Sataristas! - a Review

Paul Provenza, author and conductor of the interviews in Sataristas! is in my mind one of the greatest stand-ups of all time. I remember seeing clips of his act on Nick at Nite back in the 1980s as a kid and I always found him funny, even I didn't quite "get" everything he was talking about. Maybe he's not a household name, but among comics and comedians alike he's a well respected mensch.

You might know Provenza as the director of on my favorite films The Aristocrats. That movie dissected one of the all-time class jokes brilliantly. It took viewers on a ride through a comic's mind through the re imagining time and again of the filthiest joke ever conceived.

He put together a book of interviews that has been consistently blowing my mind for the last three weeks. Every time I sit down and read an interview I get inspired. The book centers around the idea of satire. From what it is, to how it's put into place, and it delves into notion of whether or not comedy, satire specifically can really change the world.

The list of comedians who give interviews in this book is so exhaustive I dare not even try. Everyone from Conan O'Brien to Roseanne Barr to Paul Mooney to South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker are covered. That's not even a small percentage of the comedians who lend their thoughts to Provenza for this book.

Anyone who considers themselves a fan of comedy or satire should pick this book up. It's so good that I didn't even vomit once while reading the Jay Leno interview.