Fully Committed

Last night's Aristocrats premiere turned out to be part lofty paean to artistic freedom, part botched Bar Mitzvah. The film—which we've been hearing about for so, so long—is, of course, about an inside joke among comedians that opens with a family entering a talent agent's office to perform an act. Just what that act is depends on the comedian, but it inevitably involves incest, scatalogical fetishes and bestiality. And most of the comedians in the movie made it out to the premier. Robin Bronk doesn't do stand-up. But, as executive director of the non-profit organization the Creative Coalition, she opened up the screening with a somewhat stirring tribute to the free-speech tradition—only to suffer the slings and arrows that tradition makes inevitable when comedian Jeff Ross interrupted her. "Show us your pussy!" he shouted. Bronk continued, unfazed. She mentioned the upcoming Politics and Punchlines event at the 92nd Street Y on September 20th; that it will be moderated by Lawrence O'Donnell of the McLaughlin Group. Arianna Huffington, David Steinberg, Harry Shearer, and Joe Scarborough have also committed - but Bob Saget, who arguably tells the filthiest version of The Aristocrats joke, "is playing hard to get." "I'll do it, but only if you show us your pussy!" Mr. Saget responded from the crowd. "Hey Gilbert, say something!" another voice shouted. "Pussy!" yelled Gilbert Gottfried. In a phone interview today, all Ms. Bronk could say was, "Saget's committed now." Does that mean ... - Blythe Sheldon