Pauly Shore has played a surfer, a slacker, a mall rat, a college brat and a weasel--now he just wants to be himself. The Californian-to-the-bone comedian and former host of MTV's Totally Pauly show, best known for his alter ego "the Weasel" (do "fresh nugs," and "weazin' the juice" ring any bells?), wants back in the public eye. Bit by bit, he's been gearing up for a surprise attack comeback while juggling at least half a dozen projects and touring across America doing standup (the midwest has always stayed true to him).

One project is Spooge, a documentary Shore directs and stars in, billed as "a cross between Truth or Dare and Roger and Me."

"Basically the camera follows me around as I do my thing. Like, I got to judge a pregnant bikini contest." And how was that? "That was interesting," Shore offers in a curt deadpan. On the phone from L.A., despite his loud gum chewing and frequent pepperings of his speech with the word "like," Shore sounds rather mature and blasé. He doesn't stretch out words with weird pauses between syllables like the Weasel did ("hey, bu-uuuh-dy!") back in the day.

Tragedy vs. comedy

With his corkscrew crazier-than-Kenny G mane stuffed under a pastel Aerosmith bandanna, his mini cut-off jean shorts and his trademark valley boy sing-song, Shore's horny-as-he-was-dumb alter-ego, the Weasel, took America by storm in 1990. Of course, some might say he was born into the comedy business--mom is the long-time owner of L.A.'s infamous Comedy Store (where Pryor, Williams et al. first made it big). Major studios clamoured to get him on contract and he was dating blonde bombshell Savannah, one of the most popular porn stars of the time.

A 23-year-old Shore was gorging himself on the fruits of fame. What followed was a series of short-lived, frenzied box office successes (and critical flops) and tragedies which shaped his career into what it is today. Shore flounced into his first starring role in a feature film in 1992's surprise hit Encino Man, but that same year, his friend and mentor, the ultimate comedic bad boy, Sam Kinison, died in a car crash. In 1994, the year the fourth Shore vehicle, In the Army Now, came out, his heroin-addicted ex and friend Savannah committed suicide. Then came Jury Duty (1995) and Biodome (1996) and a short-lived show on Fox, called Pauly in 1997. All the while, critics seemed to delight in offering up their most scathing and venomous attacks on Shore's obnoxious acting and low-brow films.

So how exactly has his standup changed since the early '90s? Does he still do the Weasel? "No. But I do the Badger and it sounds kind of like this: aarrruuuu, aeeerugghhhh, rrrruuooooo, oooorrrreeeuugghh, [he continues to make 'badger ' noises...]"

Okaaaaay...

"Actually, I just do the usual stuff, but my way. You know, there's the relationships, the sex stuff, the drugs stuff. I go through them and do them in my style." As for his sense of style, no more fashionable fluorescent mesh tops and pastel scarves, "Nowadays I just wear what's comfortable--T-shirts, lots of cotton."

Godfather of dumb?

His penchant for big-breasted babes seems to have remained intact, however. On his Web site (www.paulyshore.com), there are pictures of him with busty Hooters waitresses on his lap, Vegas showgirls and sundry other silicone victims he met while touring the standup circuit.

But there's another side to Shore, a more honest and self-deprecating one that's come to light--like in his new screenplay for instance. "I wrote it with a friend. It's a satire on Hollywood, about a guy who's basically me, about why I don't have a movie coming out every year."

Another endeavour Shore's been a part of is the soon-to-be-released Bogus Witch Project, a series of homemade video comedy skits riffing on Blair Witch. "It's hilarious. I'm the host and there's, like, guys in Compton doing the Blair Bitch Project going 'yo, I'm lookin' for the Blair Bitch!'" He's also collaborated with Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit on Shore's third comedy CD Hollywood, We Have a Problem. Cartoon voice work and occasional TV guest spots round out his busy schedule.

Shore's honesty about his predicament, having fallen from fame's fickle favour and trying to claw his way back into audience's good books, is timely now that he's finally getting the accolades some would say he doesn't even deserve. Spin magazine recently called him "the godfather of '90s dumb comedy." How does he fancy this honour?

"I hate them for saying that." Really? "No, just kidding. I mean, it's true, I was the first to do a lot that out-there type of stuff. I think Tom Green is the only one to take things further than I did on MTV, for instance. But I'm different from him, I was always more... vulnerable." :

Pauly Shore headlines The Really Late Show, Thursday, July 30, midnight

The laughs keeping coming