Nobrainer’s Think Tank

OH SWEET DUDE, YES! YES!!!

Off to the movies we shall go,
Where we learn everything that we know.
Because the movies teach us what our parents don’t have time to saaay!!!
And this movie’s gonna make our lives complete,
’cause Terrance & Phillip are sweeeeet!

Super sweet!

That were my exact thoughts when I read about “The Aristocrats.” The movie is executive produced by Penn, of Penn & Teller fame. “The Aristocrats” is a movie about “the dirtiest joke ever told,” as told by some comedy greats. Well they already have my attention.

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 follows is the part that can’t be told in this publication, or most others, but it’s the point at which each comedian in the film cuts loose in a can-you-top-this exercise in pornographic oratory. Cut to the kicker where the talent agent asks, 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. But for practical purposes, the joke is so absurdly obscene that the viewer is shocked into hilarity, or deep offense. Or possibly both. The conundrum for those marketing the film is encapsulated in its tagline: “No nudity. No violence. Unspeakable obscenity.”

How can I, having always lacked in moral fiber, in good conscience possibly not see this movie. The producers opted to not have it rated, as they saw NC17 as inevitable. Among the comedians involved are Robin Williams, Jon Stewart, Bob Saget, and Chris Rock. The Aristocrats. Unfortunately the release may not be real wide. I suppose I’ll have to wait for the DVD.

Now if only it was a foreign film. From Canada.