Pauly Shore Oscars Jabs at Me Were Funny ... Movie Industry's Been Tough, Though!!!

UPDATE

10:24 AM PT -- Pauly tells us he was misquoted as far as his feelings about the Oscars jokes ... he actually thought Kimmel's monologue jab at him was "very funny," and even posted about it on IG.

UPDATE

However, he says he is critical of Hollywood as an industry ... and that's what he was referring to when he talked about people putting him down and "buying and selling" human beings.

Pauly Shore is pissed off at Jimmy Kimmel making him the butt of a joke during the Oscars ... saying it was gratuitous and hurtful.

The comedian/actor told Page Six how he felt when JK used him as a punchline while celebrating his 2 former costars from 'Encino Man' -- one of Pauly's cult classics from the '90s.

kimmel shore
PULLING PAULY'S LEG
ABC

Turns out ... the jab left a wound. PS says, "We love to hate people when they’re on top. People wanted to smash me down and they did. I was always nice to everyone, always cool, I put my heart into all my films."

He adds, "You’re buying and selling a human being. Human beings have feelings, it’s not like selling real estate." He says he's quite happy for Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan ... both of whom acted in 'Encino' and each of whom won their own statuette Sunday night.

Pauly goes on to talk about a comeback of his own and how he wants to get back into acting. At the moment, he's touring and about to hit SXSW soon -- he also teases a possible TV show that might come about that focuses on his upbringing from the '70s and '80s.

It seems having a couple of his old costars swing back into the spotlight has him itching for some of that too. Pauly ends by saying, "I am not going to stop. I’m going to keep going. I know I’m going to get that call, and get that opportunity. That’s what it's about."

While Pauly might be craving mainstream success again ... he's actually been steadily working. Dude's got roles racked up for just about every year going back to the 2010s/'00s ... albeit, none of those projects are as memorable as what he did in the 20th century.

If Brendan and Ke can do it ... anyone can, we suppose. Go get 'em, Mr. Shore!

Nick Cannon I Got No Beef with Kimmel ... Oscars Joke Cool with Me!

031323-nick-cannon-kal
FATHERLY FUN
TMZ.com

Nick Cannon says Jimmy Kimmel's Oscars jab at him and his ever-growing family tree is all in good fun ... telling us the "too many kids" jokes can keep on comin'.

We got Nick leaving Avra in Bev Hills Sunday night, after Jimmy had been on stage at the Dolby Theater poking fun at this year's nominees and yes, Nick too.

ICYMI, Nick's children came up when Jimmy brought up "Avatar: The Way of Water" ... saying in order to break even on the $2 billion film, "All of Nick Cannon's kids had to see 'Avatar' 4 times."

031323-jimmy-kimmel-kal
CRACKIN' CANNON
ABC

Nick tells us he's got no problems with the punch line, adding he and Jimmy are tight. He says he's cool with being the butt of all these jokes -- Kimmel's far from the first to do it -- and Nick says the creator of 'Wild 'N Out' should be able to take a few comedic jabs.

BTW -- we ask him if he's got a limit in mind when it comes to family planning, and he clearly doesn't have one ... but check out his pretty wild response.

As we reported, Nick said last month the cap on his children isn't up to him, because "God decides when we're done" ... and warned he might even pump some out in his 80s.

031323_tv_clips_nick_cannon_oscars_joke.01_00_05_22.Still001
NO PROBLEM
TMZ.com

D.L. Hughley On Chris Rock It's Crazy To Think He Deserved the Slap ... Slams Senior Root Writer

030723_dl_hughley_kal
TOTALLY JUSTIFIED
TMZ.com

D.L. Hughley is pushing back against folks who say Chris Rock deserved to be slapped by Will Smith for making fun of Jada Pinkett Smith ... he finds the narrative extremely ironic.

The comedian ripped into The Root's Candace McDuffie, who went on CNN and claimed Chris had it coming after years of targeting Black women with his jokes, saying she's got it all twisted.

