The Filthy Truth

by Andrew Dice Clay

From Andrew Dice Clay, the “Undisputed Heavyweight Comedy King,” comes the unapologetic and uncensored autobiography fans have been waiting for.Andrew Dice Clay’s raw and uncensored stand-up comedy has shocked and entertained audiences for decades and continues to do so to this day. When he released his debut album, Dice, in 1989, the parental advisory label simply read “ This album is offensive.” His material stretched the boundaries of decency and good taste to their breaking point, and in turn he became the biggest stand-up comic in the world. But Dice’s meteoric rise and spectacular fame brought on a furious backlash from the media and critics. By the mid-nineties, though still playing to packed audiences, the turmoil in his personal life, plus attacks from every activist group imaginable, led him to make the decision to step out of the spotlight and put the focus on raising his boys. The Diceman was knocked down, but not out. Taking inspiration from what Frank Sinatra once told him—“You work for your fans, not the media. The media gets their tickets for free”—Dice has bounced back with critically acclaimed roles and is once again playing to sold-out audiences. Filled with no-holds-barred humor and honesty, The Filthy Truth sets the record straight and gives fans plenty of never-before-shared stories from his career and his friendships with Howard Stern, Sam Kinison, Mickey Rourke, Sylvester Stallone, Axl Rose, and countless others.

Genres: Biography, Comedian, Comedy, Memoir

408 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2014

Reviews

[Colleen]

I made it halfway through and I feel like I deserve a medal.

Rant alert!

I have to admit that I am completely unfamiliar with Andrew dice clay's comedy - the only thing I was aware of when I bought this book on sale for $2 was his reputation (mostly that he made the list of worst SNL hosts ever.) But I love biographies and controversy and a good story.

Well I can tell you this book had none of that. I felt like the whole thing was pompous fiction, glossing over any actual issues, making his fame seem like a cake walk based on his sheer talent, charm and good looks (which, research has now told me, he has none of.) And his recounting of his sexual exploits are just embarrassing. It's like a 14 year old boy without any clue of what a good, solid man is, who has never seen a naked woman, watched a couple of porns and wrote some fan fiction in his diary.

We are past the point (at least I like to think we are) as a society were a man's legitimacy and worth are based on the amount of "p*ssy" he gets. But apparently, in Clay's childish mind, we aren't. It scares me to think that there are men who find his stories interesting and relatable (or at least they hope to fuck enough that it's relatable.)

Clay is sad commentary on a dying faction of the male race. It's so pathetic it almost brings me to tears. If he was being a characature of a meathead, I would be able to laugh, even if I couldn't support it. But he's not. This book proves that he is what his comedy is, and what makes it even sadder is that he doesn't even seem to recognize that. He repeats he's really a "sensitive guy" but there is no demonstration of that- the only woman he respects is his mother who has him totally whipped (she does a lot of his dirty work in his younger days when it comes to managing problems he gets himself into with his attitude and his penis.)

He's also vehemently and unapologetically homophobic which, again, is just completely childish and not just part of his act. I can't believe people think it's funny. It's just absurd and so outdated. This book was published in 2014 and he's PROUD of his exploits. Good lord. I weep for the male species having this kind of creep as an idol. He seems to think he's bold by saying offensive things, but it only works if it's actually funny. He is not. His observations aren't witty or interesting or hilarious. They're just ignorant. Nothing worse than a stupid fuck who thinks he's a comedian.

Yuck. This man embodies everything wrong with men and everything a mother of a son should hope her offspring doesn't turn in to.

[Georgette]

The Diceman's book reads almost exactly as his act used to go. As I was reading this, I could definitely hear his voice in my head (which may be good or bad, depending on whom you talk to). No punches pulled, no stone unturned, no girl left undone...he tells about all of it. All of it. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed ADC in the 80's.

[Andy Mascola]

Laughed out loud a few times. Wished he wrote more about the struggling years. Just ok.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “I WANNA MAKE IT FOR MY FAMILY. I WANNA MAKE IT FOR MY MOM & DAD BACK IN BROOKLYN”
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Andrew Clay Silverstein… aka… Andrew “Dice” Clay… aka … “da Dice Man”… this is his tell it like it is life story. (Oh yea… also the Brooklyn Bar Mitzvah Boy) This review can only be written one way… straight from the hip… straight from the heart… the good with da bad. (As only a guy with Brooklyn roots could do.) I believe that’s the only way Dice would fully appreciate it. The method of his storytelling leaves a reader… especially a true fan… in a bit of a conundrum. (Note to Dice: That’s conundrum… not condom!). On the one hand it makes me feel great that Dice shows so much love and respect for his parents from start to finish. It doesn’t matter what part of the story… or what segment of his life and times… he’s recounting. It is totally refreshing and humbling in today’s society. I feel the same way about my dear departed parents… and he dedicates the book to them:

“This book is in memory of my parents, who had me, raised me, loved me, and taught me to always believe in myself. Fred and Jackie Silverstein, you are missed every second of every day.”

Amen… L’ chaim !




