Comedians and Hecklers

[i-need-a-martini]

This week my son and I have been out and about for the Sydney Comedy Festival and nearly every show was spoiled by some person or 2 in the audience who thinks s/he is funnier than the guys on stage.

What kind of personality does this? At one show, even the audience got stroppy and started telling this one woman off but that didn't even stop her.

I don't get it.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@j*oono wrote:

If you didn't want a child subjected to profanity then why the hell would you take them to a comedy festival?

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Don't know. Why would you, