2010 / Video / Timely character-comedy technology parody
Pee-wee Gets An iPad!
Pee-wee got an iPad before the public could—and immediately discovered it worked best as a drink tray.
The original is off-site. HAHrchives preserves the story and a route back to it.
What happened
Pee-wee shows Puppetland Apple’s latest device, and its residents immediately find cheaper or stranger ways to do everything it can do.
Where it came from
Funny Or Die released this Pee-wee Herman Playhouse reunion sketch on January 29, 2010, two days after Apple announced the iPad; its official YouTube upload followed in February.
Why it mattered
It caught a new-gadget miracle at its most vulnerable: an expensive solution looking for a problem, in Pee-wee’s unmistakable visual world.
How it spread
The launch-week sketch was covered by entertainment and technology outlets while the iPad was still unavailable to the public.
Keep going
The same corner of the internet
Look at your man. Now back at me. Now look at the internet trying to keep up.
The news had finally learned to sing, and unfortunately it had a very catchy chorus.
A Ke$ha parody turned one very messy pop persona into a 2010 YouTube staple.
Hey Apple. Hey Apple. Hey Apple.