Comments on: Heckleva job, Rummy

Heckleva job, Rummy

Mach3avelli — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:36:52 -0800

Handling Hecklers (youtube filter - NSFW language) In the wake of the Michael Richards fiasco, many lessons have been learned. Is there a better way to handle the onslaught of loudmouths? Some do it with finesse. Others struggle. What if they actually get up on stage and try to fight you? Can they be overpowered simply by being louder and obnoxious? Sometimes they set themselves up too easily. Comedy legends sure can have their own distinctive approach. Even Clinton knew how to handle the pressure. Musicians themselves are no strangers to poor decisons. What's to say about comics who go after their own? There's also the benevolent way. Can you even blame this guy? You can always try to stay classy, but that just seems to exacerbate things. It's definitely topical enough to make skits out of. Here are a few more thrown in for good measure.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:41:15 -0800

Nice post, but there aren't enough heckler-related links. Couldn't you have researched this a little better? Is joke.

By: Justinian

Justinian — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:45:43 -0800

FREEBIRD!

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:51:08 -0800

I recall that one time a fan threw a lighter on stage hitting David Lee Roth in the head. "That's OK," Roth said, "I know who did it and I'm gonna fuck your girlfriend after the show." That's handling a heckler.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:52:24 -0800

Wow, that country singer, he ruined his own guitar AND alienated his audience. Knucklehead. Maybe he shoulda just walked offstage right from the get-go, like this guy at opera last Thursday.

By: hal9k

hal9k — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:57:59 -0800

flapjax, go easy on MACH3avelii. Don't turn this into some kind of (wait for it...) WHIPPING POST!

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:58:47 -0800

um, that's the opera... just so's nobody'll think I ain't cultured or nothing...

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:59:27 -0800

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN!!!!!

By: Dasein

Dasein — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:07:51 -0800

What's the Clinton one about? I mean, what's he heckling him about? Something about bombing? Seems like a small forum for a president to speak in, though.

By: thecaddy

thecaddy — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:08:02 -0800

SATELLITE OF LOVE!!! what, is it just me, then?

By: elendil71

elendil71 — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:10:43 -0800

Ahh, the good old days when gentlemen like Country Dick Montana or Jello Biafra would simply spit beer or piss on heckers...... or, well, anyone for that matter.

By: elendil71

elendil71 — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:11:24 -0800

"hecklers" that is .... dammit

By: Mach3avelli

Mach3avelli — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:13:14 -0800

What's the Clinton one about? I mean, what's he heckling him about? Something about bombing? Seems like a small forum for a president to speak in, though. That was during his run-up to the presidency back in 92.

By: Dasein

Dasein — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:15:36 -0800

That makes more sense - so what was the heckling about?

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:24:12 -0800

Damn you, Mach3avelli - here I was about to post an FPP concerning Roberto Alagna's walkout after being booed. With last night's production of Aida nearly in jeopardy, an understudy walked in - literally in street clothes - and salvaged the lavish opera production. Ah, well - my hat's off to you, but my friend says you're not funny...

By: mikoroshi

mikoroshi — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:25:24 -0800

yes, but how do i as a semi-pro heckler deal with tall, washed up, racist "comedians" from dead tv shows?

By: kosem

kosem — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:26:06 -0800

Outstanding, creative Youtubery.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:27:59 -0800

*slaps forehead at not noticing flapjax at midnite's post* Okay...well....Oakland's really got it outta control, huh?

By: andywolf

andywolf — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:32:09 -0800

saw bobcat goldthwaite once, he just put the mic down, walked over to the guy and farted on his head.

By: RokkitNite

RokkitNite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:32:18 -0800

Seoul, August 1974 - Japanese-born assassin Mun Se Kwang gets up during President Park Chung Hee's speech and advances down the aisle, firing his pistol. He misses, but a stray bullet hits Park's wife in the head, killing her. The security team wade in, and one of the guard's bullets kills a teenage member of the twelve-strong chorus that are due to sing when the address is through. The would-be assassin is subdued, and taken away, along with the bloodied bodies of the schoolgirl and Park's wife. Park emerges from behind his bulletproof lecturn, waits for the audience to quieten down. 'I apologise for the interruption,' he says, his inflection stone-cold. 'I shall continue with my speech.' Now that's dealing with a heckler.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:34:55 -0800

*slaps forehead at not noticing flapjax at midnite's post* Smart Dalek, all is forgiven. Go in peace.

