The Aristocrats (also known as The Debonaires and The Sophisticates) is a joke which is alleged to have been told by numerous stand-up comedians since the vaudeville era, and often only among an audience of other comedians. In 2005 a documentary about the joke and its history titled, "The Aristocrats", was released in theaters by ThinkFilms. The Documentary was the brainchild of Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza and was edited by Emery Emery. In publicity for the 2005 documentary film about the joke, it has been referred to as "the world's funniest joke" or "the world's worst joke". It may be either depending on who's telling it, who's listening and the innumerable variations upon the theme. It is rarely told the same way twice. A joke is a short story or short series of words spoken or communicated with the intent of being laughed at or found humorous by the listener or reader. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Vaudeville is a style of multi-act theatre which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955 in Greenfield, Massachusetts,) is an American illusionist and comedian known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller as Penn & Teller. ... Paul Provenza is an actor and comedian born July 31, 1957 in New York City. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The joke is something of a game in which those who tell it try to top each other in terms of shock value. Steven Wright likened it to a secret handshake among comedians. This was also used as an inside joke by comedians to test each other's mettle. Throughout the history of the joke, it has evolved from a clichéd staple of vaudevillian humor into a postmodern anti-joke. Shock value is the potential of an image, text or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of disgust, shock, anger, or similar negative emotion. ... Steven Wright (born December 6, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer from Burlington, Massachusetts. ... An in joke is a joke whose humour is clear only to those people who are in a group that has some prior knowledge (not known by the whole population) that makes the joke humorous. ... This article is about biological evolution. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Vaudeville is a style of theater, also known as variety, which flourished in North America from the 1880s through the 1920s. ... Postmodernity (also called post-modernity or the postmodern condition) is a term used by philosophers, social scientists, art critics and social critics to refer to aspects of contemporary art, culture, economics and social conditions that are the result of the unique features of late 20th century and early 21st century... Anti-jokes subvert audience/reader/listener expectations of well-worn punchlines. ...

The joke

Three parts

This joke almost always has these elements — alternative versions may change this form, but such versions tend to assume that the audience is already familiar with the joke:

The setup: The joke always begins with a "family act" going in to see a talent agent. Agency is an area of law dealing with a contractual or quasi-contractual relationship between at least two parties in which one, the principal, authorizes the other, the agent, to represent her or his legal interests and to perform legal acts that sometimes bind the principal. ...

• Those who meet the agent can include the whole family, or just one family member (usually the father).
• The agent asks (sometimes after saying that he's not interested, and a plea from the father) what they do.
• If the whole family is present, the act may be performed for the agent, rather than described.

The act: It is described in as much detail as the teller prefers.

• Traditionally, the description is crude, tasteless, ribald, and often scatological.
• While most tellings follow one of a few basic forms, the description of the act is meant to be an ad lib.
• It should be as far beyond the boundaries of propriety as the comedian can muster. Incest, pedophilia, scatology and bestiality are common themes.

The punchline: The agent asks what the act is called, and the answer is always the same: "The Aristocrats!" Ribaldry is the third and somewhat neglected genre of sexual entertainments, something different from either pornography or erotica, yet is often confused with them. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... See AdLib for the computer sound card manufacturer. ... Etiquette, also known as decorum, is the code that governs the expectations of social behavior, the conventional norm. ... Incest is sexual activity between close family members. ... Pedophilia, paedophilia, or pædophilia (see spelling differences), is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to pre-pubescent children. ... In medicine and biology, scatology or coprology is the study of feces. ... Look up Bestiality in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Punchline is also the name of a 1988 film. ...

• The punchline may be modified in some variants, but generally such variants are told only in a context where the original joke is known.
• Because the sense of what an aristocrat is has faded in many countries, the final line may simply be seen as the end of a rather bawdy joke rather than a punchline. In some regions the name of the act is "The Sophisticates" or "The Debonaires".

-1...

An example

This version of the joke is fairly short, and simply demonstrates the form. Actual performances of the joke can last minutes, and it is rumored that Chevy Chase used to hold parties at which the goal was to tell the joke for half an hour. Chevy Chase Chevy Chase (born Cornelius Crane Chase on October 8, 1943 in Hells Kitchen, New York City) is an American comedian, writer and television and film actor. ...

A man walks into a talent agent's office, and says, "We're a family act, and we'd like you to represent us."

The agent says, "Sorry, I don't represent family acts. They're a little too old-fashioned."

The man says, "But, this is really special."

The agent says, "Okay, well what's the act?"

He replies, "Well, my wife and I come out on stage and she begins to sing the Star Spangled Banner while I take her roughly from behind. After a minute of this, my kids come out and begin to do the same, but my daughter's singing the original To Anacreon in Heaven lyrics while my son performs anal sex on her."

