Comedy

I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at comedy, the stand up tradition, and the legacy of “The Aristocrats” joke documented by Paul Provenza in the film of the same name. It deconstructs the joke by discussing its appeal, history, the way it is told by men and women, and the execution of it by a who’s who of comedy from Sarah Silverman to George Carlin. I found it extremely entertaining. 

Speaking of George Carlin, may he rest in peace, I also watched his HBO concert film, Life is Worth Losing. He has a very dark satiric take on modern American society that calls to mind the comedy of Lenny Bruce. Some of the topics he discusses includes: suicide, violence, autoerotic asphyxiation, natural disasters, and the human condition. He puts forth an inspired performance with lots of clever word play and devastating insights into society. And there is outrageous offensive material to round it out. It was a thought provoking and entertaining performance.