INTERVIEW: Pauly Shore | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

INTERVIEW: Pauly Shore

Pauly Shore, in Bend Wednesday
  • Pauly Shore, in Bend Wednesday
Everybody who grew up watching MTV in the 90s knows who Pauly Shore is. The Weasel— as he is also known— hosted Totally Pauly on that network for five years. He's also the star of such films as Encino Man and Son in Law. But long before any of those things happened, Pauly Shore was a comedian.

Now 45, the comedic actor grew up around laughter. His mother Mitzi Shore founded The Comedy Store in Hollywood and his father Sammy was a comedian himself. Because of that lineage, Shore knew early on that he wanted to pursue comedy. In one form or another that's exactly what he's done.

And he's bringing those talents to Bend's Tower Theatre this Wednesday night. (see info below)

The Source caught up with the comedian by phone Sunday night, finding Shore a bit tired. Though, in between yawns he did manage to 'make up his melon' enough to show flashes of his more alert self, even apologizing for being a bit out of it since he's not used to being "on" during a Sunday evening.

The result was an eclectic conversation covering everything from NSA surveillence, Chris Christie, Kim Kardashian, Justin Beiber, gun violence and the new Miss U.S.A.. Check it out below.


SW: Were you watching the Spurs/Heat game?

I was.

SW: Which team are you rooting for?

What the fuck dude! That’s like asking me if I’m a Republican or a Democrat! I’m not going to answer that and alienate half of my fans!

SW: Ha! No problem man. So, I wanted to talk politics with you a bit. Your Pauly-tics special took that arena head on with comedy. Did you come out of that experience feeling better or worse about government?

More entertained by them. I don’t’ want to say the word scam, but it’s all show business you know what I mean? The thing is to me, a lot of reasons why these people run, yeah they believe in what they say, but at the end of the day they just want the plaque on their desk with their name on it and to eat at Outback Steakhouse without paying for it.

SW: Are you following this whole NSA thing where they're collecting phone records from Americans?

I think the whole thing is pretty disgusting. I also think this whole the gun thing is an issue, with these automatic crazy Rambo type weapons. Those should definitely be banned. But my belief is guns don't kill people, people kill people. At the end of the day we really need to spend time determining who’s crazy out there. If someone is locking themselves in their basement for weird hours or sitting in back of the classroom scratching their face trying to pick a scab all the time that’s someone you should watch. Or if someone isn't getting any vagina, those are people you need to watch.

SW: So what is the NSA learning about Pauly Shore by reading his emails and spying on his phone calls?

That I like vagina bro! Yeeeeeeee! That’s the good part about me no secrets!

SW: I know you once performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos for Insane Clown Posse. Those guys are in a pretty heated battle with the F.B.I. right now over their gang designation. Do you have any advice for them?

No comment dude. I know some good Jewish lawyers in Beverly Hills. They’d be really expensive. Maybe move to Thailand?

SW: Who do you hope runs for President in 2016?

Chris Christie, the chubby guy from Jersey. I’m just kidding. He'll probably run though, I’m sure. If he lost some weight. He’s probably the only Republican I see being tangible at all.

SW: Switching gears here, yesterday Twitter went crazy over the news Kim Kardashian had her baby. But I noticed your Twitter account was eerily silent. Anything you want to say to her?

I don’t want to get beat up by Kanye. But she’s a friend of mine. I’m’ happy for her. I’m not a woman so I don’t know what it’s like to give birth. It’s probably cool you know? She’ll be on the cover of all the magazines in a month and we can see all the baby weight she’s lost. That’ll be exciting. I can’t wait for that.

SW: Ha that's for sure!

I think the internet is really good and really fucked at the same time. It’s allowed crazy people to have a voice and talented people get washed out. It’s almost like a riot. I’m not really feeling it. You have to go to it because that’s what happening. Or you can retire. That’s why I like playing small towns. They are stuck in the past. You guys [in Bend] are pretty savvy though. I mean you’re not Eau Claire Wisconsin.

SW: There's a video that's resurfaced of you interviewing a four year old Bruno Mars. If you were still on MTV, what would you think about getting the chance to interview Justin Beiber when he was a kid?

I’m happy for him, I think he’s talented. He fills the void of that teen audience that’s been around ever since David Cassidy. There have always been those bands, Backstreet boys, N’Sync. It’s just a genre of music that there is an audience for. I hope for his sake that he’s able to pull himself out of this marijuana haze he’s in though.

SW: You see some warning signs there?

Definitely.

SW: So, today is Father's Day and they just crowned a new Miss U.S.A.. If you were her dad what kind of advice would you give her about her new found glory?

I would give the same advice I’d give to someone else: find out what you want to do with your life when you’re 60 years old. That’s why these playmates start modeling. They want to be playmates so bad but they have nothing else. It’s kind of sad in a way. There’s nothing wrong with being a pretty girl, because you want to be, desirable. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you should have a plan B even if that is getting pregnant by a rich dude.

SW: Thanks for taking the time to talk tonight Pauly! What should people who show up at the Tower Theatre expect when you come to town?

Bio Dome 2 bro! Whooooooo! Um. I don’t know, it’s Pauly Shore so if you know who I am and you know my brand of comedy then you know what you’ll get.

Pauly Shore with Sandy Danto

8 p.m. Wednesday, June 19

The Tower Theatre

835 N.W. Wall St.

Tickets $25-$35 at www.towertheatre.org

Video of Pauly Shore's stand up:

Sandy Danto:

Ethan Maffey

Both a writer and a fan of vinyl records since age 5, it wasn't until nearly three decades later that Oregon Native Ethan Maffey derived a plan to marry the two passions by writing about music. From blogging on MySpace in 2007 and then Blogspot, to launching his own website, 83Music, and eventually freelancing...
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