There are a few real standout performers. George Carlin's version is funny, if not especially spectacular, but his analysis of the joke, and of comedy, is the most insightful. Judy Gold turns the joke on herself — she was hugely pregnant at the time of filming, and she incorporates her unborn child into the joke. Wendy Liebman turns the joke on its head: the act is the most dignified, uplifting, family-friendly performance ever. "What's it called?" "The Cocksucking Motherfuckers." Kevin Pollak does the joke as Christopher Walken. And Bob Saget — oh, man. Bob Saget. Even the other comedians in the movie talk about Saget's version. And he does not disappoint. It is hysterical, and unspeakably obscene. He keeps stopping in the middle of it, wondering why on earth he is torpedoing himself by telling this joke on camera — but then he keeps going, and it gets wilder and crazier and filthier and funnier.
And there's seemingly no end to the ways in which the joke can be told. Penn and Teller do it as a magic trick. Eric Mead does it as a dazzling card trick. It's performed as a juggling routine, a ventriloquist act, it's done in mime, in one of the very funniest performances in the film. The South Park guys do it in animated form, with Cartman telling the joke to Stan, Kyle, and Kenny; in the Q&A following the film, Provenza told us that Trey Parker said that if they'd had more time, they would've had the South Park kids act out the joke for a talent agent, which would probably have been the most obscene thing in the history of the world.
Then we get to Gilbert Gottfried's performance, which is already legendary in the world of comedy. It was at the Hugh Hefner Roast, which occurred only three weeks after 9/11. Gilbert quickly turned the crowd against him with some 9/11 humor — resulting in boos and cries of "Too soon!" — and he decides, the hell with it, if he's going to be offensive, he's going to tell the most offensive joke ever. So he launches into "The Aristocrats," and he slays. He just destroys them. He brings down the house. It's spectacular, watching him turn the audience from hatred to uncontrollable, unanimous laughter (well, almost unanimous; Hef didn't seem very amused). It illustrates the power of comedy in a way that's rarely been seen before.
Article comments
1 - Natalie Davis
Just got back from a screening in Baltimore. Oh. My. God. Walked out with several thoughts:
1. Gilbert Gottfried has stones the size of canteloupes. (And I thought his 9/11 joke was a riot.) I never was that big a fan of the comedian -- that has changed.
2. I will never again be able to look at Full House with a straight face.
3. This film is fucking ART in capital letters. The camerawork and editing left much to be desired, but I learned so much about the art and history of stand-up comedy. Penn Jillette's bit about the beauty of the joke being about the singer, not the song, and comparing each comic's individual take on the joke's midsection to jazz improvisation was spot on.
4. Yes, there is the titillation of hearing people like Drew Carey and Paul Reiser use potty language -- and the shock of seeing Andy Richter tell the joke to his baby son (who is too young to understand) -- but by the end, you realize that words are words. What's really offensive is censorship and the stripping away of people's freedoms.
How great was it to see Emo Philips??? Steven Wright reaffirmed his place as one of my top five comics. Sarah Silverman, it turns out, is brilliant. And I think Andy Dick enjoyed himself way too much. But a proper homage was made to the late, great Bill Hicks, so all is well in the village.
One of the best jokes was a turnaround on The Aristocrats in a section addressing ethnic humor. I can't remember it word for word, so I'll make like Coltrane a little, but essentially it's the same joke:
A guy explains the act to the agent: Three "women of color" come out. One sings a gorgeous Puccini aria. The second, nude, offers a brilliant Shakespearean monologue. The third puts oil on canvas, producing a work as heavenly as a Renoir.
"That sounds incredible," the agent exclaims. "What do you call the act?"
"N***** C***s."
It's all about the funny.
Shivers of shame coursed through my veins during my departure from the theater, but 1-1/2 hours later, I'm still laughing.
2 - Bob A. Booey
See? Humans are funny :) I bet if a fat joke had slipped in there, you wouldn't have minded.
I'm looking forward to seeing this soon. Good review, all.
That is all.
3 - Dave Nalle
Have you heard about the distribution problems the movie is having because of the content? Apparently AMC dropped it and it's having a hard time getting into theatres in many areas at all. As far as I can tell it isn't opening in Austin right away, which really sucks, since it would kill here.
Dave
4 - Bob A. Booey
Dave Nalle, outraged white male, please tell us your favorite/best joke.
I know you prefer to be humorless, but this is a good exercise for all of you. Everyone should have to tell a joke here.
That is all.
5 - Nancy
Bob, that's not fair. Seriously, Dave has a decent sense of humor; it's his sense of political reality about Fearless Leader that's faulty. But he's no humorless "outraged white male". That would be RJ & Barger. That said, I'm glad someone explained why the punchline is so funny. I must be a humorless female, since after thinking about it a second, I still thought it was lame. Oh, well...maybe you have to hear it.
