND SLEEPS IT OFF
IN THE HOT HOUSTON NIGH WHILE THE FAN SAYS,
"I'M DREAMING.
DREAMING. DREAMING."
I'M NOT DREAMING. I'M BRAGGING.
[LAUGHTER]
YOU KNOW, BRAGGING. HEH.
[LAUGHTER]
IT IS A VULGAR AND PERNICIOUS
THING TO DO.
I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW.
IT'S--IT'S NOT IMPORTANT THA I'VE WON ONE, TWO, 3 EMMYS
FOR "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE."
IT'S NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL THA I'VE WON THE BEST ART DIRECTION
FOR THE SMASHING PUMPKINS'
"TONIGHT, TONIGHT."
"LOOK AT THIS SHIT.
IT'S WORTH A LOT OF MONEY."
I'LL BET.
"JUST LEAVE THE AWARDS
ON THE KITCHEN TABLE.
I'M BACK HERE PAINTING
A FUCKING MASTERPIECE."
[LAUGHS] THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
Groening: I THINK
WHEN YOU'RE AN ARTIST,
YOU'RE IN THIS STRUGGLE,
BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PU YOURSELF OUT THERE.
YOU'RE DOING THIS THING
THAT'S ULTIMATELY
VERY SELF-CENTERED
AND NARCISSISTIC, RIGHT?
LIKE, "LOOK AT ME.
I'M GOOD."
White: YOU KNOW, THERE'S THA PART OF ME THAT'S
"SHAME. SHAME. SHAME ON YOU
"FOR GETTING UP THERE AND BEING
THE CENTER OF ATTENTION,
"YOU BIG SHOWOFF.
WHO THE--WHO THE--WHO DOES
HE THINK HE IS?" YOU KNOW?
Groening: SO, BECAUSE
YOU'RE AN ARTIST, YOU'RE ALSO
FULL OF SELF-DOUBT,
SELF-LOATHING,
WORRYING, NEUROSIS.
ALL THAT STUFF.
SO YOU'RE TORN.
YOU WANT TO PU YOUR STUFF OUT THERE
JUST BECAUSE OF THE EXUBERANCE
OF BEING CREATIVE,
AND THEN YOU FEEL
BAD ABOUT YOURSELF.
SO, I SEE THAT IN WAYNE'S WORK.
White: THE "WHO DOES HE THINK
HE IS" PHANTOM
IS ALWAYS IN MY HEAD, ALWAYS,
EVEN THOUGH I'M
LOOKING AROUND AND GOING,
"WELL, WHO'S EVEN SAYING THA TO YOU ANYMORE, WAYNE?
"YOUR PARENTS ARE
BOTH APPLAUDING YOU.
"THEY'RE NOT SAYING THAT.
ALL THESE OTHER ASSHOLES--
"YOUR COACHES AND TEACHERS--
THEY'RE ALL DEAD.
THEY DON'T--OR THEY DON' KNOW WHO YOU ARE."
IT'S LIKE, WHO IS THIS "WHO DOES
HE THINK HE IS" PHANTOM
STILL HAUNTING YOU, YOU KNOW?
I DON'T KNOW.
Pond: I KEEP
TELLING HIM
HOW LUCKY HE IS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE
GET TO EXPERIENCE
A MIDLIFE SUDDEN
CAREER CHANGE?
I--I KNOW.
I AM LUCKY.
I TELL HIM--
I TELL HIM
HOW LUCKY WE ARE
ALL THE TIME.
WE'VE BEEN
INCREDIBLY LUCKY.
White: I HAD A SECOND CHANCE
THAT HARDLY ANYBODY
EVER GETS, MAN.
IT'S LIKE, WHO SAID THERE'S NO
SECOND ACTS IN AMERICAN LIFE?
F. SCOTT FITZGERALD?
FUCK YOU, F. SCOTT FITZGERALD.
HA HA HA HA!
