There’s a good chance you’ve never heard of the name Wayne White but I’m sure most will have seen his work, or at least, some of it.  In the new documentary Beauty is Embarrassing from director Neil Berkeley, the designs of puppeteer, painter, sculptor, and musician, Wayne White, are explored in detail, and even though the documentary runs longer than required, it’s very entertaining all the same.

“He’s different,” states his mother.

 “He had imaginary friends,” says his sister, “And he walked around all day talking to them”

When the subject of the documentary tells you that a pile of garbage is what makes him happy you know you’re in the company of someone unusual, though describing Wayne White as simply unusual is to do the man injustice.  He’s also very talented, at times extremely funny, and even inspirational.  After seeing the film you may never look at an empty shoe box or a piece of garbage in quite the same way.

Wayne White emerged from the mountains of Tennessee and went on to a career as a cartoonist in New York City.  “I never knew I was so southern ‘till I left,” he says.  White was employed as a puppeteer for Pee Wee’s Playhouse and made his mark in the empty loft on the 5^th floor of the building where Pee Wee’s show was filmed. The loft, we learn, was literally a sweat shop.  “It violated every working code,” White states when reflecting back on the conditions of the TV set.

The documentary has speed.  No shot seems to last for longer than a few seconds, plus all the interviews come across as sound-bites rather than anything of depth, but this is obviously by design.  The story of Wayne White and his pop culture images would not look as interesting if the documentary took a more in-depth and sober approach.  The style of the film is in keeping with the man himself – aggressive, in-your-face, and most definitely profane. 

And make sure you stay for the witty and colorful end credits as the song I’m Just a Country Boy in Paradise plays out.  Admittedly, they’re the kind of credits you would normally see at the beginning of a film, but in Beauty is Embarrassing you appreciate the designs more at the film’s conclusion because of what you now know of White’s work. 

As a friend claims when looking at the camera, “He’s like a wonderful puzzle you’ll never finish.”

 MPAA Rating:  Unrated    Length: 92 minutes    Overall Rating: 6 (out of 10)