The agent looks uncomfortable, but the man continues, "Just when my daughter hits the highest note in the song, my son and I switch partners. He turns my wife around and gives her a Dirty Sanchez before having her perform oral sex on him. When the song's over and we're both getting close, we all stop and lay down on the stage."

The man smiles fondly as he recalls, "This is the best part: our dog then comes out on the stage, and he's trained to lick each one of us to orgasm in turn. He just goes right down the line, looking as happy as can be! We all get up and take a bow."

He looks at the agent and says, "Well, that's the act. What do you think?"

The agent just sits in silence for a long time. Finally, he manages, "That's a hell of an act. What do you call yourselves?"

"The Aristocrats!"

Nicholson took the copy Key gave him to a printer, where it was published as a broadside on September 17 under the title The Defence of Fort McHenry, with an explanatory note explaining the circumstances of its writing. ... To Anacreon in Heaven was the official song of the Anacreontic Society, a club of amateur musicians in London who gathered regularly to perform concerts. ... Roman men having anal sex. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Oral sex (from Latin os, oris mouth) consists of all the sexual activities that involve the use of the mouth, tongue, etc. ...

History in print

In Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby (1839), towards the end of Chapter 15 there is a similar juxtaposition of distasteful acts with the concept of aristocracy, which bears a strong resemblance to the joke: Dickens redirects here. ... The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, (or Nicholas Nickleby for short) is a comic novel of Charles Dickens. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

'He has a very nice face and style, really,' said Mrs Kenwigs.
'He certainly has,' added Miss Petowker. 'There's something in his appearance quite - dear, dear, what's that word again?'
'What word?' inquired Mr. Lillyvick.
'Why - dear me, how stupid I am,' replied Miss Petowker, hesitating. 'What do you call it when Lords break off door-knockers and beat policemen, and play at coaches with other people's money, and all that sort of thing?'
'Aristocratic?' suggested the collector.

The Aristocrats appears on page 987 of Gershon Legman's Rationale of the Dirty Joke, Vol. 2, published in 1975 [1]. Legman retells the joke, complete with its traditional vaudevillian flourishes, though he does not attribute the joke to vaudeville roots. Instead, Legman learned the joke from a young man who grew up in a broken home. Gershon Legman (November 2, 1917 – February 23, 1999), American folklorist and social critic, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to parents of Eastern or Central European Jewish descent. ...

In a 2005 interview, UK comic Barry Cryer claims to have heard the joke "fifty years ago... but the punchline wasn't 'The Aristocrats,' it was 'The Debonairs' or 'The Sophisticates'".[2] Barry Cryer (born March 23, 1935 in Leeds, Yorkshire, UK) is a writer and comedian. ...

2005 film

A film called The Aristocrats premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Co-produced by Penn Jillette and Paul Provenza, directed by Provenza and edited by Emery Emery, the film is based on hours of digital video taken over several years, featuring comedians talking about and telling their versions of the joke. This is a list of film-related events in 2005. ... The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival in the United States, and ranks amongst the top five events of its type in the world. ... Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955 in Greenfield, Massachusetts,) is an American illusionist and comedian known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller as Penn & Teller. ... Paul Provenza is an actor and comedian born July 31, 1957 in New York City. ... Digital video is a type of video recording system that works by using a digital, rather than analog, representation of the video signal. ...

The Aristocrats was Johnny Carson's favorite joke, and the film is dedicated to him. For the article about the Erskine College president, see Dr. John Carson John William Johnny Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his iconic status as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. ...

This film is number 93 on Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies. Bravo is a cable television network owned by NBC Universal. ...

Notable comedians who appear in the film

The following notable comedians contributed versions of the joke and/or substantial commentary:

• Jason Alexander
• Hank Azaria
• Lewis Black
• Drew Carey
• George Carlin
• Carrot Top
• Billy Connolly
• Tim Conway
• Phyllis Diller
• Susie Essman
• Carrie Fisher
• Whoopi Goldberg
• Gilbert Gottfried
• Eric Idle
• Eddie Izzard
• Richard Jeni
• Lisa Lampanelli
• Richard Lewis
• Wendy Liebman
• Bill Maher
• Merrill Markoe
• Jackie Martling
• Howie Mandel
• Chuck McCann
• Michael McKean
• Larry Miller
• Martin Mull
• The Onion editorial staff
• Trey Parker (as the voice of Eric Cartman)
• Penn & Teller
• Emo Philips
• Paul Reiser
• Chris Rock
• Rita Rudner
• Bob Saget
• Harry Shearer
• Sarah Silverman
• Doug Stanhope
• Jon Stewart
• Matt Stone
• Larry Storch
• Fred Willard
• Robin Williams
• Steven Wright