WELL, FOR ME, I FEEL
INCREDIBLY PROUD,
AND I'M INCREDIBLY GLAD.
Man: IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE
THAT MUCH TIME HAS PASSED.
HE'S MANAGED TO PUT THIS THING
TOGETHER, YOU KNOW,
AND SO I'M WONDERING NOW,
WHAT NEXT? WHAT NEXT?
White: I DIDN'T QUITE KNOW
WHERE I WAS GOING
OR WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
I WAS KIND OF FIGURING IT OU AS I WENT ALONG.
I JUST KIND OF FOLLOW
MY HEART AND MY GUT.
THIS IS EXACTLY IT.
IT'S WHAT I'VE WANTED
SINCE I WAS 3 YEARS OLD,
TO SIT IN A ROOM
AND DRAW PICTURES.
Mothersbaugh: I THINK
THE FUTURE FOR WAYNE IS
RECOGNITION FOR THE FACT THA HE WAS A FOUNDING FATHER OF
THE CURRENT STATE OF POP ART.
Oldham: AND WAYNE
IS A WONDERFUL PUZZLE.
IT'S LIKE ONE OF THOSE PUZZLES
YOU'LL NEVER FINISH,
BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS MORE
PIECES TO KIND OF CONSIDER.
White: I'M SATISFIED, YEAH.
I DO HAVE A LOT OF SATISFACTION.
I'M TOO NEUROTIC
TO ENJOY IT FOR VERY LONG.
I'M WORKING ON MY GRAPHIC NOVEL
THAT I SOLD ABOU A YEAR AND A HALF AGO.
YOU KNOW, I'M WRITING,
I'M WORKING, I'M DRAWING.
SO, I'M BACK.
I'M REALLY THRILLED
FOR HIS SUCCESS
AND I'M REALLY HAPPY
TO FINALLY GET, YOU KNOW,
THE RESPECT I SO RICHLY DESERVE.
[CHUCKLES]
I JUST HAVE A FEELING
IT'S ALL UP FROM HERE,
YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW, AND I TRY
NOT TO OVERTHINK I AND LOOK TOO FAR
INTO THE FUTURE--
WHAT IF THIS HAPPENED?
WHAT IF THAT HAPPENED?
I DO THAT.
THAT'S HIS JOB.
I CAN'T--YOU KNOW,
IT'S GOTTA BE LIKE
ONE DAY AT A TIME
FOR ME.
White: I SEE MYSELF AS HOPEFULLY
IN MUSEUMS ACROSS THE WORLD.
HOPEFULLY SURROUNDED
BY GRANDCHILDREN.
WE NEVER HAD ANY IDEA
HE'D EVER--EVER GO THIS FAR,
BUT WE KNEW THAT'S ALL
HE WAS GONNA EVER DO,
BECAUSE THAT'S ALL
HE EVER WANTED TO DO,
BUT HE--HE WANTED IT BAD ENOUGH
AND HE WENT OUT AND DID IT.
ONWARD AND UPWARDS.
I HOPE WAYNE IS HAPPY.
I HOPE EVERYTHING
GOES WELL FOR HIM,
BUT I HOPE HE--
I HOPE HE'S HAPPY.
I JUST WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY.
HE'S GOT HIS ART,
AND THAT'S HIS LIFE.
BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING.
NOW, WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT?
BEAUTY IS A MANY-PRONGED
THING, YOU KNOW.
MANY SIDES TO IT.
WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL,
TRULY BEAUTIFUL, WE'RE IN AWE.
AND RAW EMOTION
COMES TO THE SURFACE.
WE'RE ALSO HUMBLED BY IT.
WE'RE NOT WORTHY.
THAT EMOTIONAL VULNERABILITY,
THAT INSECURITY,
THOSE ARE BOTH
EMBARRASSING SITUATIONS.
IF ONLY I COULD MAKE
SOMETHING THAT BEAUTIFUL,
OR IF ONLY I WAS THAT BEAUTIFUL.
