I recently read an interesting point of view on Twitter, and I can't remember who said it.

"The only thing worse than having no one read your tweets is having one everyone reads."

When someone comes under media or public scrutiny, it's rarely a good thing.

Anyone who agrees with you inflates the story and anyone who doesn't is looking for any possible way to discredit you. The media is digging for anything, good or bad, to feed the fires. Because "mainstream media" makes money on argument, not agreement.

A story where everyone gets along doesn't bring in more eyeballs for ads.

But I want to talk with you about Pee-wee's Playhouse, or more specifically, Paul Reubens and his character Pee-wee Herman, named after a harmonica he had as a child.

Though you may not be familiar with the show Pee-wee's Playhouse and it's manic pace, odd visuals, and a crazy cast of characters, it's something to see. It's on Amazon Prime if you have that and want to check it out. My almost 5-year-old daughter is a fan. She's even yells when the "word of the day" comes up.

Pee-wee also has created three movies.

Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) is a bit of a cult classic. Pee-wee's bike is stolen and he has to travel to get it back while meeting crazy characters along the way. I don't have time for more detail, but let's just say it's got a "Rotten Tomatoes" score of 87%, whereas Rise of Skywalker only has 52%.

Big Top Pee-wee (1988) Playful Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) operates a fantastical farm with talking animals and hot-dog trees. One day, after a giant tornado hits, Pee-wee finds a circus has landed in his yard

Pee-wee's Big Adventure 2 (2002) with high profile stars such as President Bill Clinton, Zach Galifianakis, Penn and Teller, Shannon Elizabeth, and Wiz Kalifa.

Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016) Amazon Prime release. This is a similar format to Pee-wee's big adventure but with a more modern take. Still odd and entertaining, I would recommend it if you're a film buff and enjoy things like real sets, strange characters, and movies with few explosions.

How The Mighty Pee-wee Fell (or did he?)

All the way back in 1991, news agencies were already running the "breaking fake news" gambit, scrambling for market share.

"CBS cancels ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse’ reruns after Paul Reubens' public masturbation arrest in 1991"

This headline was everywhere.

There was even a song by one of my favorite Canadian bands, Spirit of the West. The song was called, "The Gone of Contention." 

And he pulled and pulled 'till someone pushed 'em and he fell

On the front page of America

And all the bright stars came out and shone in his defense

Rehabilitation, what a joke.

Is it off to Betty Ford for the handy bloke?

The problem is, the story isn't entirely true. 

"But on July 26, 1991, that separation between actor and icon disappeared in a flash. It had been a year since he'd wrapped production on the final season of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse.” Reubens was catching a triple feature in an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Fla. Undercover police were in the theater, too, and said they witnessed an act of indecent exposure.” (source: NBC News)

Reuben disagrees: “I maintained at the time that it didn't happen and I maintain that still. Didn't happen."

The other interesting and odd fact everyone ignored was that in April 1991, Pee-wee's Playhouse had already been canceled. The show was only on syndicated re-runs in July.

What Does This Have To Do With Marketing or Dating?

Everyone in marketing is trying to "go viral" all the time these days. But sometimes it's a lot safer to "stay in your lane" and just focus on your niche. 

No child anywhere cared what Paul Reubens, whose name and out-of-makeup-face they didn't know, was doing in his adult time. 

I'm not saying "stay in your lane" as in "don't go outside your comfort zone." I am all for that. 

But you don't need to be "Internet famous" to be the most popular plumber in town. 

And the idea that all press is good press, is a fallacy. 

Get known for something you did that was positive, and sometimes it's just a good idea to keep your private life private.(and your privates private)

Be safe out there - your reputation is your ability to be trusted. And no one does business with someone they don't trust.

Talking About Trust...

Valentine's Day is in a few days and I wanted to let you know that dating apps are tracking you in a very intimate and invasive way. One woman fought a dating app site to see what data they collected about her and was awestruck when she received 800+ printed pages.

Things like what times of day and month she was considered, "most lonely" or "most open to dating inquiry." They knew things about her sexual preferences she hadn't entered into a form - they had pulled the data from her choices and conversations through the app.

Events, Workplaces, and the dreaded "set up" are still common places that are more likely to lead to actual relationships. Dating apps are built for one purpose: generate revenue. And people who don't date anymore don't generate more revenue.

These apps are generally designed to give you the feeling that something *could* turn into a relationship but probably won't. They keep you coming back for more. This leads to more subscribers, and more revenue.

I know it's a tough dating world out there with lockdowns and no major events, but small events are still happening in most places. Join a club for one of your hobbies, chat with some people in networking events, reach out to friends and family to just say hello and maybe something will come up.

Stay strong my single friends.

If you love being single, it's your moment!

If you don't want to be single, then there's a light at the end of the tunnel with new treatments and vaccines for the COVIDs.

Besides, it gives you more time to work on your business!

Now go forth and be profitable.

~Matt

P.S. You could try our Outreach Challenge and you can connect with prospects, clients, friends, and business colleagues. Maybe even find that special someone, no app needed.