Andrew Dice Clay comes to the Wellmont Theater.
There are few comedians that are as high caliber as Andrew Dice Clay. For over 30 years, Clay has shaken up the entertainment business. Whether it’s getting banned for life from the MTV Awards in 1989 for his hilariously lewd “Adult Nursery Rhymes” or discovering his true self on his new show Dice, the comedian has a penchant for attention, regardless of if he wants it.
Clay was born in Brooklyn, the area from which he draws many characteristics of his infamous “Diceman” stand up character. The character is tough, smokes, is loud, but most controversially, is overtly sexist. For many years, “Diceman” seemed to define Clay, something he wasn’t all that bothered about.
Still, it was troubling for some in the business to repeatedly see somebody making money from a character that uses extremely indiscreet sexism for laughs. When Clay was invited to host Saturday Night Live in 1990, cast member Nora Dunn refused to partake in the episode, along with musical guest Sinead O’Connor.
This is just a small segment of the ripple effect that Clay has had in the industry since his beginnings in the 1980’s. “It was very much a time that seemed like it was the biggest personality gets the spotlight, and that was always ‘Diceman,’” said Ken Robinns, a professor of Media at Rutgers University. “People loved it. I remember students wearing shirts, quoting him, all that. It was so outrageous and proudly insensitive that it attracted a lot of people to be infatuated by him. He was a rockstar on a comics stage.”
Recently, Clay’s career has been more focused around recovering what he lost through that famous abrasiveness he’s become so well known for. In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Clay said that the creation of “Diceman” came when he wanted to “create the Elvis of comedy. I want to give people a bigger than life, heroic comedian.” But creating a persona that large comes at a price. Dice received hate and abuse on many occasions because of his character.
With his new show, Dice, Clay is trying to make right some of the wrongs he may have founded with Diceman. The first episode features Clay speaking at the wedding of two men, one of which has a serious problem with Clay and his words.
However high his velocity may be, Andrew Dice Clay is always going to put on a great show. His decision to return to Montclair and The Wellmont Theater has been well received by residents and fans. The show will take place on Sunday, March 5 at 8 p.m. For tickets and information visit www.wellmonttheater.com or call at 973-783-9500.
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