CS Weekly Archive > Weekend Read > 7/29/05

Perversely Enlightening (and Funny)

By deirdre mcgill

The Aristocrats
(Documentary)

Based on an old dirty joke
Directed by Paul Provenza

A provocative study of the voice of comedians, and how style, pacing, and the comics' own personalities are crucial to making a joke unforgettable, The Aristocrats reveals a vaudeville joke that has been ruled too controversial for performance, yet remains a favorite inside joke among stand-ups. Producers Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller fame) dared over one hundred of today's brightest comedians to weave this tale of a perversely dysfunctional showbiz family at their own pace. (The joke, about a family auditioning their act for a talent agent, is fairly straightforward; the challenge is for each comedian to infuse their own imagination, thereby creating a picture as morally vile or physically disgusting as possible.) Culled from over three hours of footage, this 90-minute documentary features familiar faces improvising on this storyline, including George Carlin, Robin Williams, and Sarah Silverman (who shares it as a latent childhood memory); even a mime takes a shot at it. There's the feeling of impulsive late-night improvisation here, as the camera shoots in an unstructured cinema vérité manner, catching comedians at rest or talking informally. While lacking some historical background (there's little on where the joke originated, or why it's endured), The Aristocrats shows that it's the intimate backstage journey which matters, not the punch line.

Note: The Aristocrats is unrated for extreme mature language, situations, and concepts that comedians tell as part of their version of the joke.

The Aristocrats
ThinkFilm
Not rated; 86 min.

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Deirdre McGill is a graduate of Connecticut College and California State University with degrees in English, theatre arts, and education. She is a professional singer/actress/playwright and the author of the screenplay Envy.

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