6 - Natalie Davis
You do have to hear it. Again, it isn't about the setup or the punchline -- the funny comes from what comes between them and what an indvidual comic does with it. If you get a chance to see the film -- BOO HISS, AMC; thanks for offering something even more offensive than stories of incest and bestiality -- you owe it to yourself to do so. I had not laughed so long and so loudly or gasped so much in my entire life. God's truth. Half the theater was, quite literally, in tears throughout the 90 minutes. If you like stand-up, this is like getting a truncated master class in the artform, which covers traditional stand-ups, fire jugglers, and even a mime. (And if you are an amateur psychologist, you'll really enjoy seeing the dark sides of some frighteningly fascinating funnypeople.)
7 - Bob A. Booey
RJ's an immature caveman, but he's funny sometimes.
That is all.
8 - Dave Nalle
Babs, my preference in humor is long, anecdotal humor, often historical in context. When I was teaching I got more than my share of laughs, for what that's worth. I even briefly considered a career in standup comedy, but the work's just too hard.
But, here's a joke that is just at your level - something from my days in church school because I wouldn't want to offend the under 12 set, yourself included, Babs.
Who's the most elastic man in the Bible?
(pause for confused looks)
Balaam, because he tied his ass to a tree and walked 20 miles.
Dave
9 - Bennett
Great review. Listened to an interview in NPR about this and have it marked as a must see.
Provenza was damn near speachless over how Bob Saget shows the side that so few TVland people know.
Apparently, he was a knock 'em dead stand up fella back in the day.
10 - Bennett
"speechless"..
English is retarded sometimes.
Anyway, Tom The Dog - Third post, missed the first two somehow. THIS here is highly worthy. Welcome to BC!
Dave - church joke...... bleh!
;-]
11 - Silas Kain
Bob Saget is arguably one of the funniest most entertaining comedians since the demise of vaudeville. Anyone who has had the good fortune of seeing his stand up knows what I am talking about. The milquetoast image he portrayed on Full House is diametrically opposite of his on stage personna. Saget on stage is irreverent and damn sexy. I wish he was pitching for our team because he'd make the best lifetime partner! This movie is so good it will probably end up getting banned in most of the Bible Belt and Boston. Do yourselves a favor, America. If you want to laugh to the point of peeing your pants, The Aristocrats is the movie you have to see this year.
12 - Natalie Davis
Oh, that was hilarious. After the movie ended, people refused to move until the credits were over -- it was worth the wait and the pain -- and then there was a mass rush toward the rest rooms.
I have never seen Saget do stand-up, but I had heard that his act was different from his TV persona. Now I understand much more fully that his roles of "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos" were the aberration. Still, even he looked surprised at how far he went with his version of the joke, in which he gives, um, new meaning to the term "cockeyed optimist." ("What the fuck have I done?", he wailed at a couple of points. And I hear he has forbidden his mother to see The Aristocrats -- shades of John Waters, who still won't allow his parents or the late Divine's mother to see Pink Flamingos.)
13 - Dave Nalle
>>Dave - church joke...... bleh!<<
That was special, just for Babs. He needs to get some bible under his belt.
Dave
14 - Bob A. Booey
Dave, I don't think you would have made it in stand-up, but I appreciate the effort :) There are occasional flashes of humanity from your direction.
Bob Saget's not very funny (perhaps he is in this movie), but he's always been very, very blue. His interviews now where he says he regrets playing Danny Tanner and wouldn't do it again seem a little too convenient since he put those reservations aside back then to be on a syndicated sitcom, but they're still interesting.
That is all.
15 - Bob A. Booey
This was a very interesting movie, not nearly as funny as I expected, but very good nonetheless.
Gilbert's the clear star of the film and I've gained a new appreciation for him to the point that I'd maybe see him next time he's in my area. Saget's the other one who comes off as better than you thought of him going in.
Jon Stewart comes off badly, a makeup- receiving primadonna who's on camera kvetching for a few minutes and being sarcastic without attempting to tell the joke himself.
I was disappointed that Chris Rock didn't take a shot at the joke either, because he's the best stand-up since Pryor. It's probably beneath his level of comic greatness, though, to do vaudeville blue material.
It was mildly annoying that Penn Gillette would laugh uproariously and often distractingly at any and every part of every joke, no matter how unfunny.
And Sarah Silverman said on her boyfriend's talk show a couple of weeks ago that Joe Franklin is suing her for slander over her "I was raped by Joe Franklin as a girl" joke.
Boo Joe Franklin.
That is all.