030723_candace_mcduffie_kal
HE HAD IT COMING
CNN

D.L. says Chris isn't punching down on marginalized women, as Candace believes, but rather making fun of celebs who put their business out in the streets ... he says it's all fair game.

030523-chris-rock-kal
ROCKIN' WILL
Netflix

The irony for D.L. ... Candace thinking the violent slap was justified while a comedic response goes too far, and everyone's allowed an opinion except for the man who actually got smacked in the face on live TV.

Like other comedians we've talked to -- Bill Bellamy, Donnell Rawlings, Jeff Ross and Jeff Dye -- D.L. tells us why Chris has every right to respond through his art, even if it's been a year since the Oscars incident.

Buffalo Wild Wings Sued Boneless Wings Are Just the Breast ... Customer Cries FOWL!!!

Buffalo Wild Wings is duping customers into believing they are chowing down on wing meat when they order boneless wings, when in reality it's essentially just chicken nuggets ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The nationwide restaurant chain is being dragged into a class-action suit by a man named Aimen Halim, and he's got a serious bone to pick here. Sorry, we had to do it.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Halim claims Buffalo Wild Wings' boneless wings are not deboned wings at all, as they would have customers believe, but rather slices of breast meat deep fried like wings with a composition more akin to nuggets than wings.

He says he fell victim to what he describes as deceptive marketing.

Taste and transparency aren't the only issues for Halim ... he says BWW is misleading customers to sell a cheaper product for more than it's worth, and he accuses the chain of knowing it's engaging in false advertising and refusing to change its ways.

Halim claims other restaurants selling boneless chicken, like Papa John's, are being careful not to market it as wings ... and he's howling mad BWW doesn't even mention in fine print anywhere on the menu the meat is really from the breast and not the wing.

Naturally, the guy's going after Buffalo Wild Wings for money.

We reached out to BWW ... so far no word back.

N.O.R.E. & Drink Champs Edited Remy Ma After Fat Joe Question ... She Laughed My Face Off!!!

N.O.R.E.'s attempt to squash the beef between Fat Joe and ex-Terror Squad rapper Cuban Link resulted in Remy Ma laughing so hard, they had to scrub the entire scene from a "Drink Champs" episode!!!

The DC crew huddled up on a recent interview to discuss their decisions not to interview Cuban, Jae Hood and Reek Da Villain due to their long-running conflicts with Joe, The LOX and Busta Rhymes, respectively ... and Remy, being the 1st Lady of TS herself, confirmed that the beef was forever up!!!

In 2021, Cuban Link falsely accused Joe of snitching, which reignited their beef that's been festering since the mid-'00s, causing N.O.R.E. to speak out and admit he had no intentions of interviewing any artist who's against his friends.

N.O.R.E. also addressed his former Def Jam labelmate Keith Murray's recent claims that he was snubbed in person at the last Rock The Bells Festival.

According to N.O.R.E.'s recollection, he was running about 30 deep (thanks to Capone and Tragedy Khadafi's entourages) and didn't want to add to any confusion.

In other words, "Drink Champs" is Switzerland — not Smack TV!!!

'Impractical Jokers' Joe Gatto Defends Woman From Anti-Fur Rant ... 'Stop Being Piece of S***'

joe fur
FURIOUS OVER FUR
TMZ.com

Joe Gatto was a knight in shining armor to a woman who was being berated over a fur coat ... he's on camera coming to her defense and calling her foe a "piece of s***."

The heated exchange played out north of the border in Montreal ... and the video picks up with a woman in a fur coat being shamed over her fashion choice as she waits to cross a busy intersection with her two dogs.

Joe, the former "Impractical Jokers" star who is currently on a comedy tour ... walks over and asks the woman if she needs help, telling the anti-fur activist to quit harassing her and "stop being a piece of s***."

