Heckling stand-up comedians: c/d?

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I was just at a show and the comedian opening was too puck rock to be funny. So someone yelled "know any jokes?"
Why do all stand-up comedians need to be able to insult random drunks? Have you ever insulted a stand-up comedian?
I actually generally hate stand-up comedy. The whole idea that someone is relying on my laughter for validation of their existence is very embarassing for some reason.

― Sym (shmuel), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Schmuel, tell us more, give more info...?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm drunk and I should sleep...
But it's a convention of stand-up comedy to get into arguments with hecklers. Now I'm not someone that is likely to yell "you suck!" at a comedian, even if I dislike him (which will generally be the case). But enough ppl feel comfortable yelling at some poor performer to make heckling very common. I think this is weird. Why would someone do such a thing?

― Sym (shmuel), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know, I've often wondered myself. It's embarassing to watch a heckler in action.

They're drunk and don't have their own place in the sun? They want that, they make a point of trying to match their wits with a professional?

I once met a heckler after a show. She was flirtatiously deranged.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic when other people do it, 'cos then you can listen as the heckler gets beaten down and made to feel like a penis. Saying that never EVER do it yourself.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

But at the show I saw the heckler won (really, his line above was as funny as anything by the comedian), which is just totally depressing. Which brings us back to why I hate stand-up comedy.

― Sym (shmuel), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

One time I saw a guy who was agonisingly unfunny, and knew it. For 30-40 minutes he tried every trick he knew, observations, surrealisms, slapstick, everything and anything just to get a laugh, and none of it worked. The audience, as a whole, remained unmoved. So he finally lost his nerve and actually said "Right; I'm going to tell a joke now, and it will be funny," which is obviously a sign of impending disaster. "One day, when I was a kid" he said, "my bike was stolen" and at this point I cheered and clapped. Queue 'comedian' looking right at me and saying, with feeling, "You cunt!" The next guy on was piss-funny.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

haha classic

― Sym (shmuel), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

the comedian opening was too puck rock to be funny

http://www.dirtragmag.com/staff/jeffg/hansonbros.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 29 February 2004 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Probably against it, I guess. Comedian and heckler are both likely to be 2nd rate, or drunk, if they're heckling/getting heckled. And the ensuing realization of second-rate status is depressing, bathetic. On the other hand, that line is funny, "Heard any jokes lately?" 100 points for the exception.

― Skottie, Sunday, 29 February 2004 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The whole idea that someone is relying on my laughter for validation of their existence is very embarassing for some reason.
-- Sym (shmuelm4...), February 29th, 2004. (1 trackback)

I love the idea of stand up comedy, that being it is their job to entertain me, and there is actual physical proof if they are doing well or not. However, I'd say 99% of stand up comedians are terrible. Since Richard Pryor, every single comedian has decided to do an act based solely on whichever ethnic group/gender/religion they are, and rarely do they get better then the Simpson's parody of "Black people drive like this, and white people drive like THIS!"

― David Allen (David Allen), Sunday, 29 February 2004 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

God grant I never meet Pee Wee Herman's ethnic group.

― Tep (ktepi), Sunday, 29 February 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Or Sandra Bernhard's, I seriously think that woman is not from this planet in the first place.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 29 February 2004 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic, and dud.
I've been onstage stand-upping, and not been heckled, but I've also heckled. But it was a righteous heckle. It was at an amateur night, and he was the ringer (or possibly wringer?) brought in at the end to justify the ridiculous cover charge. He started out by berating the act that had preceded him, which was a very crude and hilarious conceptual piece that was probably in the wrong venue. Then he moved in to ridiculing the mentally handicapped people who work at the recycling depot. "Boy are they slow," he said.
So I, quite drunk by that point and pissed off at this guy who'd been talking quite loudly on his cel phone during other comics' sets, started yelling "HISSSSS!"
And he was like, "What are you saying?"
"Hisss, y'know? Like 'Boo!' Cuz you're a villain."
I hid in the back with my friend the bartender afterward until I was sure the bad comic and his 'posse' were gone. Cuz I hate bullies, but I also hate getting beat up.
And Sym, if you don't like the idea of stand-up comedy, I can only suggest that you stay away from comedians. I don't like sharks, and you don't see me at Sea World.

