“I know you are, but what am I?” takes on a new meaning this weekend at the first-ever Pee-wee Herman look-alike contest in Coney Island.
The competition marks the early birthday of the late Paul Reubens, who brought Pee-wee to life on the silver screen, and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the cult classic “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure.”
Fans need not despair if they don’t quite qualify as a Pee-wee doppelganger. The contest will have several categories involving the whole Pee-wee pantheon.
There’s “Best Pee-wee,” of course; then “Pee-wee’s Playhouse,” where entrants can dress up as any of the iconic characters from the beloved TV series — like Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, or the King of Cartoons; and “Pee-wee Movie Character,” for any character from the Pee-wee cinematic universe.
“Pee-wee Herman’s body of work has left an indelible mark on American popular culture,” said Adam Rinn, artistic director of Coney Island USA. “And part of our mission is to preserve this type of popular culture through performances and events such as this.”
Pee-wee’s legacy hits even closer to home, too. The contest was inspired in large part by local burlesque performer Little Brooklyn, who attended this year’s Mermaid Parade with a group called “The Pee-wee Mermen.” The group dressed as naughty, nautical versions of Pee-wee and his gang of buddies, like Captain Carl and Large Marge.
View this post on Instagram
“Coney Island is all about fun and spectacle,” Little Brooklyn said. “We can’t wait to see how creative the people of New York City and beyond are going to get.”
Rinn and Little Brooklyn will judge the contest and dole out Coney-themed prizes for the first, second, and third place winners in each category.
The Pee-wee contest will kick off on West 12th Street near the corner of Surf Avenue at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 24. Registration is free and open to everyone, and will open at 12 p.m. the day of the competition at the Freak Bar inside Coney Island USA at 1208 Surf Ave.
