Two things to me that are really overblown in comedy are 1) people fearful that comics will just tee off on the crowd the whole time (almost never happens) and 2) comics worried about how to handle hecklers (probably just as rare). I think everyone that has never been to comedy club thinks it’s like the scene from Nutty Professor and most new comics think there are shark-like bullies dying to tee off on the first bad joke they hear. Honestly, having done this for a while, there have been sets I wish someone would have stopped. The lady that did a bit as Aunt Jemima still makes me cringe.
Of course, it does happen. This week at my open mic, a comedian was trying a new joke when an angry drunk guy began yelling. It then devolved into the guy daring the comic to call him an asshole in some odd form of chicken. Of course, the comic was out of time, so he didn’t really get to finish off the debate. I don’t know what makes less sense, someone who heckles at a show they pay to attend (dumb) or heckles a free show (also dumb). The former is idiotic because the asses usually get tossed, so you paid to get booted. I’ve been thrown out of bars for free. The latter is stupid because if you don’t care for a comedian, wait five minutes. That’s how an open mic works. Even better, write your own jokes, come back next week and show everyone how cool you are.
Of course, the heckler left right off the bat, which is weak, but not as bad as the guy who comes up afterwards and says, “I was helping you out up there!” Thanks, if I burst into flames, I hope you don’t help by stomping on the flames with metal cleats. The worst crime though is the person who complains about the show afterwards when almost everyone was laughing because the comedian did a joke about cheese and they work in a cheesery and he/she just can’t abide such a deep and personal affront. Give me the drunk heckler over the offended police captain who goes to a show hoping to be miserable.