― Huck, Monday, 1 March 2004 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I couldn't do it.

― luna (luna.c), Monday, 1 March 2004 00:11 (twenty-two years ago)

And Sym, if you don't like the idea of stand-up comedy, I can only suggest that you stay away from comedians.
Well I try, but this was my friends' band CD release party. I was going to see music, not comedy. And there are quite a few stand-up comedians I do like. But even seeing bad comics on Just For Laughs on TV embarasses me a little.

― Sym (shmuel), Monday, 1 March 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Interesting fact: Chubby Brown bans heckling at his performances altogher.

Peter Kay had a heckler lay into him at one of his shows in Brighton, I think Peter got so pissed off with him he actually offered him out for a fight on stage.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 1 March 2004 00:18 (twenty-two years ago)

That's rather disappointing about Chubby Brown, I recall seeing him dispatch a heckler with something to the effect of "If the fookin' crowd had come here to see you the seats'd be facing the other way. You cunt"

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 1 March 2004 11:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic : When the heckle is actually funny. I have done this a few times, (to the general embarrasment of mates who usually say "shut up" but modesty prevents me.

Other one not me: Chris Lynham, with band, greenham (malcolm Hardee's place), dress on, fright realhair, comedy bomb with lit fuse "FUNNY, EH? WELL, LAUGH FOR THE LAST TIME!!" heckler: "huh, first time more like..." (All crack up, Chris drops bomb, smiles, "ok, cool heckle")...

Also, classic if heckler shuts up after one go, otherwise DUD!

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 1 March 2004 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I heckled at a wedding once. My bad?

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 1 March 2004 12:35 (twenty-two years ago)

taking sides though - people heckling the comedian vs Comedian picking on people in the crowd to get cheap gags as people laugh while thinking "thank god it's not me"

― chris (chris), Monday, 1 March 2004 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I saw a comedian at the Chuckle Club who was buttock-clenchingly awful; I felt for her at first as she was heckled, but her jokes were so awful that I had to sympathise with the heckler who was simply urging her to 'tell us a joke'. Her gags would have gone down well at Greenham Common circa 1981, but this was 2002 and it was London. She eventually fled to stage. Later on, they played B&S at the disco, but I digress.

I hat sitting on the front row lest I get picked on; I don't have much sympathy for those who do sit there as they know what to expect and indeed, I think they want to be picked on as some feel like they were part of the show, others think they're funny and can mind-fuck the comedian (saw this onece, and it was very funny). In the end I'm with ben Elton who said in his stand up show 'I've paid my money to be entertained by you, so stop involving me in your gags and just bloody entertain me'.

― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 1 March 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I am trying to track down my old friend Chris Lynham(Chris the Piss).Comedian extordinaire from Zimbabwe but lived here in the UK for many years. Please try to find some info where I could get in touch with him, E mail adress would be great! Cheers.

― Garth Pullar, Thursday, 1 April 2004 11:59 (twenty-two years ago)

He's dead.

― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 1 April 2004 12:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, he did a gig in march, according to Google.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 1 April 2004 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

twelve years pass...

is Chris the Piss ok?

― Neanderthal, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 07:17 (nine years ago)

he pops up randomly every so often, not seen him around for a while.

I know he went back to Zim when he'd earned enough to pay for his farm there, but lost it in some insurrection, so came back to the UK and restarted the 'act' to basically not be flat broke.

he was on a kids show last time I saw him, set in a prison: six acts, the winner 'won their release from prison'. He didn't win but seemed happy.

― Mark G, Wednesday, 28 December 2016 08:01 (nine years ago)

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