By: Mr_Zero

Mr_Zero — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:35:10 -0800

My favorite kind-of-a-heckler video. This guy gets up on the stage at a Tool concert and Maynard throws him to the ground, pins him and finishes the song.

By: FelliniBlank

FelliniBlank — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:35:49 -0800

I like going to classical concerts and screaming, "FIREBIRD!"

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:36:07 -0800

Wow, Rokkitnite, is that really true? Dag...

By: freebird

freebird — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:36:31 -0800

!!!

By: Falconetti

Falconetti — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:39:19 -0800

Awesome post, thanks.

By: notmydesk

notmydesk — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:44:02 -0800

This post sucks! Get off the page!

By: zardoz

zardoz — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:44:56 -0800

I just saw that Joe Rogan post on digg yesterday and was thinking of a comprehensive post like this. This post is better than I would've done, though. Kudos!

By: RokkitNite

RokkitNite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:52:11 -0800

Wow, Rokkitnite, is that really true? Dag... Yup - and they caught it on camera, too.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:53:53 -0800

and they caught it on camera, too. Link?

By: Postroad

Postroad — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:56:20 -0800

Not readily available but on record, but Lenny Bruce put on the personna of a nd rate comic who mnages to talk his wy into the best of all venues--he Palladium. There, he bombs and the crowd heckles...he doesn't know how to respond and begins to insult the Irish etc till he is yanked off stage, dressed in drag, and hustled out to airport to be flown back to America. Bruce, a consumate comic,often worried about the life and role of comics and this sort of act expressed his anxiety.

By: Ber

Ber — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:02:57 -0800

I wouldn't go after some rock guitarists. Like Keith. Just wish there was video of Pete swatting Abbie Hoffman off the stage at Woodstock.

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:04:13 -0800

Still my favorite is David Cross dealing with the drunk woman who "just wanted to feel it" on Shut Up You FUcking Baby. For those who haven't heard it, some woman at the show just sort of started to half-sit on the stage and try to talk with Cross as he was in the middle of his bit, until he broke down and asked her what the hell she was trying to do. He then dealt with it by handing her the microphone and having her explain her inebriated self to the rest of the audience while he opened up another beer.

By: horsewithnoname

horsewithnoname — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:09:50 -0800

2-year-old Sadie deals with a heckler.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:15:02 -0800

You're not funny!

By: geoff.

geoff. — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:16:38 -0800

Well that was the cutest damn heckle ever.

By: Iridic

Iridic — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:16:54 -0800

Steve Martin to a heckler: "Yeah, I remember when I had my first beer..."

By: eraserhed

eraserhed — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:18:30 -0800

Very cool post! Funny or no, standup comics have balls for going up onstage alone, without a band or anybody else to deflect criticism. Handling hecklers well is an art form in itself. Bill Burr from Opie and Anthony dealt with this a few months ago too.

By: eraserhed

eraserhed — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:22:12 -0800

And also.....I'm surprised that this FPP didn't mention Neil Hamburger...the guy has made getting heckled an essential part of his act, almost to the point where it's performance art.

By: Pollomacho

Pollomacho — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:38:11 -0800

Make it funny!

By: crank

crank — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:40:59 -0800

Zipper schitck!!!

By: stirfry

stirfry — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:51:41 -0800

hush you Muskies!

By: Drunken_munky

Drunken_munky — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:56:43 -0800

I'm surprised that this FPP didn't mention Neil Hamburger Oh man. I saw that guy open for Tenacious D recently, and it was the longest 30 minutes of my entire life. He took his shtick way too far to be funny. His show definitely wasn't entertaining, and for the majority of the time it was actually boring. To be fair, I've heard his act can be funny if a good audience is present, but unfortunately that wasn't the case for me. I guess seeing him is sort of like paying a man to kick you in the nuts: it only feels good occasionally.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:04:36 -0800

it only feels good occasionally. Isn't it more like: it only feels good when it stops?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:17:58 -0800

like paying a man to kick you in the nuts: it only feels good occasionally. Just what occasion would make a swift kick to the nards feel good?