Joe was Johnny-on-the-spot here ... the woman's clearly flustered and is trying to explain why the fur coat doesn't make her a terrible person, and the guy's being pretty combative.

The fur debate doesn't seem to be the issue for Joe -- it's snowing out and he's not wearing a fur coat to stay warm himself -- rather, he didn't like the way the man was going after the woman.

Frankly, in this day and age, ya never know what these folks are gonna do.

The anti-fur activist Len Goldberg tells TMZ... "I'm saddened that Joe Gatto, who represents himself publicly as an animal lover, would call me a "piece of s***" when all I did was repeatedly ask this woman why she supports skinning beaver but not dogs for a status statement, instead of letting her change the subject as all fur-wearers do when I pose this question. I'm sad Joe doesn't regard these beaver, who were crushed to death for a fur coat, as being the real victims."

Joe is a big advocate for adopting dogs, at one time boasting 12 of his own ... so it's not like he's necessarily pro-fur -- he just didn't like the way the lady was treated.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Last year, Joe shocked fans when he announced his split from his wife and that he would no longer be a part of "Impractical Jokers" to deal with issues in his personal life.

Donnell Rawlings Chris and Will Are All Square Now ... Hopefully This War's Over

030723-donnell-rawlings-kal
SETTLING THE SCORE
TMZ.com

Donnell Rawlings says there are no winners in the Chris Rock and Will Smith beef ... and he's hoping Chris' recent response will finally put an end to the saga.

We got Donnell at Gelson's Tuesday and asked him about Chris finally addressing the Oscars slap in his Netflix special, which Donnell says should even the score.

030523-chris-rock-kal
ROCKIN' WILL
Netflix

Donnell, who is super close with Chris, is slamming the folks who didn't like the way Chris joked about the incident ... claiming it was old news by now. He says no one has the right to put a timeline or restrictions on how comedians can respond.

030723_candace_mcduffie_kal
HE HAD IT COMING
CNN

Of course, some folks are pissed at Chris ... like The Root senior writer Candace McDuffie, who feels Chris had the slap coming to him following years of jokes she feels targeted Black women like Jada Pinkett Smith.

Donnell thinks anyone who has a problem with Chris' jokes is insane, because as they say ... they're just jokes. He's also not buying the theory jokes incite violence on any particular group.

As for Will, DR says he should be able to take a joke because Chris was able to take the slap.

While Donnell tells us Chris and Will have yet to speak to each other, he's hoping they can both get closure on the matter ... after Chris' verbal "clap back."

He also tells us what he thinks is next for both entertainers, now that things are tit for tat.

Comics Bill Bellamy & Jeff Dye Defend Rock's Right to Tell Jokes About Will, Jada & the Slap

030723_bill_bellamy_kal
EXPRESSING HIS PAIN
TMZ.com

Chris Rock can, and should, joke about whoever he wants -- especially after being slapped by Will Smith -- even if some feel it's at Jada Pinkett Smith's expense ... according to 2 fellow comics.

We talked to Bill Bellamy and Jeff Dye Tuesday on "TMZ Live," and both defended CR's right to joke about the sitch, even if he did so somewhat mercilessly during his latest Netflix special ... which is now drawing the ire of some Black women.

030623-chris-rock-suge-smith-joke-kal
SUGE ENERGY
Netflix

Candace McDuffie, a senior writer for The Root, went so far as to suggest Chris actually had the slap coming to him after years of jokes she feels targeted Black women.

That's not how Bill and Jeff feel about it, though ... they're squarely on Chris' side, with BB telling us the dude used his own platform and creativity to address it as best he could, without violence.

Plus, there's the financial benefit -- Netflix paid a boatload for his "Selective Outrage" special.

030723-jeff-dye-kal
ANYTHING GOES
TMZ.com

But, even on the issue of whether Chris has it out for Jada and/or Black women ... Bill says he doesn't believe that to be the case. He says Chris takes shots at everyone, and sometimes certain groups might catch a stray.

