Just seeing that made me laugh my *** off and almost **** my pants. That is one funny ******* story!

Last week an agent said to me, "So, what's in your act?" and I burst into a fit of church giggles. The agent said, "What's wrong?" And I said, "Well, the name of the act is 'The Aristocrats'." Then we both broke up.

Have any of you seen the movie? I have not but let's face it, with a name like that it has to be good.

Best,

Dan-

P.S. It is VERY offensive! But funny!

Probably not. The act of being offended depends on someone's beliefs. And beliefs are handed-out by a person's culture. I find very little to be offensive, but then again I think for myself, unlike many who find thinking to be too taxing.

I'm always amazed as to what some people still believe, in the 21st century. There are way too many who don't question what they've been told, and they accept it as fact. I'm certainly a lot happier when I stopped buying into any one religion and began exploring what different people believe. I'm not going to get locked into a belief system, only to stagnate. I keep looking for beliefs that are more powerful than those I once held.

"There are way too many who don't question what they've been told, and they accept it as fact."

Actually, these folks are pretty easy to separate from their money with a grind show. Since I've started doing this, I have developed a kind of affection for these folks. Look, if you can't educate them, at least charge a sort of tax on their simplicity.

Yours,

Paul

NCAA caves in to Seminoles. Woo HOO!!

Whatever you do it will be offensive to some one.
That is part of life.

The saying "The World is my stage" is a great saying but look at every one killing each other, WHY?

Being offensive will have backlashes but being PC will effect your hat as well the scale will tip either way.

I will aim to take my lead from my audiance - in other words I will read them as best as I can. You are performing to your audience not just one or two.
If you think every one is going to love you then you are only fooling yourself.

I never swear in a show - I just won't and I don't like crude jokes, that is to narrow minded and offensive in its self.

On the other hand in the right setting I will say
"Sir take your hands out of your pocket and I will provide the entertainment".
"Where are you from, they will say ---------------, OK I will go slower".
"A Kid that won't shut up "Hey kid go and play in the traffic".
Some folk will say that is crude, I will say "Jesus Loves but my name is Mario".

I don't think it is so much what you say but how you say it.

If you offend your audience you have blown your hat.
If you say anything in anger that is what will effect your hat.
For example if you say "Kid put the card back in the deck" in anger or frustration because he won't shut up, it will be offensive and will show that you have lost control of the show, maybe for just a moment. If you say "Kid I did not give you a speeking part" as a joke then it is what it is a joke.

Every one draws a line that some one else will cross never mind what side of the fence you stand on. The question we may want to ask our selves is "do I have a clear mind in what I am doing and saying?"

If you switch off because you did not like a crude joke, or if you tear up some Christian artical, you have been offended, in the scheme of things so what.

If you harbour up resentment, anger and intolerance because of different lines we draw then we are all guilty of being narrow minded.

Now I going back to Bed
Mario

You know for the most part, you had every right in the world just to punch them in the junk.


But then again, this is coming from a kid that uses a "Will Juggle for Booze" sign to gather an audience, then to make them lose it, say "it worked better than the previous one" and I whip out the "Will Juggle for Porn" sign.

I know it's tasteless and obnoxious, but it tends to throw people off guard. (that and they tip badly in Omaha, unless you use the Will Juggle For Booze sign. Then they try to get you drunk while juggling, which is enertaining on the fact that you are getting them to pay for top shelf, and you don't have to really do anything.


(yeah I know that I have no shame, but it is amusing)

Ha- that made me laugh- nice one Facade!

I think "offensive" is deliberatly stomping on the beliefs and feelings of a target group. (I think Penn and Teller's little display at the roast qualified. They knew exactly what they were doing and got the reaction they expected.)

Then there's an unintentional offensive in which you might not be aware of the feelings of the target group. I think the Indian teams fit here. You have to ask yourself, would you not squirm a little if they changed the Redskins name to the Duskies and made the mascot a big grinning black man? As far as useing the real tribes names. I think this is at best exploiting the tribes identities. ("Well, we couldn't manage to wipe you out like we wanted... so we'll use your image to sell tickets to ball games!")

It's easy to say; "Ease back and have a sense of humor," when YOU'RE not the one being poked at!

I am always intrigued that many people who disdain "political correctness" take the stance that they get to decide what is offensive to whom.

If someone finds something offensive, then it is incumbent on YOU to decide if you wish to respect that person's sensitivities. The moral obligation is yours, and the way you respond to other people is a mark of your character, not theirs.

John

True, we shouldn't try to offend people, unnecessarily. However, I've run into some people who are ofended by almost anything and expect others to be like them. Some people venture into places that they just shouldn't go. I've heard of people complaining that a comedy club show was too vulgar or that a rock concert is too loud. The people complaining, in those cases, are in places that they don't belong. I don't go into places of worship, telling others what they should believe. But, when I perform in a church, I tailor the show to the audience, as much as reasonably possible.

If you want extremly rude (yet hilarious) street performers, go to the covent gardens in England. "Here come the strippers" is a regular line used when agroup of girls just walk on by....

People have a right to be offended by whatever they find objectionable--we ALL have our taboos. However, on the street, if a spectator is offended, there is an easy solution--they can leave. To do otherwise is to shove their own agenda onto everyone else. There is nothing more miserable or counterproductive than someone beating others over the head with their righteous indignation. So it goes......

Flimnar

I know OF it, but I've never heard it myself. Nor have I seen the film, although I did enjoy the thread from the guy who thought the entire premise might be a hoax dreamed up by Penn!

I've found that sometimes patronizing the offended pays dividends. Especially the religious zealots. If you patronize them properly they have no real ammo less they be redundant. One example is the guy I got that ran up to me at the front of the group..shook his finger and yelled "you'll burn in hell for your trickery!" I calmly said "yes sir..it's just a ploy to take over hell and I'm gonna make some great changes!" The guy said something else but it was drowned out by the audience laughter and he walked away. I think some people thought he was part of the act. Generally I just ignore any negative response and go on with the mission. 50 people laughing will drown out 2 people b**ching almost every time.

>> I know OF it, but I've never heard it myself.

If anyone wants to hear it, type "southparkjoke.wmv" into Google.com and find a clip of Cartman's rendition of the Aristocrat joke. As you can probably guess, it's pretty likely to offend some watch it.

A friend of mine made up a quote that got me laughing (yes I do have a sick sense of humour...sometimes)when the hats were down and the audience not appreciative...(fake Larry Olivier voice)My dear boy...they are all s~~ts...but they give us their money...
As a Christian, we are led not to judge(not easy sometimes) and these folks who basically tried to flier Ted Bs crowd certainly did judge...they are in the wrong...nes pa.
Vernon
AKAjames James

A couple of buttons I saw at a science-fiction convention YEARS ago.

"Dyslexics have more fnu."

and

"Dyslexics unite! Together we can trip up the world!"

I have now seen the joke. Ewww. The only actually funny part of the whole sequence was the other kid trying very quietly to get Cartman to stop!

I cannot imagine sitting through 90 minutes of people doing riffs on that joke!