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:18:32 -0800

This type of humor makes me very uncomfortable.

By: Drunken_munky

Drunken_munky — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:23:49 -0800

Just what occasion would make a swift kick to the nards feel good? Clearly, a very special one. Want to come over later?

By: NoMich

NoMich — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:28:42 -0800

To be fair, I've heard his act can be funny if a good audience is present... The best audience for Neil Hamburger is a hostile one. "But thaaaaaat's my life! *sigh*" He truly is America's $1 Funnyman.

By: GalaxieFiveHundred

GalaxieFiveHundred — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:38:14 -0800

At least people don't throw rotten fruit anymore.

By: piratebowling

piratebowling — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:39:49 -0800

Oh man, this is an excellent post! Nicely done. And Drunken_munky, from my understanding, Neil's act is never good. Nor should it be. People go to his shows thinking "Oh, God, it's gonna be so terrible it will have to be good!" and leave thinking, "That was just...bad."

By: Divine_Wino

Divine_Wino — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:46:40 -0800

Hey man, what's the deal with the interruption? I don't go down to your job and knock the cock out of your mouth.* *the old standby. Nice post.

By: Gilbert

Gilbert — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:54:26 -0800

Great post! The Jamie Foxx link, ("go after") is particularly brutal, btw.

By: parki

parki — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:09:40 -0800

Fine postage.

By: squarehead

squarehead — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:18:07 -0800

GalaxieFiveHundred: "At least people don't throw rotten fruit anymore." That's authentic? Amazing. I was sure it was recent and staged, until I went to the main page. There's some good stuff there, some of which was apparently filmed by Edison. Thanks for that. Oh, and I like the FPP, too.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:29:17 -0800

Great post. What I would really like to see is a "King of the Fast and Furious One Liners" type of comedian dealing with a heckler. Someone like Rodney Dangerfield.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:37:54 -0800

GalaxieFiveHundred, that site is awesome. Thanks! Looks like Tom Edison beat Letterman to Stupid Pet Tricks by eight decades.

By: Flunkie

Flunkie — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:59:33 -0800

Squarehead:

That's authentic? Amazing. I was sure it was recent and staged, until I went to the main page.

No, it's not authentic. It's staged. Just not "recent and staged".

By: LordSludge

LordSludge — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 20:36:34 -0800

Goddamn. Sadie's vid kinda got to me...

By: kosher_jenny

kosher_jenny — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 21:18:05 -0800

A story related somewhat to RokkitNite's, this time about one of our previous presidents: While campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 14, 1912, a saloonkeeper named John Schrank failed in an assassination attempt on Roosevelt. Schrank did shoot the former President, but the bullet lodged in Roosevelt's chest only after hitting both his steel eyeglass case and a copy of his speech he was carrying in his jacket. Roosevelt declined suggestions that he go to the hospital, and delivered his scheduled speech. He spoke vigorously for ninety minutes. His opening comments to the gathered crowd were, "I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose." It's a famous story and most of you have probably heard it in some form already, but it's a cool tale and is relevant to the post. Though I must admit, Teddy wasn't as hardcore as Park Chung Hee.

By: squarehead

squarehead — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:19:21 -0800

No, it's not authentic. It's staged. Just not "recent and staged"." Thanks for the clarification, Flunkie.

By: bruce

bruce — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:59:05 -0800

here's something that worked for me long, long ago at an open mike night when i was being heckled: "say there buddy, you look awfully familiar, i'm sure i've seen you somewhere before, wait a second, oh yes, now i remember, i saw you on tv when you won a silver medal in the special olympics. gimme a hug!"

By: joedan

joedan — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:11:52 -0800

Here's the footage Rokkitnite mentioned, although it's presented in an...unexpected format.

By: concrete

concrete — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:20:11 -0800

Flunkie writes "What I would really like to see is a 'King of the Fast and Furious One Liners' type of comedian dealing with a heckler.

