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Beauty is Embarrassing
Hot Docs International Documentary Festival 2012
PR Status Clipping Report
Directed by Neil Berkeley
Written by Neil Berkeley Chris Bradley Kevin Klauber
Produced by Neil Berkeley -‐ Producer Aimee Bothwell -‐ Executive Producer Chris Bradley -‐ Producer Liah Corral – Co-‐producer Miral Erceg -‐ Producer Anthony Maiuri -‐ Co-‐producer Bart McDonough – Executive Producer Morgan Neville -‐ Producer Eddie Schmidt – Executive Producer
Original Music by Tim Rutili Cinematography by Neil Berkeley Chris Bradley Film Editing by Chris Bradley Sound Department Isai Espinoza – Sound Re-‐recording mixer Marcus Pardo – Sound Editor Editorial Department Kevin Klauber – Additional Editing Music Department Gerard Talbot – Music Licensing
FUTURE YOU PICTURES PRESENTS
A Film by Neil Berkeley
Canadian Premiere at Hot Docs | April 28 – 6:00pm – Bloor Cinema | April 29 – 1:30pm – Isabel Bader Theatre | May 6 – 3:30pm – Bloor Cinema Running Time: 87 minutes | www.BeautyIsEmbarrassing.com
“Who said there’s no second acts in American life? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Fuck you F. Scott Fitzgerald.” – Wayne White
For over 30 years, Wayne White has made an indelible mark on the creative world. As a designer, painter, puppeteer, sculptor, and musician, Mr. White created images and ideas that are an integral – yet sometimes subconscious – part of the pop culture lexicon. To this day, he still gets up every morning to do the only thing his body and mind was meant to do … create. Whether the world acknowledges it or not.
Part biography, part live performance, Beauty Is Embarrassing directed by Neil Berkeley, tells the irreverent and inspiring story of this one-‐of-‐a-‐kind visual artist and raconteur. The film traces White’s career from an underground cartoonist in New York’s East Village to his big break as a designer, puppeteer and voice-‐over actor on Pee-‐wee’s Playhousefor which he won three Emmy’s. It follows Wayne’s success designing and animating for other children’s shows like Beakman’s World and music videos for The Smashing Pumpkins (Tonight, Tonight) and Peter Gabriel (Big Time) through a dark period of struggle and self-‐reflection before emerging in his present-‐day incarnation as a respected painter and performer. The film, like White, embraces the ragged edges and messy contradictions of life, art, and family with rabid humor and honesty. For two years, filmmaker Neil Berkeley traveled with White through Houston, Miami, New York, Chattanooga, Nashville and Los Angeles retracing Wayne’s steps from childhood to parenthood. He peeled back layer after layer of Wayne’s singular creative process and his astonishingly prolific career. In addition to the 300+ hours of footage shot by Berkeley and his team, the director discovered hours of video which White shot throughout his career including never-‐before-‐seen behind the scenes footage of the making of Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse – now included in Beauty Is Embarrassing. Wayne White’s trip to the top came relatively early in life but was followed by a fall that felt all too real. Yet, as Wayne explains in the film, there are sometimes second acts in life that take us to new heights – without compromise. At its core, Beauty Is Embarrassing shows what it takes for one uniquely talented, profanely hilarious, and utterly uncompromising artist to make it in America. Future You Pictures presents in association with Tremolo Productions Beauty Is Embarrassing featuring Wayne White, Mimi Pond, Mark Mothersbaugh, Todd Oldham, Matt Groening, Gary Panter, Ric Heitzman, Paul Rubens. Edited by Chris Bradley, with additional editing by Kevin Klauber. Directors of Photography: Neil Berkeley and Chris Bradley. Executive Producers: Aimee Bothwell, Bart McDonough and Eddie Schmidt. Produced by Neil Berkeley, Chris Bradley, Milan Erceg and Morgan Neville. Co-‐Producers Liah Corral and Anthony Maiuri. Written by Neil Berkeley, Chris Bradley and Kevin Klauber. Directed by Neil Berkeley. “When people ask me what it has been like making this movie,” explains Neil, “the first thing I tell them is that it has been the time of my life. I hope audiences get that sense of joy that Wayne has about what he does every day. That’s the lesson I learned from him…spend every day doing work that makes you happy. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past three years, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what I’ve been up to.” Interview subjects include (in alphabetical order): Cliff Benjamin – Art Dealer | Tony Crow – Lambchop | Jonathan Dayton – Co-‐Director, Little Miss Sunshine | Valerie Faris – Co-‐Director, Little Miss Sunshine | Matt Groening – Creator, The Simpsons | Mark Mothersbaugh – Devo | Todd Oldham – Designer | David Pagel – L.A. Times | Gary | Panter – Co-‐Creator, Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse | Paul Reubens – Pee-‐wee Herman | Charles Stone – Director, Drumline | Fred Sullivan – Owner of the famous Fred62 diner | Kurt Wagner – Lead singer, Lambchop | Paul Zaloom – Beakman’s World About Neil Berkeley -‐ Producer/Director/Writer/Cinematographer Neil has been working as a designer and director in film and television for over 10 years. His work includes main title design for some of TV's most popular shows and he has directed several national commercials. He has also developed main titles for documentaries including The Cool School, Johnny Cash’s America, Air Guitar Nation and Respect Yourself: The Story of Stax Records. Since 2009, Neil has operated his design-‐based production company, BRKLY. The company developed most of the animated sequences in Beauty Is Embarrassing including the Mimi Pond Cartoon, the Pee-‐wee's Playhouse sketches and the end credits. Beauty Is Embarrassing is Mr. Berkeley's first feature length documentary.