It's nothing personal, just the business of being funny ... that's Bill's perspective anyway.

Now, Jeff -- who's hosting our new game show, "Who the Bleep Is That?" -- was a bit more forceful in his repudiation of suggesting Chris deserved what he got ... saying such a notion is insane, and disavowing the idea of anything or anyone being off-limits in comedy.

He's got a few more harsh words about the matter ... and you can tell he's fired up. BTW, Jeff brings this same energy as the host of 'WTBIT' -- which is airing now on FOX.

Tom Brady I'm Too Busy For An NFL Comeback Shuts Door On Return Talk

Tom Brady may not be getting into stand-up comedy, but he's not going back to football, either ... 'cause just a day after rumors of a TB12 comeback lit up the internet, the G.O.A.T. made it clear a return to the NFL isn't happening.

"Anyone who thinks I have time to come back to the NFL has never adopted a 2 month old kitten for their daughter," Brady wrote on social media.

The talk of a return hit a fever pitch after Rich Eisen said there was talk around the NFL Combine in Indianapolis that Brady "might not be done after all," with insiders saying ... "keep an eye on Miami."

"If Tua [Tagovailoa] may not be ready to go and suddenly, there's Tom Brady sitting in Florida, where his family is located and he can easily locate himself. Keep an eye on that I was told by a couple of birdies at the Combine."

Of course, the Dolphins were one of the teams very interested in Tom's services after his first Super Bowl-winning season in Tampa Bay.

021523_tom_brady_cats_kal
TOM'S CATS

Brady retired on February 1 ... in what was a relatively understated announcement, vowing he was done for good (this time). Ten days later, the 7x Super Bowl champ officially filed his retirement papers with the league.

One of his first acts as a retired man was a trip to the animal shelter ... where he picked up two adorable Siamese kittens for his 10-year-old daughter Vivian.

Plus, why get lit up by 325 lb. defensive tackles when you can chill on your brand new 77-foot yacht, "TW12VE ANGELS."

Chris Rock He Deserved the Will Slap ... Says Senior Root Writer

030723_candace_mcduffie_kal
HE HAD IT COMING
CNN

Chris Rock deserved to be slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars last year, and he may even be due for another round -- so suggests one writer who focuses on Black issues.

The Root's Candace McDuffie -- a senior editorial staffer for the G/O Media-owned online publication -- came on CNN to discuss the aftermath of Chris' Netflix special ... where he eviscerated Will and Jada Pinkett Smith for the hit seen around the world in 2022.

According to her, Chris was simply being held accountable by Will at the time for attacking a Black woman -- which McDuffie says is part of a larger pattern in this country, and which she says Chris has been guilty of in his comedy even before targeting Jada's alopecia.

As for how she feels about Chris' response nearly a full 365 days later ... well, the way she's talking here -- it almost sounds like she's just as angry with Chris yet again, saying he called Jada out of her name (he didn't once say her name, but did call her a "bitch" and refer to her as a "predator" in the special). In McDuffie's eyes, CR hasn't learned his lesson.

030523-chris-rock-kal
ROCKIN' WILL
Netflix

Don Lemon ever-so-gently pushed back on McDuffie, asking how she would respond to people who might say she's advocating for violence with this take ... and that Chris should, perhaps, be afforded a pass since he was going after Jada/Will in a stand-up comedy environment.

Her final thought is this ... as much pain as Will was in during the Oscars slap -- which Chris also addressed -- McDuffie feels like Chris was hurting just as much during his own special. She says there was more rage and resentment than there was humor ... from her POV.

Of course, this view isn't exclusive to McDuffie. There are many online who feel like Chris had the slap coming -- and even more who aren't happy that he continued to tear Will/Jada down for the sake of retribution and a laugh. On the flip side, just as many loved it.🤷🏽‍♂️

And a lot of others think Chris was right on the money.