"Someone like Rodney Dangerfield." He does a little of that on his "No Respect" CD.

By: mediareport

mediareport — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 23:39:44 -0800

Damn, eraserhed, that Bill Burr clip has some hilarious moments; it's like a comic's wet dream - to just stand there and stoke that hatred, and then still have some of the audience laughing...it sagged a bunch of times, but hell, you try handling that awful situation. I totally cracked up when he pulled out "So I got a new computer the other day..." about 8 minutes in.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:17:24 -0800

Anyone got an answer key so I don't have to watch all 21 videos to see the interesting ones?

By: dreamsign

dreamsign — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 01:02:29 -0800

Hey, do I come to your workplace and tell you how to do your job? *cou(lame)gh*

By: pandaharma

pandaharma — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:26:23 -0800

One of my favorite responses to a heckler, Tori Amos with the great koan: "Where would we be without our assholes?" One of my favorite heckles: At an Atari Teenage Riot show in the late 90's, Alec Empire is giving his usual rant of "Fuck the government! Fuck the police!" and the drunk polisci students, shout back, "You got it man! Fuck Alexander Hamilton!"

By: ouke

ouke — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:26:46 -0800

wow, great post.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:54:35 -0800

Damn, I gotta say, though, a lot of these "comedians" are some seriously malfunctioning people. Troubled souls. Overflowing with burning hatred, raging like lunatics, screaming into their microphones... Really pretty pathetic.

By: chillmost

chillmost — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:10:22 -0800

A very large heckler beats Pauly Shore.

By: signal

signal — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:07:58 -0800

Maynard is God

By: CaptMcalister

CaptMcalister — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:23:26 -0800

holy shit chillmost, Pauly Shore has always been depressing but jessus.

By: pax digita

pax digita — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:29:15 -0800

I already knew Koreans are some of the toughest sumbitches around, but RokkitNite's anecdote about Park Chung Hee gets an eight-point-five on artistic merit. Or something.

By: Mr_Zero

Mr_Zero — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:38:47 -0800

chillmost

By: slimepuppy

slimepuppy — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 05:43:13 -0800

A very large heckler beats Pauly Shore. posted by chillmost at 12:10 PM GMT on December 12 'That's for Biodome, motherfucker!' I haven't laughed this hard in ages. Couldn't have happened to a more annoying person. I love it.

By: Optamystic

Optamystic — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 06:20:24 -0800

re: Pauly Shore Is that what you call "Whacking The Weasel"? I can tell you from personal experience that he's had that and worse coming for a couple of decades now. It's a shame it came from a drunk redneck and not as a lightning bolt delivered by the comedy gods.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 06:34:45 -0800

It's a shame it came from a drunk redneck What? Taking care of the Pauly Shores of the world is one of primary functions of the redneck.

By: Zack_Replica

Zack_Replica — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 07:33:16 -0800

During a performance of "The Lion in Winter" on Broadway, Laurence Fishburne was interrupted by a ringing cell phone. Breaking character, he glared into the house and demanded, "Are you going to turn that fucking thing off?" The line earned Fishburne a huge ovation, according to several accounts. Also, there's this quote from Steve Martin about people who interrupt performances... Communication has changed so rapidly in the last 20 years, it's almost impossible to predict what might occur even in the next decade. E-mail, which now sends data hurtling across vast distances at the speed of light, has replaced primitive forms of communication such as smoke signals, which sent data hurtling across vast distances at the speed of light. Let's suppose that you want to say, "I am a jerk." In the 18th century, you would have to go around person to person and utter the phrase individually to each one of them. However, here in the third millennium, with our advances in telephone communication, it is possible to say, "I am a jerk" to a thousand people at a time by forgetting to turn off your cell phone and having it ring during a performance of "Death of a Salesman."