Interviews Completed Wednesday, April 25 Real Screen (Phone Interview) Interviewer: Kelly Anderson Saturday, April 28 AOL Interviewer: Mark Wigmore DorkShelf Interviewer: Andrew Parker Film Army Interviewer: Addison Wylie Hot Docs Live! Interviewer: Emily Reid
Part of Hot Docs’ daily video coverage, This video interview was then broadcasted in-‐theatre and on their website as part of their Live from the Festival footage.
The Matinee (podcast) Interviewer: Ryan McNeil Sunday, April 29 CBC National News Interviewer: Sian Jones National Post Interviewer: Nathalie Atkinson
Meet and Greet Sunday April 29 Book signing, picture taking event at the
Sutton Place Hotel
Hot Docs Welcomes Subjects, Record Number of Directors By Pat | Posted on April 19
Hot Docs is just one week away! Sure to add some excitement to the event is this list of guests slated to attend the festival. Post-‐screening Q&As with filmmakers/subjects always add to one’s appreciation of the film and offer an extra incentive to see these films at the festival. Hot Docs is honoured to welcome a number of guest subjects, including rock star Rick Springfield, director Jennifer Lynch, video game creator Phil Fish, war photographer Don McCullin, artist and Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse puppeteer Wayne White, and Dahmer-‐case detective Pat Kennedy, who are featured in films at the upcoming Festival, April 26 to May 6. In addition to guest subjects, 146 directors -‐ a record number -‐ will be in attendance at the Festival to introduce their films and participate in post-‐screening audience Q&As.
Wayne White from Beauty is Embarrassing (D: Neil Berkeley | USA | 91 min) – Wayne White began as a humble puppeteer and went on to become a co-‐creator of Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse and a celebrated artist.
Beauty Is Embarrassing An artist who crafted puppets for Pee-‐Wee will never stop chasing his unique vision. By Kevin Scott | Posted on April 22
For artist Wayne White, there is creative potential in nearly everything. Sticks, oven mitts, a placid landscape painting—no matter what the object, he will find a way to transform it into a substantial work of art. In Beauty Is Embarrassing, White recounts his journey from an ostracized and misunderstood youth in Tennessee, to a job designing and voicing puppets for Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse. Intercutting between a live performance at Largo in Los Angeles, interviews with people like Matt Groening and Mark Mothersbaugh, and current footage of White’s work and home life, the film is an entertaining peek into the workings of a manic but brilliant mind.
As might be expected, the most intriguing parts are the ones that deal with the years White spent making puppets, despite having absolutely no experience with the craft. Paul Reubens (a.k.a. Pee-‐Wee) adds some of his own recollections of Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse‘s nightmarish first season, shot in a small space in Manhattan, with frequent interruptions in filming because of electricity problems.
There is a also great woman behind Wayne, Mimi Pond, an artist in her own right, who can boast of having written the first-‐ever Simpsons episode. Together, they have raised two children who genuinely aspire to follow in their parents’ footsteps. The doc has a quirky style to match its subject, and though White’s work may not be to everyone’s taste, it is hard to argue that this is what he was born to do—even if the job now involves a second career inserting vulgar phrases into paintings of forests.
Hot Docs 2012 Preview Pt. 1 By Andrew Parker | Posted on April 23
Director: Neil Berkeley
While there isn’t a of a lot of drama in this look at art director/painter/puppeteer/animator Wayne White – best known for his work on Pee Wee’s Playhouse – Berkley’s portrait of the artist as a happily aging man hits some genuinely inspiring notes while taking some clever digs at artistic elitists who turn their noses up at anything comedic.
Extremely well paced in the way it chronicles White from his southern upbringing to his current resurgence as a divisive figure in the L.A. art world, Berkeley shows the lengths one needs to go through to become a success, and thankfully White has a charming and well adjusted support system to pick him up when he falls. Much like the work being showcase, the film always entertains and never feels forced.
Rating (out of five stars): ****
Hot Docs 2012 Reviews Part 2 By Sasha James | Posted on April 24
Beauty Is Embarrassing Director: Neil Berkeley Program: Next 91 minutes Recommended?: Yes, strongly
Beauty Is Embarrassing is the story of Wayne White, an American artist who initially found success as a designer on Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse and continued undeterred after its cancellation as a painter, a sculptor, a cartoonist, a puppeteer, and even a banjo player.
Though brazenly ambitious, White is without the affectations of success; His confidence never comes off as arrogant, nor does his eccentricity appear to be anything but honest expression. He has a Zach Galifinakas-‐like quality to him that excuses any obscenity that falls from his mouth, endearing you even more to his affable, scruffy, nonsensical Southern charm.
This is an exquisitely made documentary which features animated sequences, behind-‐the-‐scenes footage from Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse, and interviews with Paul Ruebens, Matt Groening, White’s family, and even the first grade teacher who encouraged White to draw.
