[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 MOST 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 BUTT 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 ARTIST
WAS LIKE, MAN, I WAS A LITTLE KID.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT 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 CUT 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 LOT 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 JUST IMPRINTING THEIR BRAIN,
AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.
HEY, GET THAT 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 MOST 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 ARTIST IN A HOUSE OF ARTISTS,
IT'S HARD TO STAND OUT.
I TRY NOT TO GIVE ADVICE...
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT 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 WANT TO BE LIKE MY DAD.
White: HERE'S A DRAWING, WHAT HE DID
WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 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 BURST OF THE ENERGY
JUST WORKING WITH HIM.
OUR FAMILY AS A UNIT 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 RUT 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 IT 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'T 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 GOT 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 AT 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 DIFFERENT 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 .
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 PART 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 GET 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 IT 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 THAT 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 OUT
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 JUST 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 JUST 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 JUST 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'T 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'T 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 IMPACT THE WAY HE MADE ART
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 IT 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 RIGHT 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 GOT 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 LOT OF TIME IN A BOWLING ALLEY,
THEN NOT TURN OUT 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 IT ON MY PART
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 OUT
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 KMART
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 THAT 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'T TALK TO HIM ABOUT ART I DON'T GET
BECAUSE I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT THAT MUCH,
BUT WE DIDN'T 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 DISGUST 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 ART 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 LOT 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 FIRST 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 ART COULD BE FUN.
IT COULD BE A BIG PART 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 IMPORTANT PLACE FOR ME.
SO NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
I'VE HEARD A LOT 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 IT
"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 IMMINENT
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 RIGHT 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'T 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 BRILLIANT 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 IT
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 WEIGHT
AND WAS WORTHY OF HER ATTENTIONS.
Pond: IT WAS JUST 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 FIRST ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST COMIC BOOK.
BY THE TIME I WAS TO THE LAST PAGE,
I KNEW I HAD TO BE A PART OF THIS WORLD.
Kaz: THE EAST VILLAGE CULTURE
WAS KICKING AGAINST 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 TEST
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 PERFECT 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 ABOUT BUILDING PUPPETS, YOU KNOW?
I JUST DID IT MY OWN CRAZY, FUNKY, HOMEMADE WAY.
LIKE, TO BUILD DIRTY DOG, I GOT AN OVEN MITT
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 ALMOST 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..."
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 LOFT 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 RIGHT 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 OUT
ON A DIVING BOARD HANGING OUT OVER THE SET
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 SLEPT 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 LOT OF COKE BURNOUTS.
IT'S LIKE GETTING A JOB PLAYING IN A SANDBOX
BUT THEY WON'T LET YOU OUT 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 IT 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 THAT 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 THAT
SHE GOT UP AND WENT TO A BAR
THAT WAS OPEN AT 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 MEANT 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 LOST 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 EASIEST
TIME OF MY ADULT LIFE.
WE WERE LIVING IT UP. WE THOUGHT WE WERE, AT LEAST.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE BEING MARRIED TO AN ARTIST 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 GOT 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 THAT
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 GET 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 ABOUT
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 THOUGHT 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 IT
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 PINPOINT
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 JUST 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 JUST 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.
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 PUPPET
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 DEPARTMENT 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 THOUGHT 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 PUPPET 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 SET
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 IT WITH THAT SPIRIT
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 THAT
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 PART 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 THAT
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 JUST 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 LAYABOUT 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 WANT 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'T 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 PROJECT 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 WANT 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 ABOUT
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'T 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 DEPARTMENT 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 THAT 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 GOT HIS VIDEO CAMERA OUT
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 THAT 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 ARTIST 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? .
. MY HOUSE... .
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT PUPPETS?
White: I LIKE THE FACT 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 IT
BECAUSE I KNEW THE RULES GOING IN.
THEN I CAME TO THE REALIZATION
THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO WORK IN HOLLYWOOD.
IT WASN'T WORTH IT TO ME.
AND THE FIRE WENT OUT 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 WHAT 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 ABOUT
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 PUT WEIRD THINGS IN THEM.
IT WAS ALL IN THE SPIRIT OF ABSURDITY.
MY MESSAGE WAS JUST 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 ROBOT 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 IT 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 FIRST 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 PACKET 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 IT AND I SAID,
"THIS IS THE GUY THAT 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 POET 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 OUT
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 THAT
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 THAT 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 RESPECT 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'T 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 BEST
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 GOT
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 PUPPET I EVER MADE.
BIG. LECTRIC. FAN. TO KEEP. ME COOL. WHILE. I SLEEP.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WORLD'S LARGEST 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 NIGHT 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 THAT I'VE WON ONE, TWO, 3 EMMYS
FOR "PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE."
IT'S NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL THAT 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 PUT 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 THAT 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 PUT 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 THAT 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'T 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 OUT 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 THAT 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 ABOUT 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 IT
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'T GET EMBARRASSED ONCE.
FOLLOW YOUR HEART 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 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 *
* 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 SPIT 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 JUST 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 ABOUT 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 REST TILL I FIND *
* THAT I COME TO THE END OF MY LINE *