------Cover Story • Pauly Shore------Pauly Does Politics By Mark Hunter hopes of adopting a black child, a practice made popu- lar by Madonna and Angelina Jolie. Has Pauly Shore grown up? That depends on what Obviously not one to shy away from controversy, you mean by “grown up.” Shore recently released a rap video called “Obama Webster’s defines a grown-up as a person who Got Osama.” The video has President Obama doing no longer uses the phrase “Webster’s defines” in their and saying things that are distinctly un-presidential, writing. For Pauly Shore, the concept of being grown yet the real targets are Obama’s political foes. up seems to have something to do with wearing a suit The Pauly-tics, however, finds Shore in a more and fearlessly diving headfirst into the murky and congenial frame of mind. He’s not out to wrench on shallow waters of American politics. Or as Shore spells it, “Pauly-tics.” While the concept of a comedian tackling politicians is as old as both professions, Shore’s approach is uniquely Paulian. Last spring Shore headed to Washington with a camera crew and a bunch of questions about politics in America. The resulting special, called Pauly-tics, debuts in streaming format on November 6. And now he’s embarked on a campaign tour to tell the rest of us what it’s all about. What’s it all about, Pauly? The campaign stops at Snickerz in Fort Wayne at 8 p.m. Tuesday October 16. “Politicians to me are funny,” Shore told me in a phone interview. “I watch ’em and I’m enter- tained by them. They’re funny without knowing they’re funny.” Some of the funny people he interviews in- clude Ralph Nader, Herman Cain, former Re- publican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, Rep. Barney Frank and Larry King. For a while it looked as though the star of films such as Encino Man, Son in Law and Bio- dome might actually run for the presidency him- self. At least that’s what his website, Paulyshore. com, said a couple of weeks ago. When I asked him about that he said he’d missed his chance. “We were too late,” he said without elaborating. “It takes way too much energy to run for PAULY SHORE president. So this is what I’m Tuesday, Oct. 16 • 7:30 p.m. promoting. I’m promoting the Snickerz Comedy Bar politicians and twist them into chance for someone to win a tight spots. His aim is to depict hundred grand.” 5535 St. Joe Rd., Fort Wayne them as real people, someone The current website in- Tix: $22 thru Snickerz box you’d like to have a beer with. deed announces a sweepstakes office, 260-486-0216 “I don’t come across of sorts which will award like Borat or Jon Stewart,” he $100,000 to one lucky winner, said. “I’m not coming at it from under certain conditions, of course, such as 100,000 a cynical viewpoint or like someone of the left. It’s not people paying the $5 entry fee by January 2, 2013. about that. We’re all equal. Washington, DC is their “The odds are better on this than on a lottery,” he life. It’s like a different version of Hollywood. I think said. that’s why they mesh so well. Everyone is narcissis- Shore found widespread fame in the 1990s as tic in both places. Everyone is into being looked at. an MTV VJ in the late 1980s. The son of show biz They’re just like everyone else. To me that was the parents (his mother Mitzi Shore founded the Comedy most important part of the special: to show how these Store, and his father Sammy Shore was a comedian), people are like everyone else.” Shore grew up hanging out with the likes of Sam Ki- Ralph Nader was really funny, Shore said. Her- nison and eventually developed his own standup act, man Cain was really funny too. And Larry King was an act that included a character he created called The Larry King. “He’s a legend,” Shore said. Weasel. The Weasel had the vocabulary and diction of “Being inside the Senate up on Capitol Hill was a stoned surfer dude, an attribute that Shore employed a highlight. Interviewing Barney Frank. All that his- to the fullest in his later film roles. tory. Barney Frank was cool. Herman Cain was cool. In 2003, Shore produced, wrote, directed and They’re all very nice people.” starred in Pauly Shore is Dead, a mockumentary about The question I didn’t ask was the first one Shore the sudden rise and fall of a star named Pauly Shore answered. “I’m voting for Obama. I think if there who, on the advice of the ghost of his former mentor, were a really cool Republican running, I might vote Sam Kinison, fakes his own death in order to boost his for them. Romney is like a bad used car salesman.” popularity. So has Pauly Shore grown up? Sticking with the mockumentary style, in 2009 If you were to ask him he’d likely respond in his Shore produced a film called Adopted in which the best Weasel dude speak, “Hey buddy. I’m still Pauly main character, Pauly Shore, flies to South Africa in Shore.” October 11, ’12------www.whatzup.com------5