When it comes to politics,
Pauly Shore will happily tell you he’s no expert. “I don’t want to say I’m dumb, but I’m pretty dumb,” says the comedian and actor. “I
don’t have a college education, I didn’t go to Harvard. I represent a lot of America.”
Shore, best known for his roles in ’90s movies such as
Encino Man and
Bio-Dome, is in Washington this week to film segments for his upcoming Showtime special, titled
Pauly-tics. “What I’m trying to do with the show is
educate me and the audience about politics,” he says. “I’m trying to get
people
to speak English. Because [politicians] really speak Chinese,
and you got to say, ‘Dude, slow it down, speak so normal people
can hear what you say.’”
So far,
Pauly-tics has filmed at the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Washington Monument, as well as in the President’s Hall
at Madame Tussaud’s. Yesterday, Shore met with activist and author
Ralph Nader, presumably to discuss the finer points of corporate whistleblowing and nuclear counterproliferation. This morning, Shore
visited Georgetown to shop at Everard’s Clothing with television talking head and well-known clotheshorse
Michael Steele, former head of the Republican National Committee. Shore says he thinks Steele is hysterical, as well as well-dressed: “When
I first started watching him, I thought he was straight-up Republican, but he’s more in the middle. He’s entertaining.”
As for his own personal style, Shore says he’s starting to
grow up sartorially, if not personally. “I think my old style was
very much the guys from LMFAO, lots of scarves, and that’s not
really who I am anymore. Underneath it all, I’m Jewish, I’m
44, I grew up in Beverly Hills, and I’m a little more seasoned
now. The persona has slowly gone away. I like to dress more
clean with a tweak. I don’t want my clothes to be all crazy
because my personality’s already crazy.”
Later in the day, Shore and Steele hit Ben’s Chili
Bowl, which Shore called “the beef bowl,” before heading to the White
House
to film. (Shore had no plans to meet with President Obama,
although he says he’s a fan, and is grateful for what the President’s
achieved in terms of America’s reputation overseas—“especially
in France.”)
Pauly Shore: Pauly-tics
will film two live performances at the 9:30 Club June 30. Tickets ($20) are available via the venue’s website.
