Interview DICE

Profane Brooklyn-born comic Andrew Dice Clay—born Andrew Clay Silverstein—is as raunchy today as he was when he was banned from MTV in 1989 and played two consecutive sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in 1991. After withdrawing from the limelight for a couple of years, the Diceman has been steadily clawing his way back: Last year he launched the VH1 reality series/publicity blitz Dice: Undisputed, chronicling his attempts to revive his comedy career. But what largely catapulted him back was his impromptu riffing of new material onstage when he was only slated as a presenter at this year’s Pollstar Awards. Though his publicist warned, “Dice is not the kind of guy that works… far ahead in terms of scheduling interview[s],” The A.V. Club wrangled some time out of his busy schedule to talk about what he and Andy Kaufman have in common, his take on The Sopranos finale, and why Carson Daly is so cool.

A.V. Club: Why aren’t you wearing the leather anymore?
Andrew Dice Clay: I do wear the leather; it’s just that I’m not restricting myself to a motorcycle jacket anymore. It’s time to change and expand on the theme. That’s why on different talk shows you see me in the pinstripe gangster suit or the leather blazer like you might see in the movies Goodfellas or Donnie Brasco.
AVC: You said the pinstripe suit was “more Sopranos, less street thug.”
ADC: It’s still a mix.
AVC: What did you think of the The Sopranos ending?
ADC: I liked it. I like when something makes you think after you stop watching. It’s a TV show, but we’re all so invested in it. You walk around and go, “What do you think really happened?” Even though I know they just said: “Cut!” Nothing happened. He just continues, because they won’t try to take him out like that.
AVC: Why does that image appeal to you?
ADC: Rebelliousness. That’s not my lifestyle, but I’m definitely not a 9-to-5 guy.
AVC: With your new material, you’re claiming to be more honest than your previous cartoonish persona.
ADC: It’s almost like the Dice of the ’90s. Even if you watch the first season of The Sopranos, they were learning their part. They were establishing. They were first learning. You watch the last season and it just seems like who they are. What you’re seeing, they get to really throw their personalities into. Onstage today, I’m more myself personality-wise than ever before.
AVC: On Last Call With Carson Daly, you did material about Siegfried and Roy and jokes about cell phones. That’s more honest?
ADC: Well, yeah. I look at people and I see how hypocritical they are in their own lives. Siegfried and Roy is probably the biggest show Vegas ever had of its kind. But when that [tiger-biting] incident happened, everybody couldn’t believe it, and my take was, “Why couldn’t you believe that?” You’re paying to see how dangerous that is, so when it happens, you’re shocked? Comedically, I know how to make it funny. That’s why I talk about things like that.
AVC: Were you sincere when you told Carson Daly you’re fan of his show?
ADC: Yeah, I like him. I think he’s funny. He’s a quirky guy. Those are the kind of people I hook into personally and comedically. Carson’s like a new friend, so we haven’t really hung, but it’s just funny the way he questions you. I always thought he had a cool show. It is like last call. It’s that vibe. He’s got that Dean Martin-type thing going on.
AVC: How much depth does the Dice character have?
ADC: I just think it keeps evolving. It’s not about the character; it’s about the material. I think I answered your question when I told you what I’ve been doing onstage. I know you have certain questions, but you keep coming back to the same question. You’ve approached it three different ways and I’m giving you the same answer.
AVC: Let’s change gears then. It seems like the Dice character is Andy Kaufman-esque—it’s more about the reactions than whether it’s funny.
ADC: No, it’s nothing like that.
AVC: What’s it like, then?
ADC: Andy would play characters like Saturday Night Live. Just characters. I’m from Brooklyn, New York. Where do you think Dice was from? Andy did the foreign guy. We know that wasn’t him. Tony Clifton wasn’t him. It’s a different thing. The one thing me and Kaufman have in common is complete commitment to what we do as performers. That’s what we have in common. We both do Elvis. I really liked his Elvis.
AVC: Was your Pollstar Awards set staged?
ADC: I wanted to perform, but they told me not to. You gamble when you do something like that. The entire personal-appearance industry was there. There’s a lot they can do to upset the performance if they want. Obviously, they didn’t. It was a real career move on my part, because now the bookings are ridiculously good. Of course the entire industry was there. I just wanted to show I’m fresh, I’m back, I’m current.