This story will probably surprise even many of his most staunch fans. The hard work and dedication… that Clay put in is absolutely admirable. He definitely was committed. The decisions he made throughout his life to reach the star level that so many people doubted he would ever come close to… reminds me of an old saying: “Do you know the difference between dedication and commitment? Just think about having a breakfast of bacon and eggs… the chicken was dedicated… but the pig was committed!” That to me sums up why Dice is the star he is today. All the famous names from comedy to film production are bandied about with (of course) no holds barred. The other side of the conundrum though… is when he discusses his sexual escapades. Now obviously… being a big Dice fan… I obviously enjoy with abandon risqué jokes… but… but…

It actually gets tiresome to hear that he’s the greatest stud since Don Juan… and that every single woman in the world is dying for Clay… and he gets every single woman… and every single encounter… registers 10.9 (above total destruction) on the Richter Scale. The first ten or twenty times fine… but infinite nuclear conquests… ad nauseam… just really gets old… especially when he has so many other interesting tales to tell.

Dice’s commitment to his lifelong dream… his stories from grammar school to stardom… that include mileposts dominated by his wonderful parents… the fact that when he was knocked off his lofty perch… he fought back with everything that was ingrained in him… to get back to the top standing tall… all could stand on their own… without having to brag over and over and over… about untold savage… universe redefining… sexual bombastic… conquests… like boys in a high school locker room… non-stop till the present times… as he is nearing sixty- years-old.

Hickory… dickory… dock….

[Mike Kowis]

Fans of the Diceman will love this autobiography as much as his raunchy and outrageous nursery rhymes. It's written in the over-the-top style you'd expect from the wildman himself and goes into great details about the many highs and lows of his personal life and career.

The book starts with his childhood growing up in Brooklyn and then covers his struggles as a young adult trying to make it as a musician (drummer) for a short period before finding his true calling in comedy. This biography is filled with many crazy stories that are as entertaining and blue as Dice's comedy routines. Specifically, he talks about the many women that came in and out of his life, his gambling trips, his brush with the mob, his interactions with famous celebrities (ie, Sylvester Stallone, Frank Sinatra, Rodney Dangerfield, etc.). He also goes into great detail about his career highs and lows, including being the first comedian to sellout Madison Square Garden and receive a lifetime ban from MTV. In addition, he shares many behind-the-scenes stories about his acting career in Holywood movies (like The Adventures of Ford Fairlane) and TV shows (including Entourage). As you'd expect, Dice doesn't pull any punches and lays it all out on the table in a funny and candid manner. I give it 2 thumbs up!

BOTTOM LINE: If you enjoy the Diceman's outragious style of comedy, you'll love this book. WARNING: Don't read if you are offended by foul language or explicit humor as it contains lots of both.

[Robert Pullen]

Read it for what it is. Its a true life story about a pretty damn funny comedian back in the good times before everyone got offended. Freedom of speech. If you don't like vulgarity then don't listen or read vulgarity.
The book was good. I enjoyed the entire read. I don't agree with everything Dice did but I could relate most of the time. I loved the larger woman in the rain story the most. I wish I had the balls to gamble 50k and know I was going to turn it into a million.
If you love the 80s 90s rock metal and chicks.... read it.

[Gavin Jefferson]

Thoroughly enjoyed this autobiography. It starts at the beginning of Andrew's life, and follows him through the ups of becoming the character comic he's known for, and down again. It's full of heart and passion and it gives a great insight into Andrew's life, both as a comic and as the misunderstood man that he is.
Five Stars.

[Deyth Banger]

I have been reading this book for a while and honestly it was some kinda torture it has photos and short chapters but most of the content its like useless premise just too much.
Reading this book it was a equivalent = torture I read 55 pages and the other was summarized with AI.

[Michael]

Ford Fairlane 4 Life.

[Joe]

Great story about a funny comic. I've always been a fan, and I am more of one now!

[Malinda]

I've been a fan since the 80's.
This book was amazing- the chance to hear the voice behind the enormous bravado , the name in lights, the "24 ct face".

The only negative to this book is that it wasn't longer- I'm sure there are more stories to be told.

[B.T. Hogan]

The rise and fall and rise again of Andrew Clay Silverstein aka The Diceman is chronicled rather nicely in The Filthy Truth.

One thing I found interesting that the first 300 pages covered his life from birth in 1957 until around 1995 or so, then the next 20 pages covered the mid-'90's until the present day. I understand that his professional prime was around 1990, but as he's had a resurgence in recent years I was hoping for a bit more insight into that time period. His brilliant turn in a Woody Allen film, for example, was glossed over in no more than a cursory paragraph.

Also, I'm growing a bit tired of the autobiographies that just read like some sleazebags creepy journal. Yes Dice, we get it - you got laid. And I get that his "character" was something of a lady killer with a foul mouth, but the lick-by-suck accounts of his bedroom conquests got old quick.

I feel that, having read this book, Clay thinks a little to highly of his place in comedy/entertainment history. He talks about events in his life like they were earth-shattering moments in time. For example, at one point he talks about the first time that he did the "taking a puff of a cigarette his his hand wrapped around his neck" on the film 'Pretty in Pink' and noted that it was one of his most beloved acts.

