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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

The Future of America

Pauly Shore

WTG Records · Album · 1991

An audio recording of the MTV host's signature slacker persona.

Before he anchored a string of nineties studio comedies, Pauly Shore pressed his MTV-minted “Weasel” persona onto an audio release. The act relies heavily on his signature cadence, stretching out vowels and adopting a slacker drawl to warn crowds that they might soon have to choose between English, Spanish, or “Dude” on their driving tests. Recorded live at The Comedy Store in La Jolla, California, the 1991 album arrived right as Shore was becoming a demographic phenomenon through his television hosting duties. The 41-minute set matches the era and the audience, featuring tracks dedicated to aerobics, condoms, valley girls, and his mother, comedy club owner Mitzi Shore. College students bought it in droves, and college music journalists named it the best comedy album of the year.

The set list

2 bits

  1. The Future of America stage entrance

    Confronting older or confused audience members and telling them to get into him because he is the future of America

  2. Driver's test in 'Dude'

    Envisioning a future where drivers can take their license exam in English, Spanish, or Dude

How it plays

Tone
Boyish, hip, irreverent, and youth-oriented
On stage
The Weasel; a boyish, hip, half-brained slacker pursuing parties, girls, and guitar solos while speaking in a proprietary 'Dude' surf-rap dialect
Pace
Delivered as a free-form monologue with idiosyncratic pauses midway through words
About
American youth culture, Parties and girls, Sex, Dudespeak and surf slang

What the critics said

Viewed as an unscripted, surf-slang-heavy guided tour of modern youth that baffled older listeners over 21 while turning Shore into a cult figure among Gen-X and younger demographics

In the room: Enthusiastic cult youth following, leaving parents and older generations bewildered

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: latimes.com, oklahoman.com, getluckyvintage.com, gq.com, open.spotify.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.

Backstory

Son of Comedy Store owner Mitzi Shore and comedian Sammy Shore, mentored by Sam Kinison; built a cult persona around Southern California beach and stoner culture during his rise as an MTV VJ on Totally Pauly

Details

Released
Where
WTG Records (album)
Topics

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