Pauly Shore Once Claimed Katt Williams Was Only More Successful ‘Because He’s Black’
Comedian Katt Williams is one of comedy’s most successful acts. But not all agree that Williams reached the levels that he did due to solely his skillset. Fellow comedian Pauly Shore once felt Williams only succeeded due to his skin color. Williams would later get wind of these comments, and couldn’t help but respond.
Pauly Shore believed he was just as funny as Katt Williams
As some know, Pauly Shore has been in the comedy scene for several years. Most might recognize the comic from his 1990 MTV Show Totally Pauly. But apart from that, he’s also enjoyed moderate success as a comedian. He wrote and starred in the HBO comedy special Pauly Does Dallas. The comedian also had a notable filmography, featuring in such films as Encino Man and The Curse of Inferno.
In 2008, Shore began to draw attention for a different reason. In a rant, he called out several comedians, claiming they were only successful because of their skin color.
“I need to be black. ‘Cause if I was black, I’d be doing good. All the black comedians are doing good,” Shore once said according to Element9HipHop.
He also asserted that his comedy was on par with that of controversial Katt Williams. But the only reason Williams succeeded in a way Shore didn’t was because of Williams’ skin tone.
“First of all, Katt Williams, him and me — when it comes to the funny-meter — are probably the same. But because he’s black … Katt Williams, he’s got all the specials. And ‘Oh, Katt Williams is so funny and he’s such a genius comedian. Oh my God, you gotta see Katt Williams.’ It’s ’cause he’s black. D.L. Hughley, Mo’Nique, Charlie Murphy,” he said, mentioning other comics.
How Katt Williams responded to Pauly Shore
Many comedians voiced their opinion on Shore’s claims. One of those comedians was the outspoken Williams, who didn’t seem bothered by Shore’s comments.
“What you say his name was?” Williams asked MTV News. “Was he a comedian? Oh, he was? Then what happened, he became white? Then that couldn’t be the answer to the problem. He was playing.”
Williams gave Shore the benefit of the doubt for his remarks and charged it up to a comedian just doing his job.
“I didn’t know he was playing when I [first] heard it,” Williams continued. “I just dismissed it, because why would I be talking about Pauly Shore? I’m all across the country. I haven’t seen Pauly Shore in any stand-up clubs at all. I do know him as being a funny guy, he [ran] the Comedy Store. I don’t think he really feels that way. I think it was all a joke.”
Still, Williams addressed Shore’s key comment that his success all came from his skin color.
“But if I’m where I’m at because I’m black, then thank God for being black. I don’t think I had an option. With the haters I got, I don’t think Pauly Shore will make the list for that. I think it’s a comic being funny,” he said.
Katt Williams felt his success came from his hard work
Williams has often worked a taxing schedule as a comedian, which often saw him going on several city tours. But the Wild n’ Out alum felt it was this work ethic that, in part, allowed him to obtain fame and fortune.
“If you’ve been grinding to get to the point, you can’t turn it off once you get there,” he said. “Just the opportunity to get to the point to do 100 cities and do all those places across the country and get that love back and sell out across the country, that’s why you was doing it in the beginning. That’s what you was telling yourself when it was 10 people [you were performing for] — that it would get to this point. I’ve been very fortunate.”