SO, WE'RE SORT OF
EMBARRASSED FOR OURSELVES
WHEN WE'RE STRUCK
BY TRUE BEAUTY.
ARTISTS AND CREATIVE PEOPLE
ARE PEOPLE WHO MAKE BEAUTY.
NOW, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
WE MAKE BEAUTY.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE BEAUTY
MY WHOLE LIFE
AND JUST TO EVEN SAY THAT IS
EMBARRASSING, BUT I HAVE.
SO, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN,
I OWE YOU
A VERY BIG DEBT OF GRATITUDE,
BECAUSE THIS IS A RARE AND
SPECIAL TIME FOR ME RIGHT NOW.
YOU LET ME STAND UP HERE
AND SHOW YOU
ALL MY BEAUTIFUL THINGS,
AND I DIDN' GET EMBARRASSED ONCE.
FOLLOW YOUR HEAR AND YOUR PLEASURE IN ART.
DON'T DO WHAT YOU THINK
IS GONNA BE MAKING YOU MONEY
OR WHAT YOUR PARENTS
WANT YOU TO DO
OR WHAT THAT BEAUTIFUL GIRL OR
GUY THINKS YOU SHOULD BE DOING.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE.
IT'S GONNA LEAD
TO WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.
GO OUT THERE AND MAKE
THE WORLD MORE BEAUTIFUL.
I KNOW YOU CAN.
MY NAME'S WAYNE WHITE.
THANK YOU!
[CROWD CHEERING]
Mike Quinn: I'M JUS A COUNTRY
COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE
I THINK I KNOW
ALL THAT I KNOW
BUT I'LL GO ALONG
WITH BIG SHOWS
I'M JUST A COUNTRY,
COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE
I THINK IT'S BEEN WAY UP ABOVE
AND FINDING OUT ABOUT LOVE
I'M JUST A COUNTRY,
COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE
I THINK I KNOW
ALL THAT I KNOW
BUT I'LL GO ALONG
WITH BIG SHOWS
I'M JUST A COUNTRY,
COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE
I THINK IT'S BEEN WAY UP ABOVE
AND FINDING OUT ABOUT LOVE
I'M JUST A COUNTRY,
COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE
AND I THINK I'LL
GO TO THE DATE
WITH MY PART IN THE PLAY
AND I WAS WALKING THE DOG,
I PUT IN A CHAW
AND I STARTED TO GNAW
AND I SAID A FIB
AND WHEN I WORKED UP A SPI AND LET GO OF IT
THE SPLAT ON THE TREE
LOOKED JUST LIKE ME
I WONDERED AT THIS
MIRACULOUSNESS
AND HOW TO ADDRESS
THE LIFE I'D LED
THEN WHEN I SAT ON MY BED
AND I WENT IN MY HEAD
I THOUGHT I MIGHT FIND
MY TRUTH INSIDE
AND FIRST I SAW FEAR
AND AS IT DREW NEAR
IT WAS SO SCARY AND CLEAR
THAT I ALMOST SCREAMED
I SAW A LIGHT IN MY SCHEMES
AND ALL OF MY DREAMS
BUT THEN I REJOICED
WHEN I HEARD A SMALL VOICE
IT SAID, "YOU'RE JUS A COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE"
I THINK I KNOW
ALL THAT I KNOW
BUT I'LL GO ALONG
WITH A BIG SHOW
I'M JUST A COUNTRY,
COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE
I THINK IT'S BEEN WAY UP
ABOVE AND FINDING OUT ABOU LOVE
JUST A COUNTRY,
COUNTRY BOY IN PARADISE
AND I THINK
I WILL TILL THE DAY .
WHEN MY CARD DOESN'T PLAY
'CAUSE THE HEAVENS ABOVE
FINDING OUT ABOUT LOVE,
DOING THINGS AND MY BEST
AND WITHOUT ALL THE RES TILL I FIND
THAT I COME TO
THE END OF MY LINE