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5 Hot Docs films to whet your appetite By Eli Glasner | Posted on April 25
Beauty Is Embarrassing
Wayne White is the Zack Galifinakis of the pop art world -‐-‐ not just because of his lumberjack-‐worthy beard, but for his fearless devotion to his muse. A painter, puppeteer, cartoonist and sculptor, his approach to art could be summed up by his favourite motto: "F-‐-‐k it." White swears like a sailor, though his proclivity with vulgarity is an indicator of his approach. Art is not something precious. It's something to provoke or, even better, to make people laugh. Art can be fun! Isn't that a revolutionary concept? Director Neil Berkely catalogs White's story, from his rough-‐and-‐tumble beginnings to his breakthrough moment designing for Pee-‐wee's Playhouse. This doc is chock full of artistic soul food.
Hot Docs in the house! By Liz Braun | Posted on April 25
Beauty Is Embarrassing
Director: Neil Berkeley
A profile of Wayne White, a frank-‐talking Tennessee artist (and accomplished banjo player) whose oddball visions became the motif for Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse and other TV shows, before he gave it all up to focus on a gallery existence consisting of painting superimposed boxy-‐lettered text on dollar-‐store landscapes. It’s a quirky, inspiring tale of a free-‐spirited, misanthropic artist and wit and his like-‐minded family — a glowing antidote to all those docs about messed up artists.
Emerging filmmakers look to Toronto documentary festival to launch new careers By Cassandra Szklarski | Posted on April 25
Other guests bound for the fest include war photographer Don McCullin from Jacqui Morris's profile "McCullin," artist and "Pee-‐wee's Playhouse" puppeteer Wayne White from Neil Berkeley's "Beauty Is Embarrassing" and Dahmer-‐case detective Pat Kennedy from "Jeff."
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Hot Docs 2012 – Fraser and Addison’s Most Anticipated Films
By Fraser Mills | Posted on April 26
Beauty is Embarrassing (DIR. Neil Berkeley)
This documentary about Wayne White’s rise as an artist grabbed me in an instant. White’s name may not leap off the screen or page at first but once you start looking at his resume, you immediately respect him. Wayne White has puppeteering and art direction credits on Pee Wee’s Playhouse as well as other production credits on other nostalgia-‐ridden shows such as Shining Time Station, The Weird Al Show, and Beakman’s World. Those shows all strike plenty of childhood chords with me. Now viewing his work as an adult, I can really appreciate the hard work and imagination that went into all of his projects. White has an intriguing creative mind that I would love to learn more about and I have no doubt Berkeley’s documentary does that in droves
What’s hot at Hot Docs By Brian D. Johnson | Posted on April 26
9. Beauty is Embarassing Director Neil Berkeley tracks the giddy art of Wayne White’s life and art. This Tennessee maverick began his career as a puppeteer, who got his entree into the big time as an Emmy-‐winning creator of Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse. As White recalls, ” It was a dream job, sitting a room, smokin’ weed . . . I didn’t know s–t about building puppets. I was just doing it in my own crazy, funky homemade way.” His “way” won him a couple of Emmys, as the show rocketed from the its ramshackle origins in the drug labs of the New York art scene to Hollywood success, only to be cancelled after the arrest of its host, Paul Ruebens. In the wake of a drug-‐fueled burnout, White retreated to his Tennessee home, where he reinvented himself with a a series of pop-‐art paintings that began as a kick-‐ass stunt—painting profane, block-‐lettered slogans over thrift-‐shop landscape paintings. It generated his second career as an acclaimed folk/pop artist. This doc is virtually a self-‐portrait, framed by White’s own one-‐man stage show show. But it’s a fine example of how far the camera can extend the palette.
Hot Docs 2012: sex, boxing, James Franco, and more
Posted on April 26
Beauty Is Embarrassing, Neil Berkeley, Next This profile of Wayne White, the cartoonist/puppeteer/creative person behind stuff like Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse and the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight” video, feels like a template for a modern documentary. Like: Take an offbeat (American) artist, one superficially familiar to the public at large, delve into that artist’s personal and professional history, and make sure to keep things fairly zippy and light (even when they’re not). You know those documentaries where the first five or 10 minutes feel like a trailer for the film itself, all high-‐profile talking-‐heads spitting sound bites about the subject, as if it has to sell you on something you’re already watching? Well, this is one of those. It’s not that White’s not an interesting, likeable, funny guy. In fact, there’s plenty to like about the subject—about White’s life growing up in Tennessee, his interest in drawing, and his later career as a gallery-‐certified artist courtesy of his “word paintings” (phrases like “Your Lame Ass Theory” or “Tell Me You Love Me” painted over landscapes he finds at thrift shops). Rather it’s that Berkeley, in his first film, seems to be going through the motions of putting this across, making no real effort to echo White’s charm and weirdness in his own approach (despite a few cartoon interludes, which feel just as half-‐baked). Instead, kind of like White’s word paintings, Beauty Is Embarrassing feels like it’s being brushed on top of something that was already there. [JS] Grade: C+
BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING plays Hot Docs By Ryan McNeil | Posted on April 26
Follow your heart, and your pleasure, and art.
Those words might make up the most inspiring life mantra I’ve ever heard.
Perhaps what makes them even more inspiring, is the way Wayne White embodies them; living a life of true passion and creativity. He expresses thoughts that are both witty and fearless. His art is both incendiary and maddening, since it is clear that his imagination works in ways that few others’ do. Wayne is a gifted artist in so many ways, and he is the subject of a wonderful documentary called BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING.
