Pauly Shore minding ‘Store’ on reality show

Comedian grew up in LA’s Comedy Store

Frank Franklin Ii / AP

Pauly Shore is hosting the non-scripted TBS show "Minding the Store," set at his mother's Comedy Store club in Los Angeles.

updated 3:57 p.m. ET July 7, 2005

NEW YORK - Pauly Shore is sitting in the back of a horse-drawn carriage trotting through sun-drenched Central Park.

Some tourists from Florida in a nearby buggy spot the star of the goofball ’90s movies “Encino Man,” “Bio-Dome” and “Jury Duty” — keystones to his multiple Razzie awards — and immediately begin snapping photos.

Shore basks in the attention and mugs for the camera.

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“What was your favorite Pauly Shore movie?” Shore asks the onlookers.

There’s an awkward pause.

“Uh, I like the one about the farm,” one of the male passengers replies.

“That’s always a good one. That’s ‘Son-In-Law,” Shore reminds him.

Nowadays, the 37-year-old actor-comedian is frequently reminding people who he is and what he did. But he’s more focused on what he wants to do in the second half of his career. Once the curly-haired wild child of MTV with the show “Totally Pauly,” Shore galloped into movies and later his own sitcom. His stoner slang catch phrases like “hey buuuddy” and “chillin’ with The Weasel” were the “that’s hot” and “fo’ shizzle” of their day.

Growing up in mom’s ‘Store’
The Los Angeles-based Shore — who was in town to appear on Howard Stern’s radio show and hang in the Hamptons with friends — freely accepts he’s no longer riding high.

He unashamedly tells The Associated Press he hasn’t had an audition in months, adding, “It’s OK. I’m doing my own thing.”

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His “own thing” is playing up his Hollywood has-been persona. Earlier this year, he directed and starred in “Pauly Shore is Dead,” an indie flick about faking his own death to regain fame. Last month, he popped up as a Playboy Mansion evictee version of himself on HBO’s “Entourage.”

Now, Shore’s fronting the TBS show “Minding the Store,” premiering 10 p.m. ET July 17. “Store” follows Shore as he attempts to rebuild and revitalize The Comedy Store, the Los Angeles standup comedy haven owned by Shore’s mother, Mitzi Shore.

“It’s like where I was born and raised,” Shore says. “People that know me associate me with MTV and the movies. They don’t know that I grew up in this legendary place.”

Comedians such as Richard Pryor, Robin Williams and Jim Carrey once graced its stage. According to Shore, who partially took over the family business three years ago, laughter at the Store is no longer booming.

CONTINUED: 'Hot Girls of Comedy'?

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