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Alexander Marsh Inner circle England 1191 Posts |
Hmmmm….
Ok so you are doing your Question and Answer Act, some ‘clever’ bugger might shout out there question of, “When’s the main Act on!” Reply simply with. “Guess what sir. You just became it! and unfortunately for you, it’s sword swallowing!” or maybe something ruder! Derren Brown had/has a great one, “You do realize I could have you wetting the bed for the rest of your life.” If you do have hecklers I imagine it would be in a bar or comedy club so you can probably get away with a lot more than you may like to admit. I love the w**ker prediction and ofcourse the, “I only have half an hour to make a fool of myself…”
My stuff: AlexanderMarshMentalism.co.uk
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mindpunisher Inner circle 6132 Posts |
You better be good though ...the problem with pre-thought put downs is that you can only use them once. If you get a good heckler who can really have ago you are in big trouble if you can't come up with relevant replies that are better than his.
I can't see the prediction actually stopping a heckler. I can only seeing it fueling the situation. Why not just call him a ******? without a prediction? It amounts to the same thing. Its not really that clever or funny to the audience. It won't put the heckler in his place. I am assuming you want to put him in his place and take control of the show.. If you call someone such a name you better be prepared to go further down that route..and this way would mean you would have to be brutal. I think using your audience as a weapon is much wiser if your outcome is to control your show. |
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gabelson Inner circle conscientious observer 2137 Posts |
First step- ignore them. At best, a quick "...as I was saying" acknowledgment at the interruption. The performer tends to notice the quick heckle more than the audience, particularly if you're in the middle of an engrossing effect. The audience WANTS you to continue, if it's just some random blurt out of a heckler. If the heckler persist, and management doesn't toss them, I'd go with the "Ok, now it's YOUR turn" angle, and shine the spotlight on them. If you're not confident enough that their drunken rant isn't going to be as interesting as your show, you're probably in the wrong business.
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Dr Spektor Eternal Order Carcanis 10781 Posts |
In educational venues when I'm doign workshops, etc. I always use the group against the difficult person - you never are held as the 'bad guy' by the group or even the difficult person because you've empowered the group and they took care of the goon for you.
On the other hand - here is another stooge idea (I haven't tried as yet) - stooge Heckler begins tirade - you ask the audience if anyone has seen the film "Scanners"... yes/no/whatever... time to do a demo... you focus on heckler... he goes silent... begins clutching his head...groaning... yelling... blood starts to come from ears and eyes... then his face explodes.... "Great movie! I love doing that!.... anyone here Canadian? Let's give a round of applause to Cronenberg!" (Body is collected by assistants, wrapped up in a burlap blanket and taken away) (Ok, that is a Grand MentaGuignol Theatre thing)
"They are lean and athirst!!!!"
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mindpunisher Inner circle 6132 Posts |
Theres a famous story about the son of Kirk Douglas the less famous one. Apparently he tried to be a stand up comic. During on of his gigs he mentioned he was the son of Kirk Douglas. Someone stood and shouted "no Im the son of Kirk Douglas" And then it spread throughout the audience with a lot more repeating it.
I guess the heckler was more entertaining here. Sometimes if the heckler is genuinely funny the audience expect you to return it. If you can't you can lose a lot of the control and respect. |
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jasons_mind Loyal user 258 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-05-17 17:32, gabelson wrote: Is that why Conan OBrien is so popular? |
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gabelson Inner circle conscientious observer 2137 Posts |
I was there the night Mr. Douglas mentioned his famous father. This man (still a kid, really) was a tragic figure, and so desperately wanted to attain the success enjoyed by his dad and brother. When an audience senses desperation (particularly from a "celebrity"; or moreso, the SON of a celebrity), they become like a pack of wild dogs. It's not that the heckler was particularly clever (he wasn't), it's just that the "comic" didn't have the tools to handle the situation (for several reasons). There's nothing more inviting to the "mob mentality" than "Hey, I'm the son of a famous person!" Just go out, be funny, then if you must, rather than acting desperate, be confident and put a spin on it: "Have you noticed Kirk Douglas looks EXACTLY like me?"
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Trois Special user Myrtle Beach 594 Posts |
I've used this before. "Please excuse me for being so rude as to continue while you are interrupting." And on the Kirk Douglas deal, I would look at the heckler and say "Are you sure you are not PeeWee Herman's son". But then again , I don't always think that fast anymore. cheers, Trois
Not clever enough to come up with something orginal, or did I.
