Will you see "The Aristocrats"?

[jmowreader]

For those who don't know...

Every year, the Friars Club of New York holds a celebrity roast. Essentially, it is a time when comedians of all stripes gather to drink spirits, smoke large cigars and tell filthy jokes at the expense of the guest of honor.

In 2001, the Roast honored (or abused, depending on your viewpoint) Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner.

The last comedian standing was Gilbert Gottfried. I think Mr. Gottfried should be thrown in jail for deception: he claims to be a comedian yet he's not funny. Anyway...at this gala event, which was held in the shadow of the 9/11 attacks, Mr. Gottfried stood up and cracked a joke about flying into the side of the Empire State Building.

Said joke went over like a fart in church, so he immediately came back with a very ancient routine about a family who went to a talent agent claiming to have a great act. When he asked to see it, they immediately went into a huge incestuous orgy right in the middle of the agent's rug. "Great act, what's it called?" 'The Aristocrats.'

And now someone's made a documentary of 100 comedians telling THEIR version of this joke. It will be in theatres sometime this month.

Which is all well and good, except for one little problem: In the words of the great stand-up comic Eddie Murphy, "that shit ain't funny, motherfucker."

They claim it's the "filthiest joke you've never heard." Well, that may be but it's not even close to being the filthiest joke out there. Such classic Sam Kinison gags as the AIDS joke, his medically-correct AIDS joke, and his family entertainment joke are much, much worse. In fact, I'd daresay that Sam Kinison's medically-correct AIDS joke is the filthiest joke that has ever been told.

So...ya goin?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

1. I don't think so...

You can Google "Arisocrats Joke" and get the full text -- several version, in fact. While I "get" the joke -- the fact that this revolting act would give itself the genteel name of "The Aristocrats," I just don't think it's that funny. Now I'll grant you that some people might tell it better than others, but a whole freaking movie? Nah.

[Scout1071]

2. Ab-So-Lutely.

in fact, I'm looking forward to this movie more than any other summer release.

[despairing optimist]

3. If I could stand Passion of the Christ and Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds

I can take The Aristocrats. Actually, it may give away Mel's plan for a sequel to POTC: Christ rises again only to be slaughtered by Satan's awful Friars Club jokes. It would prove that unoriginal sins are the worst sins of all.

[ovidsen]

4. Gotta see it.

I love being grossed out while laughing hysterically.

I'll probably have to wait for the DVD, though. There's just no way any theater around here will screen it.

[jane_pippin]

5. I'm going and I'll tell you why

Sure, it may not be the filthiest joke ever, and it may not even be funny. But, my guess is, (and I've been lazy and not read a review yet so if this is a false assumption I'll rethink it), my guess is that it's more than just comedians telling the joke.

I'd enjoy that anyway. But in this fucked up day and age when we're told to "watch what we say" comedians seem to be the only people who are "allowed" by the public to get away with saying what they do. I know, of course there is backlash and exceptions (Maher, of course). But I think for the most part it's true and comedians also get to tell detractors literally to fuck off (coincidentally, but not intentionally, Maher is again the first example to spring to mind). So even if it isn't funny, I think it's high time we had a discussion about language (its meaning, etc) and how important satire is and if this film will help start that conversation up, good.

Plus, I love swears.

Of course if no theater here shows it I guess I'll wait for the dvd. :P