Gilbert

"I love the idea that we're just allowed to riff, like jazz," said Bob Saget at The Aristocrats premiere after-party at Caroline's comedy club last week. "It's like giving 100 people a nude to paint. About twenty of them won't paint her naked, and then some will paint her so graphically - like, gynecological - and whatever's left, sixty people will paint her as they see her."

"It [the film]'s kind of a love letter to comedians," said Bob Saget. "I think it accidentally became a piece of art."

"Have you met my friend, Gilbert [Gottfried], the voice of the parrot in Aladdin?" he asked. (Other credits, of course, include a 1-800-collect commercial and Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.) Mr. Gottfried kindly informed the Transom, "No one reads the New York Observer. I could Scotch tape diamonds inside it and get them all back." On the contrary, Mr. Saget contended that his ex-mother-in-law read his profile.

On the question of exposing this insider joke, the film's director, Paul Provenza, said, "It's not a Masonic rite. It's not like there's a ‘comedy illuminati' that's going to hunt us down... I made this film to get Bob Saget to work."

"And Bob Saget made this film to shock his mother-in-law," chimed in filmmaker Aviva Kempner.

If the Aristocrats joke is regarded as a "secret handshake" among comedians, Mr. Saget's ex-mother-in-law may well be the password. Ms. Kempner later deadpanned that Mr. Provenza's next documentary will feature Karl Rove interviewing Judith Miller. Mr. Provenza continued to eat his barbequed chicken.  read more »

The Transom finally caught up with Susie Essman of Curb Your Enthusiasm and comedian and radio host Frank DeCaro. "No one swears like Susie!" he said. "Fuck you, Frank!" she responded in that warmly familiar, wonderfully shrill tone.

—Blythe Sheldon

For almost as long as I can remember, I've heard disgruntled people in the art world say of a work o  read more »

Climbing the StairMaster to nowhere, running on the treadmill–they're deeply boring.  read more »