Jeff Ross Chris Took Will Down with Jokes ... He's Won the Battle

030623-jeff-ross-kal
THE UPPER HAND
TMZ.com

Jeff Ross says Chris Rock is walking away with the 'W' in the Will Smith Oscars slap saga -- and he commends his friend doing so without using his hands, just a silver tongue.

We got the comedian Monday in L.A. after he'd flown back from Chris' live special in Baltimore ... and he said the whole event was just as epic as it looked and sounded on TV.

030523-chris-rock-kal
ROCKIN' WILL
Netflix

Jeff, the famed roast master, says Chris got the better of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith in the end ... and he's pretty high on how Chris handled it, even if it did take a year to address. However, he points out the special touched on a lot more than just the Smiths ... and he was impressed by its overall message.

He did have a fave bit, BTW ... the one about Beyonce and Jay-Z, which he says might be the joke of the year. We can't do it justice here -- you gotta see the special -- but it's basically about Bey being so hot she could get Jay no matter what her job was. Not so much for him, though.

On the question of how Will should respond, if at all, Jeff does have some advice -- and, no, it doesn't involve violence.

Jerry O'Connell Landing a Gig at Southwest!!!

Jerry O’Connell has always had the wonderment of a kid, so it makes sense the pilot of a Southwest jet let the biggest kid on the aircraft in the cockpit!

The "Crossing Jordan" and "Kangaroo Jack" star hopped on a Southwest flight from Los Angeles to Oakland recently, and he arrived both on time and with a pair of wings.

When the plane touched down the "Pictionary" host was in no rush to leave ... spending time chatting with some passengers/fans and taking photos.

Then he got the ultimate flying experience ... as folks were getting off the plane, Jerry chatted up the flight crew -- and that's when the captain asked Jerry if he'd like to see the cockpit.

Jerry jumped at the offer and hopped in the pilot's seat and, suddenly, he was 12 again!

Roger that Jerry, over and out.

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

Behind this sculpted image is a London native who got a jump start on her acting career when she was just a child ... Fast forward to the early 2000's when she took her cello playing skills to the big screen with her performance in "Summer of Love."

Clearly, this star is a poppin' actress, because she's always on the go! Perhaps her being super blunt in her breakout role is the reason for starring in a movie with the legend herself Meryl Streep. You won't find her on social media ... but can you find her through this altered photo?

Hasan Minhaj Armie Hammer Cannibal Joke ... At Spirit Awards

030423_hasan_minhaj_kal
eat your heart out, Tim
YouTube/Film Independent

Armie Hammer got thrown under the bus at the Spirit Awards this weekend -- courtesy of the show's host, Hasan Minhaj ... who roped in AH's old costar, Timothee Chalamet, too.

The comedian was firing from all cylinders Saturday to open the show -- one meant to honor indie filmmaking, which was streaming on YT -- by taking shots at A LOT of people ... including Armie, whom he didn't mention by name, but did allude to by reputation.

He brought up Timmy's flick from last year, 'Bones and All,' where the dude plays a cannibal who falls in love with another cannibal ... an easy layup to tie in the Armie scandal.

Hasan said Hollywood's gotta stop making movies where TC falls in love with flesh eaters ... 'cause it's getting old. Of course, he's referring to 'Call Me By Your Name,' where Tim/Armie play lovers. The joke didn't land all that well, it seems, as many in the audience audibly groaned. It doesn't appear as if Timothee himself was actually in attendance either.

Hasan didn't harp on it beyond that ... but it served as a reminder that the whole Armie saga still lingers, even now, and has left a bad taste in people's mouth throughout the biz.

You'll recall ... Armie was swept up in a criminal investigation for alleged rape for quite a while now, which doesn't seem to be going anywhere. He's denied raping anyone, but did admit he was emotionally abusive to women he'd been with ... touching on all his leaked DMs where he described horrific fantasies and leaned in on cannibalistic fetishes.

