Clay on Good Behavior on ‘SNL’--Almost : Television: Comedian’s appearance on NBC show brings protests and higher overnight ratings.

Andrew Dice Clay, the self-titled “Brooklyn Bad Boy” of humor, was on generally good behavior during his latest appearance on live television Saturday night, but he still managed to slide some of his barroom jokes past the censors.

His appearance as guest host on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” triggered protests inside and outside the studio. An angry group of about 20 demonstrators were pushed, shoved and dragged from the NBC studio lobby when they exhorted a crowd to boycott the comic because of his often sexist and homophobic humor.

And inside the packed studio, a man and woman chanted: “Racist, sexist, anti-gay, Clay go away,” as the comic delivered his opening monologue dressed in the same white-and-black-striped jacket he was wearing when he was banned from a live broadcast of MTV for using expletives. NBC security guards escorted the couple from the theater.

Clay’s appearance on the 15-year-old show, known for pressing the limits of censorship, prompted cast member Nora Dunn and musical guest Sinead O’Connor to withdraw from the program last week. Clay has been particularly offensive to feminists because he often uses Brooklynese street talk with references to violence against women.

NBC officials took the unusual step of putting the show on a 5-second time delay, a practice used only twice before when comedians Richard Pryor and Sam Kinison hosted the late-night program. But the censor’s trigger finger apparently wasn’t quick enough to catch an unscripted remark from Clay during his opening monologue.

“I broke the bitch when she was 15,” the pompadoured Clay said, referring to a young couple’s first lovemaking.

“That unfortunately we didn’t catch,” said Rosemary Keenan, spokeswoman for NBC.

The censors also missed the use of a derogatory term for women during a scripted skit titled “After School Special With Andrew Dice Clay” in which the comedian used street talk to explain the facts of life to his son.

Although a high-ranking member of NBC’s broadcast standards was on hand, the regular censor was away to attend his daughter’s graduation, a cast member said. Keenan said, however, that the regular censor’s absence had nothing to do with the foul-ups.

The protest at NBC’s building, part of mid-town Manhattan’s landmark Rockefeller Center, began about an hour before the show when about 20 people, most of them from the AIDS activist group ACT UP, started chanting: “Say no to him,” meaning Clay.

“You’re making him a star. You should be boycotting this,” yelled Bill Monaghan, the group’s leader, to people waiting to see the show.

New York police dragged one protester down a hallway to the exit while most of the other demonstrators were pushed and shoved. Lori Cohen, an attorney for ACT UP, said she was punched in the side.

Several demonstrators said “Saturday Night Live” had lost its vision of socially relevant commentary through humor by allowing Clay to appear on the show. They also accused program producer Lorne Michaels of putting ratings above conscience. (According to NBC, the program drew an 11.6 overnight rating in 23 major cities, its highest rating of the season.)

“Think where ‘Saturday Night Live’ was 15 years ago,” said Dennis J. Kane, one of the demonstrators. “It was pushing things to the end but for a purpose. Andrew Dice Clay takes the most vile feelings and works it for money.”

But several cast members said there are plenty of other comedians who are as offensive as Clay.

“He’s really no more sexist than Benny Hill,” said A. Whitney Brown, a writer and cast member of the show. As for allegations that Clay is a racist, Brown said: “If racism is considered Andrew Dice Clay, then I’d say we’re doing pretty good.”

Clay, who promised to donate his earnings from the show to the homeless, made no racist remarks during the program.

“Hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ was a phenomenal experience. I appreciate the support of the cast and crew and look forward to becoming next year’s permanent host,” Clay said, jokingly, in a prepared statement.

Cast member Kevin Nealon said that before the show he was “uneasy about being around someone who has so much negative energy focused at him.” But Nealon said he relaxed as the show progressed without much incident.

The cast chided colleague Dunn for boycotting the show. In the opening skit, cast member Jon Lovitz, playing Clay’s “Guardian Devil,” explained what would have happened had Clay not been born.

“Because you were never born, she (Dunn) was here that night,” said Lovitz, dressed as the devil, “and she was accidentally crushed by . . . an amplifier.” A replica of Dunn’s legs protruded from underneath a speaker cabinet. One cast member said that the scene was reminiscent of the death of the Wicked Witch in “The Wizard of Oz” but that the similarity was unintentional.

They skit also included a dig at O’Connor, the musical guest who canceled.

“O’Connor felt so bad she never sang again,” Lovitz said

“That’s too bad,” Clay replied. “She was a cute bald chick.”

Nealon and Jan Hooks also delivered satiric monologues about Dunn’s boycott.

But Nealon and Brown said that the digs at Dunn were all in fun and that they have no problem with working with her in the future.

And as for the performance as whole, Brown said: “It wasn’t a great show, but it was OK.”