Posted on 06/23/2005 7:59:24 AM PDT by sully777
LOS ANGELES, June 22 - How do you sell a movie about the dirtiest joke ever told? [Snip]
"There is no violence or hostility of any kind" in "The Aristocrats," explained Penn Jillette, an executive producer of the film, who is better known as half of the magic act Penn and Teller. "We want to say: 'We have 150 really funny human beings in the back of a room making each other laugh, but they're going to be swearing, and if you don't want to hear swearing, you better not come in.' "
Mr. Jillette; the comedian Paul Provenza, who directed; and the distributor, Think Film, have decided to release "The Aristocrats" at the end of July without any rating...the "funny human beings" in the film - famous comedians from Robin Williams to Chris Rock to Phyllis Diller to Jon Stewart - are not merely swearing, as Mr. Jillette said. They're telling their versions of a joke that involves every imaginable form of sexual perversion in graphic detail, including but not limited to incest, scatology, bestiality and sadism. Rabelais would blush.
So what's the joke? Basically, it's this: a guy walks into a talent agent's office and says he has a terrific family act. The act, the guy explains, involves a husband who comes out onstage with his wife and two kids... What's the name of the act? The answer comes: the Aristocrats.
The point of the joke, and the film, may be freedom of expression, or self-censorship, or what happens among professional comedians behind closed doors...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I wonder if the makers of this film are FReepers?
Would this movie portray the "true heart & soul of America" that sKerry talked about? Yet another movie I can't wait to miss.
Never heard of the joke before... anyone want to post it (or mail it to me)?
"There is no violence or hostility of any kind" in "The Aristocrats," explained Penn Jillette
Is absolutely untrue. Many of the tellings of this joke feature rape, maiming, killing and sex with children. Such acts are (I think) not depicted, they are merely related as part of the telling of the joke.
But to say that there is no violence of any kind is just dishonest.
So, you would opine Penn's statements is pure BS. Ironic, since Penn and Teller have a Showtime program by the same name.
Not a chance in hell. Feel free to do a google search for it. Then prepare to burn your computer to rid it of the vile stench.
It is my understanding that the setup is the same and each comedian takes it from there and makes it his own. I would love to hear the joke told by the great "old school" comedians. To me, Robin Williams sucks the funny out of anything he touches.
If you Google "Cartman Aristocrats" you can find an mpeg of the South Park version.
Jillette is a vicious atheist.
That particular joke is.
I guess this is it but I don't get it?
He is vicious. He is an atheist. Therefore you are correct; he is a vicious atheist. I would tend to disagree with the implication that he is vicious because of the atheism though, any more than I would logically link Christianity with radical paranoia via the term "religious nut".
That said, I used to think Penn and Teller were quite funny and talented. Until Jillette decided he would rather use his career as a platform to portray shocking caricatures of free speech instead of entertaining people. Such a deliberate waste of talent just to grandstand indicates he is nothing more than an immature attention craving a-hole.
Sorry Sharon. Williams, Rock, and Stewart are NOT FUNNY!!!! Just because you worship them DOES NOT MAKE THEM FUNNY!!!! Just because they claim to be comedians DOES NOT MAKE THEM FUNNY!!!! Your attempt at journalism MAKES YOU FUNNY!!!
I don't get it either.
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From what's been read on the internets, this "joke" is used to f**k with a new comedian by the older bully comedians, or anyone else who is just a little too eager to laugh at anything you say. There is no punch line, just a bunch of the most over the top lines a comedian (or you) can think of. The idea is to throw a newbie off balance before they go on stage. After hearing it, they are full of doubt just before they go in front of an audience (since they didn't get the joke, being a professional comedian and all). Likewise, you can just make the guy who laughs at anything seem like a d**k, because he'll be giggling along the whole time you tell this or some similar disgusting story. The real trick is, as he snickers along, at the end when he thinks it's time for the belly laughs, you and your conspirators all stone wall him without laughing. The whole thing makes for a wonderfully awkward silence as they try desperately to figure out what to do.
Here are some examples:
http://www.dead-frog.com/aristocrats
Really, really funny stuff. That Penn is a revolutionary, I tell you, really sticking it to the man on that crushing censorship thing.
THIS STUFF IS REALLY SICK...not funny.
It looks like the media is trying to test the anti-obscenity rules.
Versions of the joke are at:
http://www.dead-frog.com/aristocrats/
Okay, I read one......and now I get it!
He is vicious because of his in your face atheism. I hope your hero makes fun of Islam at some point in time. I don't think he will because he is a bully and a coward a some point in time.
He uses atheism as one of many things to shock people. It is simply a tool, the same as profanity and vulgarity. You sell his viciousness short by limiting it to only one facet. He is much more offensive than just that.
I am also curious how you derived that he is my hero. Was it when I agreed he was vicious? Or perhaps when I called him an immature a-hole?
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