Yes, Philadelphians have a working-class, tell-it-like-it-is, New Yawk-style attitude. I’ve always liked that (heck, I’m one of the few who actually likes the Philly accent, too). Of course, growing up in New Jersey, I was used to attitudes from both sides of the state…and from within.
I got lucky in spending my next 4 years in Cleveland. Cleveland is another great working-class city, but with more of a rock & roll attitude (loved partying in the Flats and biker bars). Too bad it’s so fricking cold there, or I may have stayed! Maybe global warming will make Cleveland more livable.
And, speaking of comedians, Philly-raised David Brenner was always a favorite stand-up of mine, although ironically, he was a gentle soul, with little bad attitude. He had a perpetual smile on his face that was endearing. I don’t believe he got heckled much. Had anyone heckled David when I was in the audience, I would have punched the heckler in the face myself (and I’m not a violent guy).
Thanks for posting a thoughtful and well written rebuttal to my arguably pro-heckler anecdote.
I admire comedians who can shut down a heckler in a funny way because I want them to be shut down so I can get back to enjoying the show. I also can see the difference between “If I do a good job with this heckler, it’ll make my TV show better” and “I like being heckled”.
I lived in Jersey for six years. New Brunswick and Maple Shade. I liked many of the people I met, but that state is too damned crowded for a kid who grew up in rural Michigan. I’ll check out Brenner.
Is it more about the great lines or about the attitude, do you suppose? I think they need to be prepared to dish it out for as long as it takes to shut the hecklers up.
Interestingly, when I heard Mull say that in ‘74, it was during what was billed as the “Steve Martin Mull Show:” Steve Martin and Martin Mull doing stand-up one after another.
Who knows, maybe they flipped a coin each night to see who’d use that line!
I also remember that line from a Steve Martin album, it would have either been “A Wild and Crazy Guy” or “The Steve Martin Brothers”, the only albums of his I ever listened to.
I once read an article on Rodney Dangerfield which claimed that he used paid shills in the audience.
On one of his albums, a heckler called out, “How big’s your rod?”, and Rodney instantly replied, “Don’t you remember?”, which sounded like an example thereof.
The article also claimed that one of Rodney’s shills was a young Andrew Dice Clay.