011923-dakota-johnson-kal
BAD BITE
Variety

Since then, he's said that was just BDSM stuff he was into, and not meant to be taken literally ... and while some have called all the cannibal cracks at his expense "kink-shaming" -- it doesn't sound like H'wood is easing up on making him the butt of their jokes.

Considering Armie isn't working in this town anymore, it's safe to say he's still on the outs.

Chris Rock 'Whipped' Joke About Will Smith ... Might Air on Netflix Special

Chris Rock is set to talk about the Oscars slap tonight in a new comedy special, but some of his material appears to have already leaked ... including a joke about watching Will Smith suffer on film -- which, if the internet is to be believed, he'd be wise in avoiding.

Here's the deal ... we all know Chris' live Netflix show is going down tonight, and everyone's expecting him to discuss the slap at length for the first time, publicly, on his own terms. The problem ... he's been working out his jokes on this topic for months, and one particular bit he recently did about Will was widely reported this week ... and Twitter ain't feeling it.

The Baltimore Sun came out with a story about a comedy show Chris did there in mid-February ... where he reportedly touched on the Oscars and said to the crowd, "The other day, I watched 'Emancipation' just so I could watch him getting whipped."

Of course, he's referring to Will's character from the film -- a runaway slave named "Whipped Peter" who was infamously depicted in a photo from the 1800s with scars on his back.

That quote has made the rounds these past few days, and now ... Chris Rock is trending for all the wrong reasons, because it seems a good majority of folks have turned on him.

Whereas he had sympathy in the wake of the slap -- especially for how he handled it -- a lot of time has passed ... and a lot of people have aired their grievances about Chris since then ... including the notion that he might've had it coming -- harsh, but it's a POV out there.

Now, in light of this new joke that may or may not make the special ... even more people are groaning, especially if he actually works it in. It appears some feel like leaning in the way he seems set to do is overkill -- and not just that, but many feel him exploiting the ugly moment a full year later is cringeworthy. And yet, Chris is powering forward ... as is Netflix.

Time will tell what Chris does onstage. Like we said, this is live -- but if he cares about public opinion (which he usually doesn't) he might wanna peep Twitter right quick.😬

The Netflix special, "Chris Rock: Selective Outrage," starts at 10 PM ET.

Trump Workshopping New DeSantis Nicknames Including 'Tiny D': Report

Donald Trump still doesn't have quite the right insult to hurl at his political foe Ron DeSantis -- but according to a new report, he's got a bright idea ... one that's members only.

Bloomberg put out a story detailing what they say is going on behind the scenes at Mar-a-Lago lately -- especially in terms of DT executing his comeback on the campaign trail ... and trying to deal with the Florida Gov.'s growing popularity among conservatives/Republicans.

One of the ways Trump reportedly plans on taking RDS down -- assuming he announces a presidential bid -- is to make fun of him ... and one of the of nicknames he's apparently been kicking around is "Tiny D," among others he and his allies are workshopping.

We already know about "Ron DeSanctimonious" -- not to mention "Meatball Ron," which was also a name Trump reportedly floated of late -- but there are others too!

A couple others that DT and co. are considering ... Ron DisHonest and Ron DeEstablishment. Of course, this follows in Trump's tradition of nicknaming his opponents over the years -- there's Sleepy Joe, Lyin' Ted, Little Marco, Crooked Hillary, Pocahontas, Crazy Bernie, Low Energy Jeb and lots of others. The "D" shot at DeSantis, though, is quite the low blow.

Here's the thing ... the Ron factor could prove tough for Trump if they go head to head, and Team DT is taking it seriously. Bloomberg says Trump's got his people trying to dig up dirt on DeSantis and are already carving out an attack plan, like labeling him a "RINO," etc.

DeSantis, thus far, has taken the high road and avoids mentioning Trump by name at all costs -- but if this thing heads into a face-off for the Republican nomination, he might have to start getting in the gutter. Trump's already there ... might as well dive in early and often.