Many other comedians were filmed but not included due to time constraints. According to a letter to critic Roger Ebert from Penn Jillette, Buddy Hackett and Rodney Dangerfield were both intended to be included, but died before they could be filmed (although some sources suggest Hackett insisted on being paid). Jillette also indicated that, this being Johnny Carson's favorite joke, Carson was also invited to appear, but declined.[3] Jason Alexander (born Jason Scott Greenspan, September 23, 1959, in Newark, New Jersey), is a television, cinema and musical theatre actor. ... Hank Azaria Hank Albert Azaria (born April 25, 1964) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor and voice artist. ... Lewis Black Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian, author, and playwright. ... Drew Carey Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA) is an American actor and comedian recognizable by his crew cut and black-rimmed glasses. ... George Dennis Carlin (born May 12, 1937) is a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, and author, noted especially for his irreverent attitude and his observations on language, psychology and religion along with many taboo subjects. ... Carrot Top on the cover of a portraiture book by Ryan McGinness Carrot Top (born Scott Thompson on February 25, 1967 in Cocoa Beach, Florida) is an American prop comedian famous for his brick-red hair, and television commercials. ... The Big Yin William Billy Connolly, CBE, D.Litt (born 24 November 1942) is a comedian, musician, presenter, and actor. ... Tim Conway (born December 15, 1933, Willoughby, Ohio) is an American comedic actor. ... Phyllis Diller (born Phyllis Ada Driver on July 17, 1917) is an American comedian who is considered one of the pioneers of female stand-up comedy. ... Susie Essman is an American actress and comedian. ... Carrie Fisher Carrie Fisher (born October 21, 1956) is an American actress, screenwriter and novelist, best known for her role as Princess Leia Organa in the original Star Wars trilogy. ... Sarafina movie poster featuring Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg (born Caryn Elaine Johnson, November 13, 1955), is an Academy Award, Daytime Emmy Award, Golden Globe, Tony and Grammy Award-winning American comedian and film actress. ... Gilbert Gottfried (born February 28, 1955, in Brooklyn, New York) is a Jewish American stand-up comedian and actor noted for his grating voice, his squint, his Brooklyn accent and his tendency to shout. ... Eric Idle Eric Idle (born March 29, 1943) is an English comedian, actor and film director, as well as an author and guitarist/songwriter. ... Eddie Izzard Eddie Izzard (born February 7, 1962) is a British transvestic stand-up comedian and actor. ... Richard Jeni is an American stand-up comedian. ... Lisa Lampanelli (born July 19, 1961 in Trumbull, Connecticut), also known as the Queen of Mean, is an insult comic. ... Richard Philip Lewis (born June 29, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York) is a Jewish-American comedian and actor. ... Wendy Liebman is a female comedian known for serious sentences interrupted by quick jokes, and also belching. ... Bill Maher William Bill Maher, Jr. ... Merrill Markoe is an author, a television writer and a sometime stand up comedian. ... Jackie Martling (born February 14, 1948 in Mineola, New York on Long Island) is an American comedian and comic writer whose greatest fame came from being a part of The Howard Stern Show, where he was known as Jackie The Joke Man. He has also released several CDs of his... Howie Michael Mandel II (born November 29, 1955 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian-born Jewish comedian and actor who came to national attention in the United States during a six-year stint on St. ... Michael McKean Michael McKean (born October 17, 1947) is an American actor, comedian, composer and musician, best known for his portrayal of Leonard Lenny Kosnowski on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley. ... Lawrence J. Miller (best known as Larry Miller), born October 15, 1953 in Valley Stream, New York, is an American stand-up comedian and actor who frequently portrays babbling, obsequious yes-men, slightly odd friends, wisecracking professionals and other second-banana characters to headlining comedians in movies and television shows. ... Martin Mull Martin Mull (born August 18, 1943) is an American actor, comedian, recording artist, and painter from Chicago. ... The Onion is a parody newspaper published weekly in print and on the Internet. ... link title Trey Parker Randolph Severn Trey Parker III (born October 19, 1969 in Conifer, Colorado) is an American animator, screenwriter, film director, voice actor, actor and musician. ... Eric Theodore Cartman, voiced by Trey Parker, is a fictional character in the animated series South Park. ... Penn (left) & Teller Penn & Teller are a two-man illusionist and comedy team from the United States, comprised of Penn Jillette and Teller. ... Philip Soltanek better known by his stage name Emo Philips (born 7 February 1956) is an American actor, producer and stand-up comedian from Downers Grove, Illinois. ... Paul Reiser Paul Reiser (born March 30, 1957) is an American actor. ... Chris Rock Chris Rock (born February 7, 1965 in Andrews, South Carolina) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. ... Rita Rudner Rita Rudner (b. ... Robert Lane Bob Saget (born May 17, 1956) is a Jewish American[1] actor and stand-up comedian best known for his role in the ABC sitcom Full House from 1987 to 1995 and as host of the home video television show Americas Funniest Home Videos from 1989 to... Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943, Los Angeles, California) is an American comedic actor and writer who began his career as a child actor in 1950s movies (The Robe) and television (The Jack Benny Program). ... Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. ... Doug Stanhope (born March 25, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian. ... Jon Stewart. ... Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American animator, film director, screenwriter, actor and voice actor. ... Larry Storch (born January 8, 1923) is a Jewish-American actor best known for his comedic television roles, including voiceover work for cartoons, and his live-action role the bumbling Corporal Randolph Agarn on F Troop. ... Fred Willard (September 18, 1939–) is an American comedian and actor known for his improvisational flair, never-ending smile, and a unique charm that has made some regard him as one of his generations most gifted comic character actors. ... Robin Williams performing in Iraq. ... Steven Wright (born December 6, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer from Burlington, Massachusetts. ... Roger Ebert (right) with Russ Meyer, 1970. ... Buddy Hackett showing his love to Herbie, the Love Bug, from Disneys The Love Bug (1969). ... Rodney Dangerfield in 1997 Rodney Dangerfield (November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004), born Jacob Cohen, was an American comedian and actor, best known for the line I dont get no respect and his monologues on that theme. ... For the article about the Erskine College president, see Dr. John Carson John William Johnny Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his iconic status as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. ...

