Actors - Andrew Dice Clay

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	Actors - Andrew Dice Clay

Andrew "Dice" Clay (born September 29, 1957 in Brooklyn, New York) is a Jewish-American comedian and actor born Andrew Clay Silverstein. Notorious for his highly profane comedy, he became popular during the late 1980s, but has since faded into relative obscurity. He is number 95 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Standups of All Time.

Early career

As Andrew Clay, he made sitcom appearances on M*A*S*H
and Diff'rent Strokes. He then landed roles in movies such as Making the Grade, starring Judd Nelson (1984) (playing a character named "Dice"), Pretty In Pink (1986) (credited for the first time as Andrew "Dice" Clay). As Andrew Dice Clay, he also had a regular role on Crime Story
from 1986–1988. This was followed by a series of less-notable films. He eventually turned from acting towards stand-up comedy, focusing on the character "Dice" as in Pretty in Pink. Possibly named after The Dice Man, a novel by Luke Rhinehart, the persona was that of a highly racist, homophobic woman-hating street-wise Brooklyn tough.

Comedic style

Unlike comics such as Lenny Bruce, Sam Kinison or George Carlin, who would use their aggression as a tool for political or social commentary, Clay's seeming intent was simply to be as shocking as possible. His material consisted of profane, sexist routines emphasizing women as sex objects, featuring his purported sexual prowess and his total self-involvement, as well as extremely offending racist comments aimed mainly toward Asian and Arab people. At its best, Clay's overbearing character hovered between a performance-art rejection of stereotypical misogynism and a celebration of pure excess (similar to the old joke/new film The Aristocrats
). However, at its worst the material was simply insulting, and detractors, fans and comedian alike seemed to have had a hard time separating character from reality.

Dice would often insult members of his audience while they were there, and made many so uncomfortable that they left in the middle of his shows.

Ironically, most would agree, Clay's crass, violent, misogynistic and even sophomoric style were the very key to his success. In an age of increasing prominence of feminism and political correctness, "Dice" served as a respite for many fans; a caricature of American masculinity embodied in a chain-smoking greaser in a leather jacket.

Nursery rhyme adaptations

His most popular routine involved the subversion of traditional nursery rhymes, turning them from child friendly rhymes into sordid sexual encounters. Subsequently, these rhymes became both his most widely-known material as well as the routine he (and many others) most despised.

Hickory Dickory Dock.
My balls fell out of my jock.
I laid them to rest
On some hooker's chest
And paddled her face with my cock.

Roll, roll, roll your cunt
Gently down my prick.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Then you'll suck my dick.

Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
That's more than my lazy wife does,
The fat, fuckin' smelly baboon.
Popularity
Clay's growing notoriety led to his being offered a recording contract with Rick Rubin's Def American label. Comedy records do not traditionally sell well, and so it was a shock (even to Clay himself) when his debut album Dice was a commercial success. Sampled excerpts from the album made their way to tracks by gangsta rap artist Ice Cube. When he hosted Saturday Night Live
, musical guest Sinéad O'Connor and cast member Nora Dunn
refused to appear, protesting Clay's misogynistic persona. Clay donated the money he made from this appearance to charity.
The Day the Laughter Died
Clay would then go on to record what some regard as his masterpiece; it is certainly his most successful example of "Dice" as performance art. The two CD set The Day The Laughter Died, lasting just under two hours, hit the Top 40 Album Chart. The concept, according to Clay, was to perform "the worst show possible". Clay went in front of a paying audience with no planned material and insulted them, individually and as a whole, for nearly two hours. Many members of the audience—even some familiar with the standards of a Clay show—walked out, and the entire concert was released without any edits. The album was produced by Rick Rubin.
[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Andrew Dice Clay ]

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Actors - Andrew Dice Clay

Early career

Comedic style

Nursery rhyme adaptations

Popularity

The Day the Laughter Died

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