Vile, disgusting and hilarious

No dirty joke you've ever heard can compare to the legendary vaudeville joke about the Aristocrats. Director and comedy veteran Paul Provenza teams up with comedic magician Penn Jillette (of comedy/magic troupe Penn and Teller) in order to expose what is widely considered the dirtiest joke imaginable. Usually told by comedians to other comedians as an ad-lib preparation, "The Aristocrats" is rarely told to those not in the business. Now, the "comedian's joke" is finally exposed to the general public, and examined to see why it has such longevity.\nIn the documentary, "The Aristocrats," Provenza and Jillette speak to almost 100 of their fellow comedians, writers and show-biz folk to get different takes on it. The interviewees range from comedic legends to hot newcomers.\nFor those who've never heard the joke (which I assume is most of you), the basic premise is this: A man walks into a talent agent's office and wants him to book his family in an act. The agent asks the man what the act entails. Depending on the comedian telling the joke, the man's act can include, but is not limited to, incest, pedophilia, bestiality, necrophilia, bodily fluids of all types, genitals, body mutilation and defecation. After the man finishes describing his family's act, the horrified agent asks the name of the routine. The man takes a bow and calls his family "The Aristocrats."\nSince the joke exists mainly as an ad-lib, there's almost no standard version of the story. Even the punch line can change based upon the teller's preference. Early versions of the joke come across as satire against the genteel upper class, but it now exists as almost an anti-joke ... all build-up and no punch line. The joke has become a standard of a person's sick sense of humor.\nThe DVD isn't all just filth and gross-out humor. Provenza and Jillette's interviews with famous comics shed light on how comedians develop their own material. The joke reflects the style of humor each comedian feels comfortable in. Some comics, like Gilbert Gottfried and Lewis Black, go off on bizarre energetic rants about the family's act. Bob Saget destroys any innocence "Full House" viewers may have had of him by exploring the filthiest aspects of the story. Each time the joke is told, it goes off in a different direction.\nThe DVD's special features include unedited rehearsals of the joke, as well as some other popular filthy jokes comedians love. There are even homemade tapes made by wannabe comedians telling the joke, to varying degrees of success. \nThose with strong stomachs and a sick sense of humor have to see "The Aristocrats" to believe it. But the documentary isn't just for the gross-out crowd: anyone thinking of a career in comedy needs to take a look at it in order to see how personality affects one's output. However, those with a weak constitution should beware. "The Aristocrats" is not for the entire family.