The film chronicles Wayne’s life. He is a man who was brought up in a traditional southern family, but branched out for more by moving to New York in his early 20�s.
There he met Mimi; the love of his life and a gifted visual artist herself. It was also there that he landed the job of a lifetime – designing sets, puppets, and puppeteering for Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse in the mid 80�s. From there he went on to work as art director on music videos for Peter Gabriel and Smashing Pumpkins.
For some, such achievements might be enough to rest on their laurels, but for Wayne it’s just act one. He goes on to reinvent himself somewhat by channeling his creative talents into clever paintings and installations. His work has landed him much attention and acclaim, giving Wayne an unexpected second act as an artist.
Wayne’s story is told wonderfully by Neil Berkley. In a visual style befitting White and his family of artists, the work both comes alive and acts as narrator time and again. Such is the case when Mimi animates the story of her first meeting with Wayne, and likewise in allowing Wayne to amuse us all by doing a silly little dance while wearing a great big head. The doc becomes less the story of White’s life and career, and more a living, breathing, embodiment of it. The very same way many of White’s recent paintings have used existing work as a springboard, so too does Berkley’s movie.
What it all does – Wayne’s story, personality, creative work, and Berkley’s curation of it all – is make us all think about expressing ourselves more fully. What’s so embarrassing about beauty is the honesty it requires…the way it forces us to stand in a spotlight with imperfect bodies and ill-‐fitting clothes and say to the world “I have something to tell you”.
However, it’s that sort of honesty, that sort of art, that sort of beauty that makes this world worth living, and gives those that follow a boost to be honest themselves.
What Wayne White has given the world in his art is trickier than it looks, and so too is Neil Berkley’s document of said work. It strives to do something difficult: to be optimistic. Specifically, it wants to tell people that they can do what it is they love to do, and do it unashamed.
Both the artist and the film are totems of heart, pleasure, and art…thus BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING is a film that shouldn’t be missed.
Toronto :: Beauty Is Embarrassing has its Canadian Premiere at Hot Docs April 28 at 6pm. Posted on April 26
The 10 Hottest Docs to Watch at Hot Docs By Peter Knegt | April 27
Beauty is Embarrassing (directed by Neil Berkeley) "Beauty is Embarrassing" is a portrait of American artist Wayne White, who began his career as a puppeteer and got his break as one of the creators of "Pee-‐wee's Playhouse." Director Neil Berkeley follows White's career through its various highs and lows, offer what Hot Docs calls "a reminder to us all that we should follow our passion." "Beauty" has its international premiere the first Saturday of Hot Docs.
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Hot Docs 2012: Heidy’s Top Picks By Heidy | Posted on April 27
Synopsis: Follow the exuberant highs and crushing lows of pop-‐culture icon artist Wayne White from humble puppeteer to one of the creators of Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse, for him, every day is an opportunity to create. My thoughts: How many of you remember watching Pee-‐Wee’s Playhouse back in the day? Well, Wayne White not only created some memorable characters for the iconic show but also has worked on other great projects like the Smashing Pumpkins “Tonight, Tonight” video – for which he received an MTV Video Award – and also his own paintings that have become widely popular as well. All that aside, what’s really interesting and engaging about White and his artistic family is that he does not take himself too seriously. He lives and breathes art but has fun with it! His perspective on art as a whole is refreshing, as he think that not all art has to be intellectual. A candid portrait of an artist and a greatly designed one too; you do not need to be an artist or a student of art to appreciate where he’s coming from. Make sure you stay for the credits for some great animations and other tidbits created by White.
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The documentaries of tortured artists A slew of new films at Hot Docs focus on pushing the boundaries of the creative process By Brian D. Johnson | Posted on April 27
While Ai finds his edge by pushing the limits of censorship, many of the artists featured in the Hot Docs program wrestle with self-‐censorship. There’s no firewall blocking their freedom of expression, just the psychological rampart of their own anxiety. In Beauty Is Embarrassing, Wayne White talks about the paralyzing “shame” of being an artist: “You’re doing this thing that is very self-‐centred and narcissistic. The ‘who does he think he is?’ phantom is aways in my head.” But after his post-‐Peewee’s Playhouse burnout, White stumbles into a second career as a pop-‐art star by painting profane block-‐lettered slogans on thrift-‐shop landscape paintings. The biggest sellers, he says, use the F-‐word.
Curiously, both White and Ai—who unleashed his own F-‐bombs in an infamous series of middle-‐finger snapshots—were influenced by the feverish New York art scene of the 1980s. (You can see booming echoes of Warhol in Ai’s work, from his manufactured fakery to controversial stunts like painting a Coke logo on a neolithic Chinese vase.) But while White revels in kickass nihilism, Ai taps the same conceptual roots to stage pranks freighted with meaning—such as blanketing the wall of a Munich museum with 9,000 bright backpacks to commemorate students killed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Hot Docs Day 3: 'Beauty Is Embarrassing' By Mark Wigmore | Posted on April 28
Every year Hot Docs offers something up that's completely original, totally charming and directly out of left field. 2012 continues the trend with this simple biopic about an extraordinary artist -‐-‐ by the name of Wayne White -‐-‐ called "Beauty Is Embarrassing."
