All the ‘Encino Man’ Jokes Are Hurting Pauly Shore’s Feelings

This past Sunday, Encino Man stars Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan both won Oscars after mounting successful comebacks after years of career struggles. The only thing Pauly Shore got was pissed off.

The Bio-Dome lead has been the butt of a great many jokes since his peak in the 1990s, and ever since his former co-stars first entered this past year’s Oscars race, all the unfunny hack writers of the internet have come out of the woodwork to make dumb jokes at Shore’s expense — myself included. Shore, on the other hand, has handled his partners’ success with great grace and empathy, saying of Fraser and Quan’s comebacks before Sunday’s ceremony, “It’s almost like they were in Encino Man, they dethawed them and they’re coming back to life.”

Despite Shore’s best attempts to stay courteous, Jimmy Kimmel made the joke that broke the camel’s (weasel’s?) back on Oscar night when he told millions of viewers, “Two actors from Encino Man are nominated for Oscars. What an incredible night this must be for the two of you and what a difficult night it must be for Pauly Shore.” Kimmel’s just lucky Shore wasn’t invited to the event.

Though Shore acknowledged Kimmel's joke on Twitter claiming that he “loved it,” he sang a slightly different tune when Page Six asked him about the Oscars jab. “We love to hate people when they’re on top,” Shore said, claiming that Kimmel’s comment is no different from the deluge of negativity he’s received since his stoner/slacker brand of comedy first hit mainstream movies in the early 1990s: “People wanted to smash me down and they did.”

Despite the disrespect he’s received, Shore maintains that he’s only ever tried to be an affable member of the A-list, saying, “I was always nice to everyone, always cool, I put my heart into all my films.” Shore contextualized the criticism and mockery he’s received from Kimmel and others, saying of his work and the strange nature of his celebrity status, “You’re buying and selling a human being. … Human beings have feelings, it’s not like selling real estate.”

“It’s a big deal, I’m happy for these guys,” Shore said of Fraser and Quan, bringing the discussion back to his Encino Man mates’ accomplishments. “We did a movie together years ago, and I’m glad that people still talk about it 30 years later. It’s crazy.”

“I do truly miss acting and I miss being on set. … Hopefully it happens. … It’s about just dreaming and hoping,” Shore said of his own comeback potential. Perhaps Kimmel can make up for his off-the-cuff crack at Shore by helping him with a project Kimmel himself teased at the Oscars — Bio-Dome 2 would look mighty nice with a producing credit from Jimmy Kimmel.