The Aristocrats (2005)

One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.

Director:

Paul Provenza

Stars:

George Carlin, Don Rickles, Chris Rock

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Chris Albrecht	...	Himself - HBO Chairman / CEO
Jason Alexander	...	Himself
Hank Azaria	...	Himself
Shelley Berman	...	Himself
Steven Banks	...	Billy the Mime (as Billy the Mime)
Lewis Black	...	Himself
David Brenner	...	Himself
Mario Cantone	...	Himself
Drew Carey	...	Himself
George Carlin	...	Himself
Mark Cohen	...	Himself
Scott 'Carrot Top' Thompson	...	Himself (as Carrot Top)
Billy Connolly	...	Himself
Pat Cooper	...	Himself
Wayne Cotter	...	Himself

Storyline

Comedy veterans and co-creators Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza capitalize on their insider status and invite over 100 of their closest friends--who happen to be some of the biggest names in entertainment, from George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg and Drew Carey to Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget, Paul Reiser and Sarah Silverman--to reminisce, analyze, deconstruct and deliver their own versions of the world's dirtiest joke, an old burlesque too extreme to be performed in public, called "The Aristocrats."

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Plot Keywords:

vaginal juice | clitoris | hand job | crotchless panties | panties | 

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Taglines:

No Nudity No Violence Unspeakable Obscenity

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Genres:

Documentary | Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Mighty Cheese Productions [United States] Think Film Company

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 September 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

The @r!$t* (r@t$

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$243,796, 31 July 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,377,277, 22 January 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mighty Cheese Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This joke has been used by comedians for years as a mental stretching exercise. They would tell the joke to each other as a warm up for their acts. While the setup and punchline remain the same throughout, the middle section, describing the actual family act, is always varied to get the juices going by throwing in the most they can and keeping it funny. There are stories of parties where performers will jam and keep it going for almost an hour.

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Quotes

[first lines]
George Carlin: The joke leads me down one path and then it switches the path on me suddenly and hits me with a hammer. It's just, "Here we go folks."

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Crazy Credits

Everyone listed in the credits under "Very Special Thanks" was interviewed for the film but did not make the final cut.

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Alternate Versions

The South Park segment of the Aristocrats joke, in the film, has a minor edit of the line "and the talent agent just sits there". Whereas the circulated internet version contains the whole line intact is "and the talent just sits there for the longest time".

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Connections

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

User Reviews

Comedy is Art and "Aristocrats" is Brilliant Artistry

Typically, I'm not one to encourage obscenity so I shunned the idea of the "Aristocrats" at first. However, I must applaud the "Aristocrats" and tell you that it was brilliantly presented and not at all about obscenity. It seemed to be more about being creatively obscene while keeping your audience horrified and simultaneously roaring with laughter. Many of the bits in the film will shock the prudish movie goer, but you'll also find that, like a fatal car crash in heavy traffic, you must keep listening and watching. Later you'll be embarrassed to admit that you laughed so hard, you're not sure if your lungs are still intact. Warning: skip the beverage during this film unless you enjoy nostril burn.