On this start of April, the day of foolishness and games, I am mindful to reminisce, backwards in time to college and then further back to my carefree days of childhood. Starting with childhood, one of my earliest loves of eighties TV shows was that of Punky Brewster and until very recently I did not know just how much that show and its titular character, Punky, had such an influence on me through and through. One April Fools Day in my college experience, my best friends and I crashed a free box and adorned ourselves with all matter of crazy assortment of outfit, then happily skipped down the street for pizza, laughingly nicknaming ourselves the "April Fools".
The storyline of Punky Brewster was of a very young girl, abandoned by her mother, forced to survive on her own until rescued and adopted by the loveable old miser yet doting, Henry. In Tuesday's entry, Pop Culture & Les Miserables, I compared Punky to the character of Cosette in that Punky's original sense of self, boldness to be her and pursue her best life was emboldened by the stability from the great love of those who cared for and helped raise her. Thus, the foundation of love was such that made her character strong enough to be truly herself, without fear of judgment or reprisal, wherein she was able to truly embody to the fullest her "Punky Power".
For women of my age, Punky Brewster was an icon, yet even more than that. During the month of March 2021, Punky Brewster was rebooted with Soliel Moon Frye reprising her iconic role as well as with other familiar faces.
Along with the reboot, Soliel Moon Frye released a documentary, Kid90, which featured all the footage she shot while growing up an adolescent, teenager, and twenty something in the nineties, with images of more recent times in the final scenes as Soliel brought about the conclusion.
Having not had a chance to watch the reboot of Punky Brewster yet, I did watch Kid90 twice. As I watched this, taking in all who Soliel had been after she wrapped Punky Brewster as a child, hearing her story of the awkwardness of growing into adulthood and trying to assert herself as Soliel and not Punky, a sense of calm and peace washed over me.
Here was the woman I had followed as a young child, the woman who had seemingly disappeared from the media focus for some time, and here she was back again as if she never left.
No one could play Punky but Soliel for she is Punky, but even more so, because of how she portrayed Punky, there is a Punky Brewster in all fans of the beloved show. Punky Brewster showed us it was okay for us to be us, she showed us we were worthy of love, indeed it was not selfish to love oneself and ask for it from others. Rather, that the stable foundation of unconditional love is the true facet in being fully oneself and embracing one's own personal Punky Power.
All of my life, I've had an original sense of style, humor, interests, and creative pursuits. Until the return of Soliel, I did not realize how much my girlhood fandom had gone inward, never left, and truly influenced me. The college age me was no doubt expressing the Punky Brewster influence as she dumpster dived through the free box of clothing. Furthermore, no matter all the hardships I have experienced throughout my life, the mad mad Bipolar years, battling PTSD from damaging relations a plenty, the crazy years of being manipulated in a mainstream cult, and so much more, I have survived because of two little words taught to me in my tender years: Punky Power! I had it then, throughout all the struggles, trials, and even the joys, and I still have it now.
As I watched Kid90, as Soliel laid bare all of her goings on throughout the years, as if showing her fans what she had been dealing with, how she had occupied her life since, a smile of gratitude traveled across my face.
After all we have been through in recent years, my friends, rest assured that 2021 is gonna be more than all right for,
Punky Brewster is back.
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