Although considered a highlight of the film by some critics, The New Yorker reported that Sarah Silverman's autobiographical telling of the joke, in which she claimed to have actually been one of the Aristocrat performers, and which culminated in a joke involving veteran talk show host Joe Franklin, reportedly led to Franklin considering a defamation lawsuit against the actress.[4] On the DVD commentary track, Paul Provenza indicated that he had explained to Franklin that it was only meant to be a joke, and defended Silverman by calling her straight-faced performance Academy Award caliber. The New Yorkers first cover, which is reprinted most years on the magazines anniversary. ... Sarah Silverman Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, and writer. ... Joe Franklin (born 1926) is a radio and television personality from New York City. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent film awards in the United States and most watched awards ceremony in the world. ...

The film climaxes with previously unaired footage of Gilbert Gottfried's telling of the joke at a Comedy Central/Friars Club roast of Hugh Hefner. Taped not long after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the incident occurred at a time when, according to one of the commentators in the Aristocrats film, entertainers were uncertain how much comedy was allowed in the aftermath of the attacks. Gottfried followed Rob Schneider who had received mixed results with his stand-up comedy performance in Hefner's honor. Gottfried was booed when he began his performance with a 9/11-related joke and, in response, told an obscenity-filled rendition of the Aristocrats joke. According to the film, the telling was as much a cathartic experience for the audience as it was a shocking one. Afterwards, Gottfried told the audience "They might have to clean this up for TV." Gilbert Gottfried (born February 28, 1955, in Brooklyn, New York) is a Jewish American stand-up comedian and actor noted for his grating voice, his squint, his Brooklyn accent and his tendency to shout. ... Comedy Central is a cable television channel in the United States. ... The Friars Club is a New York City club now with nationwide branches famous for its risqué celebrity roasts. ... Hugh Hefner, publisher of Playboy, as seen on the November 1976 cover of Esquire holding a copy of Hustler. ... The explosion resulting from the crashing of United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower. ... Rob Schneider Martin Robert Schneider (born October 31, 1963 in San Francisco, California) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter best known for his lowbrow films. ...

Reverse Aristocrats Joke

Reverse aristocrats jokes are jokes which follow the style of aristocrat jokes. However, they are altered so that the act is clean, and even beautiful, but the punchline is foul, so that a wonderful act is given a foul name. These jokes are also covered in the movie, with two examples given.

See also

• Shaggy dog story

In its original sense, a shaggy-dog story is an extremely long-winded tale featuring extensive narration of typically irrelevant incidents, usually resulting in a pointless or absurd punchline. ...

External links and sources

• The Aristocrats Joke Database (mature content)
• A video clip of a variation of the joke featuring characters from South Park (mature content)

South Park is an American animated television series created, written and voiced by Trey Parker and Matt Stone. ...

The movie

• Official movie site
• The Aristocrats at the Internet Movie Database
• New York Times Article about the 2005 movie, The Aristocrats (Backup copy) - published 23 June 2005
• Sundance Film Festival Competition summary
• Bob Saget's Full Mouth, The New York Observer, May 4, 2005 (about comedian Bob Saget's use of the joke and appearance in the movie).
• The Aristocrats discussion on WNYC's Studio 360
• Interview with the editor of the film

• Interview with the director of The Aristocrats