By: doctorschlock

doctorschlock — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 08:36:59 -0800

I was doing a show one night and got hecked by an audience member. I yelled out : Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Mr. ***hole! The audience cracked up. He yelled out: Hey! You didn't have to call me an ***hole! Thru my entire act he kept whining that I didn't have to call him names. Finally, after talking to him. I realized that this guy didn't know what a heckler was to a comedian. So I skooled him. I told him that he interupted my act then he was fair game for me to shoot him down or silence him. He add that I didn't have to call him an ***hole. All this was going on in front of an audience. They laughed and he got up on stage, begging for an apology for being called an ***hole.... Then I lost it.....I began screaming at him at the top of my lungs...that's when the audience realized that this was not part of the act and that this jackass was one stupid human being. I asked him to leave the stage. As he was leaving, I yelled out...Thank you Mr. ***hole. The guy almost cried. He and about 5 friends walked out and the audience applauded. As I finished the show, the manager told me that the guy and his friends were waiting for me outside. The fun never ends.

By: cenoxo

cenoxo — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 09:20:04 -0800

When snappy retorts fail, there's always the old standard: Vice President Nelson Rockefeller responds in kind to Vietnam War protestors at a 1976 Bob Dole (bkgd) campaign rally.^VIA

By: letitrain

letitrain — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 09:36:59 -0800

The Bill Burr and Pauly Shore videos are SOLID GOLD. Burr explains why he went off, interspersed with more Philly love:

..RON JAWORSKI, THAT STUPID FAT-FACED POLACK. HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO THROW IT TO ROD MARTIN BEFORE YOU REALIZE HE'S ON THE OTHER TEAM? ..HEY COACH, HE KEEPS RUNNING THE WRONG WAY...... THIS PIECE OF SHIT, WHITE TRASH TOWN. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME ANYBODY WHITE FROM PHILADELPHIA EVER ACCOMPLISHED ANYTHING? ALL THE SUCCESS STORIES ARE BLACK. JOE FRAISER, WILL SMITH, THE ROOTS, ERYKAH BADU. PHILADELPHIA IS LIKE A BIG DUMPING GROUND FOR FAILED WHITE PEOPLE. YOU SHOULD ALL GO HOME AND HANG YOURSELVES BY YOUR WALLET CHAINS. WHAT A BUNCH OF FUCKIN LOSERS

By: joseph_elmhurst

joseph_elmhurst — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 10:06:14 -0800

At a Jim O'Rourke show during a laptop-centric song, some guy shouts, "Dude, can I check my Hotmail?" Killed me.

By: dog food sugar

dog food sugar — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 10:18:39 -0800

That Pauly Shore video is sad and scary. There is absolutely no reason anyone in the audience should be able to get up on any stage like that and assault anyone. People laughing at that happening are sad and scary too.

By: deborah

deborah — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:42:17 -0800

I am a hoo-man!

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:36:23 -0800

Slowly but surely, Joe Rogan will get respect for being a good comedian. His clip was excellent. Bill Burr's is already a classic. I love Bill Hicks, but that clip (which I've seen before) is disturbing. Great post.

By: urbanwhaleshark

urbanwhaleshark — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:20:13 -0800

Hugely entertaining. Thankyou.

By: dougunderscorenelso

dougunderscorenelso — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 16:22:57 -0800

In the extras of one of the Mr. Show DVDs, the group visits Aspen in disguise and stages a heckling convention for a character David Cross is playing. If you haven't seen it, you should.

By: LordSludge

LordSludge — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:48:48 -0800

deborah: Just something about that little girl getting heckled by an older boy -- "You're just a girl!" and her "I'm not... I'm not a girl, I'm a hooman!" Damn, that's just really sad to me.

By: Captaintripps

Captaintripps — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:30:29 -0800

That Pauly Shore video is a fake. Thank you for being so cynical about the cynicism.

By: dog food sugar

dog food sugar — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:31:03 -0800

...Pauly Shore video is a fake... Oops...I totally fell for that... but... yay! My prefered hope that people are not so completely nasty is a little restored!

By: sonofsamiam

sonofsamiam — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:39:11 -0800

Drunken_munky: Neil Hamburger is one of my all-time favorites! The joke is on the audience, he intentionally drags things out and tells the lamest jokes possible. One concert, he had a two-minute silence for Princess Di, which started less than 30 seconds after his act did. Killed everything.

By: radiosilents

radiosilents — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 11:55:55 -0800

"this isn't TV, bitch, when you speak i can HEAR YOU" (from the "finesse" link) is killing me dead.