Overall, certainly not a bad book, I only wish we got the real Andrew Silverstein and less Diceman.

[Derek Glidewell]

Very easy read. It reads like Dice is talking to you, and you'll struggle to not read every line in Dice fashion. Like others mentioned, he spends a bit too much time in the early part of the book talking about sexual conquests and his prowess, but...it's Dice, what did you expect? I do wish he'd have spent more time addressing his later, post-Fairlane career. Lots of events and "comebacks" over the years are summed up in a paragraph or two. I'd have liked some more insight on Bless This House and his No Apologies stand up and the reality effort Dice Undisputed that were all to be his comebacks that never took off. The book essentially ends at the year 2000 and it feels like a whole decade is absent. But those criticisms are just my own, as a book and what he does dive into, it's a fast and entertaining read for sure. Really gives you a slice of what Dice is like on the inside and just how much of his antics are stage play. He really opens his heart on a lot of issues in his life.

[Douglas Castagna]

It took me about 100 pages to not hear the narration in the voice of the Dice man. That was a given. Some of the criticisms about the book are the fact that most of the book is about the "Rise to Fame" and the sexcapades that occur along the way. Little time is spent with the fall and subsequent climb back up. I would have liked more of that. He received a raw deal from the media and while other celebrities are forgiven worse transgressions he was made to be scapegoat for a lot of things. That was not fully talked about. Nevertheless I enjoyed spending some time with the Dice man and the Filthy Truth.

[Ken]

I am a huge Dice fan. This book is not worth the read, unfortunately. The whole story of what happened and where he went, the supposed "rise, fall, and return", is barely touched on. What is talked about ad nauseam are his sexual conquests. Many. Too many. I really wish male celebrities would stop with this "I've had sex with so many women" in their biographies. But I digress. At any rate, it's what you'd expect, a lot of sex, a lot of vulgarity and it gave me a few really good laughs, but if it's substance or his actual life story, you'll be disappointed.

[Terri]

Funny but raunchy which is what you would expect from Dice. It was interesting to read about how he got his start, his rise and then fall and then rise again. Back then I kind of wondered what happened with him. When he writes about his nursery rhymes, it was just like you were in the audience at one of his shows.

[mrs darcy]

As good as any celebrity book. He is pompous and arrogant and describes his crazy youth, though not with as much detail as I'd prefer. He glosses over the Howard Stern feud, and omits almost entirely the reason for the Sam Kinison one. There is also a missing piece about his brush with the mob/mafia. He tiptoes around all these things rather than admit whatever the Filthy Truth of it all was.

[Nicky Weirbach]

While I am not a huge Andrew Dice Clay fan, I admire his persistence. Growing up in the 80's, he was so controversial. Even though he has a co-writer, I feel Mr. Clay was very involved in the writing of this book. The book chronicles Mr. Clay's highs & lows in his career. Nothing surprising, but it is readable.

[Mitchell]

Sometimes you find inspiration in the funniest places and i can say i found it twice in this book. Just his refusal to give in and keep trying. His career was down and out, yet he hung in there. Some funny stories and it's very easy to read because it's so entertaining.

[Derek]

Dice writes as you would expect, hilarious and holds nothing back. I wish he spent more time on creating his routines instead of the numerous sexual conquests. Recommended for all fans of the Diceman

[Caitlin]

It's a bit smutty... and I loved it! I got this book when ADC was signing it in Boston, because my boyfriend was so excited about a famous comic. And I'm more into the book (and the comic) than he is!!

[Nathan Bennell]

A nice insight into the life and times of comedian Andrew 'Dice' Clay. Some great stories but I felt like he only touched the surface of some of his career defining moments. Would loved to have had some more depth.

[Roxanne]

Andrew Dice Clay is a really in your face comedian. His standup comedy is meant to shock and offend. After the media tore him apart, he was down for a bit. But he made a comeback and now sells out arenas. He is loud and rude. I would not go see him.

[Jadybaby]

Funny but raunchy which is what you would expect from Dice. It was interesting to read about how he got his start, his rise and then fall and then rise again. I loved this book I read it in 3 sittings.It ended way to soon I could have more. Been a huge fan since the 80s!

[Pasquale]

I love Dice; always have, always will. While eminently readable (it sounded like Dice was telling the story), there were very few moments that humanized him. Nothing special. If you're a fan you'll enjoy it; otherwise, not worth it.

[Scott]

Exactly what you think it would be. I have read far worse. Rooting for him still.

[Chris Jonesy]

Great read about one of Brooklyns Best. Grew up in the same neighborhood and shared some memories of the best place on earth BROOKLYN YESSSSSSSSSSS

[Louis P]

Great book but would like to have read more about recent career. 10 pages doesn't cut it.

[John Grace]

Entertaining, but he glosses over quite a bit. I see that he did not do the reading on the audiobook version, which is crazy. That would have been an instant 5 stars for entertainment value.

[Ryan Pighin]

If you are a fan of The Diceman, you will enjoy this book.