White started as a puppeteer, but has dabbled in voicing, performing, sculpture,
painting and set design during his successful career. "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening is part of a long list of artistic insiders who have followed White's career with enthusiasm, and while you likely don't know him by name, there is a strong chance you have seen or even admired his work. Best known for his imaginative set and character design on "Pee-‐wee's Playhouse," White's artistic vision also appears in rock videos for Peter Gabriel, The Offspring and the inspiring visuals seen in the Smashing Pumpkins' 'Tonight Tonight.'
This doc catches up with White in more recent times that have him reinventing himself all over again as a serious pop-‐art painter. The bearded American southerner has a twinkle in his eye, a grumble in his soul and a dark sense of humor -‐-‐ he seems to always be laughing at something. Director Neil Berkeley takes us through the chapters of White's life, including his formative years in Tennessee, his attempts at a career in New York City and his eventual landing in Los Angeles. White's New York years are particularly interesting, as he's hired on to work on a psychedelic kids show called "Pee-‐wee's Playhouse." Actor Paul Reubens, who made Pee-‐wee into an icon, speaks passionately about his affection for Wayne and his work on the show. Characters like Randy, Dirty Dog and Flower #3 were not only created by White, but voiced by him as well.
Every good story needs some drama, and for White it was the fateful day Reubens was caught committing a lewd act in a Florida movie theatre. "Pee-‐wee's Playhouse" was already set to finish, but that little bit of news made for a quick shutdown. White was left with a stellar resume, but at the end of the day, he was a guy who made garbage into puppets. Thanks in no small part to his wife Mimi and his artistically inclined children, White navigates a post Pee-‐wee world. The cameras travel with White during his speaking tours, his art shows, road trips back to the American south and even capture some of his decent banjo playing.
"Beauty is Embarrassing" is pleasant to view, and a great study of one of those artistically minded people who own one of the obscure pieces of the pop culture jigsaw. This article is also posted on this outlet:
Hot Docs 2012: Weekend Recap
By Genevieve Walker | Posted on April 30
BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING If you grew up watching Pee Wee’s Playhouse or Shining Time Station, you’re already familiar with Wayne White’s work. Sometimes known as the “word guy” (because of his word paintings that are famous for using the F-‐bomb) White playfully and honestly recounts his struggle to reconcile his Tennessee upbringing and his creative aspirations, his artistic beginnings and the highs and lows of his career.
From puppeteer to art director, this remarkable figure shares his insights in life and art. It really is an extraordinary ride!
This film has has two more screenings. Catch it again Sunday April 29th at Bader or it’s finale screening Sunday May 6th at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema!
Hot Docs 2012: Berkeley, his film, and Artist Wayne White are anything but embarrassing By Addison Wylie | Posted on April 30 One of the most talked about documentaries at this year’s film festival is Beauty Is Embarrassing, a film chronicling artist Wayne White’s start in puppeteering and painting to his rise as a creative genius with a fully supportive cult following. At first people may not immediately recognize White’s name but they have undoubtedly seen his work. For instance, when I told some fellow movie goers and filmmakers about the documentary, they were drawing blanks. However, once I mentioned his puppet creations and his art direction on Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Shining Time Station, and Beakman’s World, they were instantly jealous that I got the chance to interview White and Neil Berkeley, the first-‐time director of this wonderful documentary. Our 15 minute audio interview is located a the bottom of this review.
White hasn’t always dabbled in children’s television though. He has won awards for his creations in Peter Gabriel’s “Big Time” music video as well as his work in the music video for “Tonight, Tonight” by the Smashing Pumpkins. The documentary starts with a present day look at White’s life. When he isn’t painting and performing live art shows, Wayne lives with his adoring and supportive wife (writer/cartoonist Mimi Pond) and has two children who show plenty of love and interest in art. The film then takes us back to the beginning and shows us how White has gotten to where he is now. We get lots of footage and pictures of the artist as a boy and creating unique work, a tour of White’s time behind-‐the-‐scenes of the CBS cult classic Pee Wee’s Playhouse and other ventures in television, and how his projects eventually built up to a whirlwind of stress and anxiety while he was trying to breathe in the wacky world of Hollywood.
Berkeley had lots of material to draw from. Countless pictures, White’s vast resume, and oodles and oodles of stories from family and friends describing the eccentric artist’s personality. So, as a director, the first red flag is how do you structure all this content and how much time do you spend on each subject? It’s a relief that Berkeley made all the right calls in regards to pacing and formatting this meaty story. By showing us White’s current situation in Tennessee, audiences get a full understanding of his sense of humour and the work he enjoys. We also see the environment he loves to work in and how his payoffs affect others around him. It’s a strong way to show how the community has grown to embrace White and how an artistic underdog can succeed despite doubters. In a very touching scene, we see White showcasing his art to his family, his first grade teacher, and to others within his town. It’s marvellous to see White excel in a field he loves but it’s even more rewarding to see other people realize it. As we soar through White’s life in school and on multiple sets, we connect with that feeling of not fitting in and then experiencing that sensation of finding individuals with that share our interests. It’s why we really stick with White through the early academic days and root for him every step of the
way. We’re then rewarded and cheer when he finds acceptance in his post-‐secondary studies and transitions to his time at the Playhouse.
