Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes, and the Reinvention of the American Grown-up

Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes, and the Reinvention of the American Grown-up is a non-fiction book written by author Christopher Noxon and published by Crown Publishing in 2006. The term "rejuvenile" refers to people who "cultivate tastes and mindsets traditionally associated with those younger than themselves."

Noxon explores adults who behave and think in childlike and childish ways, and concludes that their behavior is not necessarily a bad thing. According to the book, many rejuveniles have found ways to lead productive and responsible lives without tossing aside things they've always loved—from Necco Wafers to The Adventures of Tintin to skateboarding. The book has numerous stories about like-minded adults who pursue activities such as playing dodgeball on the weekends, going to Walt Disney World Resort (without kids), and collecting toys.

Christopher Noxon appeared on The Colbert Report on June 29, 2006. On the show, Noxon told the story of how he met his wife. Apparently they met while playing kickball (Colbert: You were both in eighth grade? Noxon: No, mid-twenties). He later proposed to her on the same field. He put the ring inside of a kickball and then reinflated it and gave it to her. He also gave her a knife, so that she could cut it open and get the ring out. Unfortunately, there was a Little League team nearby, and when they saw him with the knife, they started yelling "Don't kill her!" They got married and have three children.

Later, Colbert brought out a box of cupcakes, but Noxon turned them down, joking, "I'm gonna have it after, 'cause I don't wanna muss up my visage."

Colbert also brought up the idea that Noxon was very reluctant to qualify the rejuvenile movement as specifically a good thing or a bad thing. Noxon clarified: being childlike can be good, but being childish isn't. "There's a big difference between childish and childlike. And childish is sort of impatient and silly and ridiculous and temper tantrums and brat behavior, and childlike is open and creative and flexible."

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