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bobser Inner circle 4178 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-05-18 10:24, mindpunisher wrote: Actually the prediction works very well, and the audience's laughter does indeed put him very firmly in his place. But to call him a ******! Now THAT, Mingpunisher, will definitely fuel any situation, and of course it's exactly what the heckler wants! I guess it all comes with experience however. Bobser.
Bob Burns is the creator of The Swan.
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Greg Arce Inner circle 6732 Posts |
One of the best comebacks I heard for a heckler was during my days in stand up. The MC was being hassled by a guy in the front row. He took it for awhile but suddenly turned to the guy and said, " I can't believe with a million sperm you were the fastest."
Greg
One of my favorite quotes: "A critic is a legless man who teaches running."
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Carlos the Great Inner circle California 1234 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-05-18 15:57, Trois wrote: Interesting story of the Kirk Douglas progeny thing. I'm not exactly sure desperation is the full answer there. To me, it is more of an issue of the performer "bragging" and, not just that, bragging about something that he had no control over (circumstances of birth). Generally speaking, circumstances of birth are usually not considered to be funny or something to be bragged about (imagine Paris Hilton saying "But I am a HILTON!"). IN MY EXPERIENCE, you need to connect with an audience while still maintaining that element of prestige. Talking about how you are the progeny of a celebrity does the opposite. Much of comedy is based on the idea of common things we all deal with, setting yourself apart or, god forbid, ABOVE an audience is the surest way to undermine your position. It reminds me of a kid in elementary school who tried to make friends by simply saying "I know karate!". Soon, everybody in the playground was saying the same thing (kids really are cruel, think of that the next time a heckler messes with you, lol). Of course, what the kid should have done is bend some silverware, blow on a straw, then pretend he was really psychic. Works for some people after all... -Carlos
Cognite tute
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gabelson Inner circle conscientious observer 2137 Posts |
It's not that "desperation" is the explanation for Kirk Douglas' son's behavior; it was evident however, (and he himself expressed this is interviews- that he was seeking approval and validation), that there were self-image issues. Audiences can sense this, of course, and they begin to smell blood. Mr. Douglas was a tortured soul who struggled with many demons- I'm not breaking his anonymity on this, as his battles were chronicled publically. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how experienced you are in other fields of entertainment, if you're working a COMEDY club, and don't have the stand-up experience to win over an audience with MATERIAL; to know how to shift gears on the fly... you're going into battle without any ammunition or body armor. And it IS a battle. Comedy is the one universally practiced art form. If you're an unknown commodity as a performer, and the audience member is paying a $10 cover and two drink minimum, consciously or subconsciously, the audience member thinks: "I'm the funniest guy at WORK, my friends think I'm the funniest guy they KNOW... why is HE getting paid to joke around, and not ME? And I'm PAYING to watch him!" This is why there are hecklers- (not that they go through that thought process, but there is an unspoken challenge to "make me laugh".). Consider: When you watch a pilot fly, or a doctor operate, or a magician flawlessly executing cups and balls, the spectator isn't thinking, "I'm a lot better than THAT guy! I can do THAT" No "average joe" thinks they can perform neurosurgery, yet EVERYONE has been funny at some point or another in their life. That's why the biggest insult you can hurl is "you have no sense of humor". Everyone likes to think they're an authority on what's funny. A comic can destroy an audience, and still, a spectator will come up to him after the show and say, "You should come and spend a day in MY OFFICE- you'd REALLY see what's funny!", as if the comic has no conception of what real humor is. Mr. Douglas figured that he'd use the name recognition and likeness to his famous father to give himself a running start with the crowd. Unfortunately, it provoked the opposite reaction than the one intended.
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tony2514 Regular user Yorkshire, UK 162 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-05-18 14:55, mindpunisher wrote: I would so love that to be true. Please say it isn't a myth |
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docsteve Inner circle 1831 Posts |
If a heckler (usually drunk) is basically just ruining it for the entire audience, I do suggest this gem (which I wish I could claim as my own, but it was from a stand-up comic friend in London 1993):
"Look my friend, me and the whole audience have had a whip-round to buy you a cab home...we've raised £64 - f***ing-thousand pounds mate..." At that point the audience will usually roar their approval, and hopefully the Heckler quits from sheer peer pressure! Steve
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JustinCredible28 Loyal user Seattle 217 Posts |
There is a great secton on Hecklers in Eugene Burger's "Secrets and Mysteries For The Close-Up Entertainer"-- while he doesn't exactly give "lines" to say to said hecklers, it is still a terrific read if you ever get the chance to-- (maybe you have already?)
--Justin--
"a distorted reality is now a necessity to be free. . ." -- Elliott Smith
http://www.NWFortuneTeller.com |
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