One would think that a whole documentary could be done based just on the highs and lows of Pee Wee’s Playhouse (and judging by its following, there would be people who would line up in advance for that screening) but after watching the extended segment in Beauty is Embarrassing, fans realize that it may have been possible to create a full length feature but that content works better when focused on for a specific and shorter period of time. Berkeley and Editor Chris Bradley have taken this information and condensed it into an appropriate amount of time where it feels like that portion of White’s life doesn’t overshadow the rest of the film. It’s handled perfectly and provides lots of insight into how difficult the first season of the show was, how the puppeteers found enjoyment off camera, and how most of the crew reacted to the infamous Paul Reubens incident that put the show in a negative light. However, the crew members that are interviewed have answers about how that incident affected the show that may surprise faithful viewers. Beyond the interviews with White’s co-‐workers on Pee Wee’s Playhouse, we get lots of fun and informative interviews with other creative artists like composer Mark Mothersbaugh and Simpsons creator Matt Groening. All these interviews offer plenty of food for thought without shifting the focus from White. When we see White finally peak, it may feel like we’re seeing this major obstacle too late into the film but that would be critiquing how White’s life played out. It’s a note that’s not meant to be a dig at the film but rather something viewers should keep in mind as their waiting for that climax we’re used to seeing earlier in most films.
There’s a giant head that is featured on the film’s poster and is shown quite prominently in Beauty Is Embarrassing. It’s an obtuse head with a goofy grin but looks like a fun loving, high on life, kind of guy. The head is also supposed to represent a hick-‐like arrogance and should reek of cheap cologne but let’s take that away from this equation. Watching Berkeley’s film will have you looking like that big head. A giant grin will be plastered on your face as you watch this mixed up extravaganza of quirky innocence and frustration. It’s a film that everyone can identify with as we’ve all felt like White at some point in our lives. The humour is spot-‐on, the timing is just right, and Berkeley’s directorial debut is a joyful piece of work that is sure to be one of the best documentaries I’ll see this year.
As stated at the beginning, I got the honour of sitting down with both Berkeley and White to talk about Beauty Is Embarrassing. We also talked about the filmmaking process, what the children’s show Yo Gabba Gabba does right and what other kiddie shows do wrong, and why youth shouldn’t be pressured.
A big thanks to Neil Berkeley, Wayne White, GAT PR and Hot Docs for this amazing opportunity. Trailer for Beauty Is Embarrassing:
Showtimes: Sunday, May 6th 3:30pm @ The Bloor Hot Docs Cinema Do You Tweet? Follow These Tweeple: Beauty Is Embarrassing’s Official Twitter: @WayneWhiteDoc Wayne White: @SeeWayneWhite Neil Berkeley: @mrbrkly Hot Docs: @HotDocs GAT PR: @GATPR Sky Lewis (Interview Photographer/Audio Recorder and Editor): @SkyBaby5 Film Army: @FilmArmy Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie *Don’t forget to use the hashtag #BIEMovie and #HotDocs12* Visit the official Beauty Is Embarrassing website here
First Photo: (From Left to Right) Neil Berkeley, Myself, Wayne White Second Photo: Myself wearing White’s giant artwork
Beauty is Embarrasing Posted on April 30
This film is a must-‐see for this year’s Hot Docs. For over 30 years, Wayne White has made a mark on the creative world. As a designer, painter, puppeteer, sculptor, and musician, White created images and ideas that are an integral part of the pop culture glossary. Part biography, part live performance, Beauty Is Embarrassing tells the creative story of a one-‐of-‐a-‐kind visual artist and raconteur. The film, like White, embraces the ragged edges and messy contradictions of life, art, and family with rabid humor and honesty. At its core, Beauty Is Embarrassing shows what it takes for one uniquely talented, profanely hilarious, and utterly uncompromising artist to make it in America. The Vitals What: Beauty is Embarrassing Where: Bloor Cinema and Isabel Bader Theatre When: April 28th, 6:00pm, Bloor Cinema; April 29, 1:30pm, Isabel Bader Theatre; May 6, 3:30pm, Bloor Cinema
Who is the guy with the big head?
By Lynn Fenske | Posted on April 30
What is the story behind the huge puppet head seen cruising the streets of Toronto?
Credit the creator Wayne White who was in Toronto on the weekend for the international premiere of Beauty is Embarrassing (Future You Pictures), a documentary film about his prolific career as a creative force in visual arts and television. The film screened at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema as part of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival that got underway last Thursday.
Beauty is Embarrassing is a candid narrative by White, a quirky, middle-‐aged artist who knows no bounds. With wit and candor, he demonstrates his many talents as illustrator, painter, sculptor, animator, puppeteer, art director, set designer and all-‐round banjo-‐strummin’ comedic innovator.
White was born to create. The film tracks his early beginnings as an underground cartoonist in New York’s East Village to his breakout collaboration as a designer, puppeteer and voice-‐over actor on Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse that won him three Emmys.
After contributing to other children’s television shows and cutting-‐edge music videos for The Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Gabriel, the burned-‐out White retreated from Hollywood for a period of self-‐reflection and recharging. His re-‐emergence marks the beginning of his present-‐day career as a respected artist and performer, labels that define but do not limit his creativity.
Beauty is Embarrassing is constructed from over 300 hours of film shot by director Neil Berkeley and his team, along with hours of video shot by White throughout his career including behind-‐the-‐scenes of the making of Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse. Interviews with friends and colleagues include designer Todd Oldham, The Simpsons creator Matt Groening, and Paul “Pee wee Herman” Rubens who speak to White’s impact on their shared realms of artistic enterprise.
