The Aristocrats


"The Aristocrats" is a taboo-defying off-color joke that has been told by numerous stand-up comedians since the vaudeville era. It relates the story of a family trying to get an agent to book their stage act, which is revealed to be remarkably vulgar and offensive in nature, with the punch line revealing that they incongruously bill themselves as "The Aristocrats". When told to audiences who know the punch line, the joke's humor depends on the described outrageousness of the family act.
Because the objective of the joke is its transgressive content, it is most often told privately, but it came to wider public attention when it was told by Gilbert Gottfried during the Friars' Club roast of Hugh Hefner, a few days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. It was the subject of a 2005 documentary film of the same name by Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette.

Traditional format

This joke almost always has these elements—alternative versions may change this form.
  1. Setup: A family act going in to see a talent agent; either the whole family or just one family member.
  2. *The agent asks what they do.
  3. *If the whole family is present, the act is performed for the agent; otherwise it is described.
  4. Act: It is described in as much detail as the teller prefers.
  5. *While most tellings follow one of a few basic forms, the description of the act is meant to be an ad lib.
  6. *Traditionally, the description is tasteless and ribald. The goal is to significantly transgress social norms. Taboo acts such as incest, rape, child sexual abuse, coprophilia, coprophagia, bestiality, necrophilia and murder are common themes.
  7. Punch line: The shocked agent asks what the act is called, and the proud answer is: "The Aristocrats!"; Some versions have the agent then asking, "So – Is that all ya' got?"

    History in print