A book I’d like to read (has it been written?) is about hecklers. How do comics deal with them? Which comics have been especially gifted at dealing with them? Which ones not? What are some great heckler anecdotes? Are there different types of hecklers? Why do they do it? Is learning how to deal with them a skill all comedians need to acquire? What are some standard comebacks all comics have in their repertoire?
Actually, I’d like to write such a book, if one has already been written, but I don’t have any connections to comedians and I’d be asking a lot of favors for them to spend time telling me about their experiences. A lot of work, that is, in terms of prep time, but I’d sure like to read such a book.
There’s no shortage of ‘Watch Comedian X put down this heckler’ snippets on Youtube, and invariably a few questions about ‘How do you deal with hecklers?’ when they are interviewed on chat shows, also likely to be on Youtube. So, lots of material to either filch or properly reference to pad out your book.
Jimmy Carr builds an entire routine around inviting heckling from the audience - its like watching one of those 15 year old chess prodigies slaughtering a line of players at consecutive tables.
The high point of seeing Jerry Seinfeld live (recently) was him heckling an audience member.
Front row, woman holds up a sign: “Can you give my husband your autograph?”. Jerry goes off on her for bringing a sign, but mostly for being lazy.
“Lady, do you have ANY idea how the world works? You want something, like someone’s autograph, you’ve got to work for it. Tell your husband to stand outside the stage door after the show. Yes, in the snow! And politely ask the entertainer for an autograph, and possibly tell them you liked the show…” (he went on for a while).
I’ve always wondered if this was a plant. But Jerry’s surprise and sheer glee at having someone to rant at (in that whiny voice of his) seemed natural.
I was the doorman for a comedy club during my security days. The comic used the first couple of hekles to his advantage, zinging back and making the audience laugh. On the third one, he gestured to me, and I kicked the guy out.
So, as long as it is funny and doesnt get tiresome, its; fine, but enuf is enuf.
The heckler was not pre-arranged. he was just a drunk.
I also called a cab for him. Back in those days, you didnt actually take car keys away, you called a cab (there was usually one hanging around anyway, a very famous local club) and if he refused it, it wasbon him.
Sharing the “not how to do it” category with Michael Richards is this incident that was widely circulated on VHS tapes throughout the comedy community in the '90s, back before the days of viral internet videos:
I think Bill Burr’s Philadelphia Rant qualifies. He came out already pissed about a previous performing comedian being heckled, so he let loose ranting mercilessly about the audience and Philly in general. Funny stuff!
But, Philadelphians being Philadelphians, they ate it up (even giving Burr a standing ovation). Philly fans love to heckle, but they love being heckled back, too. I’m from Philly, I can verify this.
I would think just about any comedian with any experience has a mentally stored set of go-to replies for hecklers since it’s an expected occurrence in their profession. The fact most hecklers are emboldened by alcohol only makes the job easier for them.
Still, most comics seem to try to avoid engaging with them. The audience or staff can do a better job of shutting up a heckler than some brilliant improvisation by the comic.
I’m no comic. But I’ve got a bit of a reputation for being witty in person.
What I’ve long said is that the key to witty isn’t being fast on your feet; it’s having a good memory. The same situation will occur again and that great comeback you came up with 3 hours later the first time will be useful that second time.
Jimmy Carr has a feature of his show where, if he hasn’t been heckled, he asks for it. He has a number of pre-planned responses depending on who heckles him and how.