Beauty is Embarrassing had its international premiere at Hot Docs on April 28. One screening remains, at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on May 6.
This Week in Rep Cinema: Hot Docs 2012 edition By Danielle D'Ornellas | Posted on April 30
Your regularly scheduled "This Week in Rep Cinema" post has been hijacked this week for a few choice Hot Docs picks. Here are some of the films worth having on your radar.
Beauty is Embarrassing -‐ Bloor Hot Docs Cinema -‐ Sun May 6 -‐ 3:30pm
Hot Docs 2012: My Thoughts on Beauty is Embarrassing By Sean Kelly | Posted on April 30
Beauty is Embarrassing tells the story of Wayne White, who started off as a puppeteer and has now received some recognition for his word paintings (where he paints humourous phrases over prepainted landscape). White received some early fame for he work on the popular 80s television show Pee-‐Wee's Playhouse. He also worked on the show Beakman's World, as well as music videos for the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, Peter Gabriel, and The Offspring. I found this to be a surprisingly touching film about a very quirky individual. After his success with Pee-‐Wee's Playhouse, White seemed pressured to continue playing the Hollywood game. However, he would eventually break off on his own and find a way to express his art in his own ways. I should talk more in-‐depth about Wayne's art, which is featured very prominently within the film. Other than the word paintings that I've mentioned, he also created some impressive puppets (some of which are made from nothing but cardboard). The centre-‐piece of the film is probably a giant LJB head, which is somewhat of a mascot of the film (it's on the poster and there were people wearing the heads at the screening). Overall, I would say that I quite enjoyed Beauty is Embarrassing and I would have to add that I would rush to see a exhibition of Wayne White's artwork if it every comes to Toronto. 9/10
Hot Docs Capsule Reviews: The Imposter, GLOW, Beauty Is Embarrassing, Women With Cows
By Jay C. | Posted on May 1 BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING Dir. Neil Berkeley
If you grew up in the 80�s, you’ve more than likely been exposed to the joyously demented art of Wayne White. His most notable contribution to your/my childhood is his work on Pee Wee’s Playhouse, in which he designed both the sets and the puppets (and won three Emmy’s in the process). He also provided the voices of a few of his puppet creations, including Dirty Dog, Randy and Mr.Kite. Since then, White has made a name for himself in the art wold, known best for his word paintings in which he adds humorously crass phrases on top of thrift shop paintings. In Neil Berkeley’s directorial debut ‘Beauty is Embarrassing’, White gets the full biopic treatment, chronicling his early days struggling as a cartoonist and puppeteer and his gradual progression towards mainstream success. The story is told via one of White’s one-‐man-‐shows, in which he projects slides of his work to an audience, accompanied by funny anecdotes. This works wonderfully as a natural framing device for his story. White reflects on the playfulness of his art, continually downplaying the intellectual elements of his work and seemingly intent on taking the piss out of those who take art too seriously. The film reflects his general sense of joy by attempting to match this energy through its structure, animations, and some playful editing. There’s a fun energy inherent in the presentation and the cinematography is appropriately vibrant. There may be some debate on the amount of time spent on Pee Wee’s Playhouse (those who watched the show wishing for more and those who didn’t for less), but I thought the pacing was pretty fair throughout. I always love films that provide a detailed sneak peek into the creative process and Beauty is Embarrassing manages to capture a few great moments as White constructs the film’s signature LBJ cardboard heads along with one of his famous word paintings. The only thing hampering Beauty is Embarrassing is a seemingly niche subject resulting in a potentially narrow target audience. Anyone who goes out of their way to see the film will find White’s passion for creativity and his optimistic views on life infectious and relatable, specifically to those dominantly right brained audience members. 4/5
HotDocs! 1 Minute Critic -‐ Beauty is Embarassing Posted on May 1
HotDocs 2012! Nothing but rave reviews over Twitter when this doc (about American artist and entertainer Wayne White) first screened on Saturday and Kurt can attest to the joy it can't help but bring. Beauty is Embarassing plays one more time at the festival -‐ catch it if you can.
Hot Docs: Top 10 Must-‐See Films Posted on May 1
#5: Beauty is Embarrassing: Follow the ‘exuberant highs and crushing lows of pop culture icon and creator Wayne Wright’ (Pee Wee’s Playhouse). This will be delightful – for Pee Wee, every day is
an opportunity to create. Sat, April 28th, 6:00PM, Bloor. International Premiere
Hot Docs Roundup: 'Despite The Gods' Fascinates, 'Beauty Is Embarrassing' Is Heartwarming & 'About Face' A Fun Look At Fashion By Samantha Chater | Posted on May 1
"Beauty Is Embarrassing" Though artist/art director/illustrator/puppeteer Wayne White’s name will be unfamiliar to most, after seeing the doc “Beauty is Embarrassing," he’ll be sure to have a whole new legion of fans. Director Neils Berkley manages to capture White’s charismatic combination of childlike spirit, misanthropic tendencies and bawdy humour, in a likable, if less than cohesive, package. "Beauty is Embarrassing” is comprised of interviews with friends (including Paul Reubens and
Matt Groening) and family members as well with White himself, who also narrates, with Berkley mixing in clips of White’s TV work, old home movie footage and animated works from both White and his other half Mimi Pond, an artist in her own right. The doc spends a good chunk of time on what White was best known for, making puppets for the off-‐the-‐wall kids show “Pee Wee’s Playhouse," something he had no real prior experience in doing, but ended up being really, really good at, though it came to a bit of a sudden and disastrous end. His post-‐Pee Wee artistic slump working "for the man" and making music videos for Peter Gabriel and Smashing Pumpkins, is a period White seems less inclined in talking about, referring to the MTV Music Video Awards as the “worst night of my life," which is unfortunate because it sounds pretty interesting. It's his second-‐act success a decade later that the rest of the doc instead focuses on, as White found inspiration in painting quotable phrases on thrift store landscape paintings, which quickly became hot sellers in upscale L.A. galleries, something White, the perpetual subversive underdog, is not always at ease with. Though some of the mish-‐mash of footage will be hard to follow for some, Berkley has created an apt portrait of a unique personality and pop culture artist, and the result is both inspiring and heartwarming. [B+]
Hot Docs’ Hot Guests By Sandy Mendelberger | Posted on May 3
• Wayne White from BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING (Neil Berkeley, USA) – Wayne White began as a humble puppeteer and went on to become a co-‐creator of Pee-‐wee’s Playhouse and a celebrated artist.
