"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 remarkably vulgar and offensive. The punch line reveals 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, such as by comedians to other comedians.