Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 2:41 pm Post subject: Dealing with Hecklers 101
Richard Herring with an absolute masterclass in how to deal with a heckler. This is the sort of magic that can only come from years of stand-up experience.
Yeah, he was just a touch better at dealing with him than that guy from Seinfeld eh? haha
That's actually exactly what I was thinking. I found the Richard Herring video after listening to his podcasts and deciding to search him on YouTube, and I was well impressed, but so many of the "similar" videos that also include the tag "heckler" are of American comedians dealing with hecklers, and they're so much worse.
It seems like most stand-ups deal with hecklers by launching into really pathetic attacks on them, like the George Carlin one where he's screaming at a heckler saying he needs a dick in his mouth and he's a cocksucker... I mean, that is retarded. And homophobic.
Richard Herring dealt with that guy so well - it was funny and smart and he wasn't offensive.
It seems like most examples of "comedian deals with heckler" actually turns out to be "comedian uses idiotic macho swear-filled homophobic diatribe to smother hecker at risk of own reputation".
it's pretty rare that you have to go so far with anyone though - usually the bouncers will remove someone if they're disrupting the show. The one with the guy smashing his guitar over someone's head is a perfect example of the comedian being a dick though.
Dave, that was shite man. It struck me as a very poor and much more aggressive interpretation of Bill Hicks in the well-worn 'Losing it' video... the way you pulled Rogna into your rant was pretty poor too - that was like a bully's weak mate saying 'look who I'm with'
That seemed unnecessary. Maybe he failed to perform in the sack earlier that day or something.
It must be quite frustrating when someone is on stage with a microphone and essentially controls the disagreement by being able to talk over you. I'd have wanted to point out his moronic hypocricy in complaining to the heckler that she's never met him or knows him, and then goes on to make judgements about her that he couldn't possibly know - and he stumbled on his words as well, obviously desperately trying to remember the pre-prepared comeback he'd made up three months ago if ever a random woman decides to say how shit and boring and formulaic he is.
The best put-downs come from people who actually respond to the heckler, by which I mean say something that not only shuts them up but could only apply to that specific situation. These "canned" responses are just depressingly average.
One of the best comebacks I've ever heard was when Russell Brand was dealing with an awkward woman, and he said "You're mad!" She replied "Don't you question my integrity; I work with people who have mental problems!"
Russell immediately came back with "I'm not surprised. I bet they were OK before you started that job".
I had seen Dave Bishop before from this site, I think he has a myspace website, but I had no idea Joe Rogan was a comic. I thought he was just a doofus who got famous because of Fear Factor. Before Fear Factor, I've never heard of Joe Rogan. lol! I forget where I saw Joe Rogan in another arena after Fear Factor, but remember he was an arrogant prick. lol!
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