Hot Docs 2012: Wrap-‐Up Posted on May 6 Well, I would say that I had a fulfilling Hot Docs experience for my second year of attending the festival. I ended up seeing a final total of 13 films during the week, which was very good when you consider the fact that I only saw a single film last year. This year was the debut of the proper home for Hot Docs, in the form of the refurbished Bloor Cinema, and it was appropriately the venue where I saw the most films. However, at the same time, Hot Docs lost a cinema with the Cumberland, which suddenly announced it was closing its doors. Now's the time I list my favourite films and moments of the festival. I will also include a slideshow of the many photos I took during the festival. Enjoy. Top Five Favourite Films
1. Her Master's Voice
2. The Imposter
3. Beauty is Embarrassing
4. The Queen of Versailles 5. The Job
Hot Docs Mini Review: Beauty is Embarrassing By CS | Posted on May 6
What is art? If you ask an artist, he or she would probably tell you that art is whatever you want it to be...as long as you are passionate about it. Beauty is Embarrassing is a film that focuses on the life of artist of Wayne White. Known for his work as a set designer and puppeteer for shows such as Pee Wee’s Playhouse and Beakman’s World, and his award winning work on The Smashing Pumpkin’s “Tonight Tonight” video; White spends most of his time these days creating wonderfully subversive art that has brought humour back to the art world. Neil Berkeley’s
directorial debut effectively emphasizes the theme of joy that is often found in White’s work. Berkeley captures many great moments of White creating his various pieces of art. Besides seeing the creation of several of Whites puppets, including a giant head of Lyndon B. Johnson, the audience gets a step by step account of how White constructs his famous word paintings. The film is told from the guise of a one-‐man show, in which White uses slides to reflect on his life and tracks his progression from fringe artist to mainstream success. White’s career is filled with many ups and downs, yet he never loss site of his wonderful sense of humour. Despite not being taken seriously by many influential critics in the art world, who believed that light -‐hearted art was too trivial, White persisted with doing what he enjoyed. Beauty is Embarrassing is as much a film about following your artistic passions as it is about having the proper people in your corner to provide support. Wayne White’s family is prominently featured in the film, and White constantly expresses the gratitude that he owes his wife, an artist herself, for the support and sacrifice she has given him. All the accolades that White has received over the years means nothing to White, as it is his family and his art that provides him with the greatest joy. Beauty is Embarrassing is a wonderful film that will encourage you to follow your passions...whatever they may be
HOT DOCS 2012 (Toronto) – Beauty is Embarrassing Review By Paolo Kagaoan | Posted on May 7
Beauty is Embarrassing also shares the same title with one of the paintings of its subject, Wayne White. That particular piece of artwork belongs in the phase where his supposed ‘shtick’ is being to superimpose pastel-‐coloured block letters over kitschy landscape paintings. Hopefully I haven’t said it yet but this is the closest I’ll get to the
festival with having seen a straight-‐up biopic. It interweaves two major ‘plots,’ one is a linear portrayal of his life through archive footage and interviews of people he knew and still knows. The other is his homecoming, this quasi-‐reluctant Angeleno experiencing a homecoming to his provenances of Alabama and Tennessee.
We don’t even notice these conventional forms when we hear his voice, saying hilarious non-‐sequiturs given life but his art of many mediums. He seems naturally made for this kind of art world fame. He tells the camera that he has felt more Southern moving out to New York and LA than he would have had he stayed. But that’s not the only reincarnation he’s had, as he’s known in his home states as one of the puppeteers in the seminal show Pee Wee’s Playhouse. I also didn’t know how much his work has touched me and children who grew up in the 90’s and early 2000’s, his resume including a show I used to watch when I was a teenager – the equally wacky and informative Beakman’s World. His work, in his ‘Hollywood’ and ‘art’ stages, can be classified as surrealist, a natural tendency that takes the kitschy art that he grew up with to another crazy level, and the movie keeps up with him and the energy levels of the other creative people in the different stages of his fascinating life.
The Best of Hot Docs The Best of Hot Docs will celebrate the Vancouver premieres of eight outstanding stories, each a sold out hit from this year’s Hot Docs programming lineup.
BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING D: Neil Berkeley | USA | 91 min Sunday, June 24, 6:00 PM
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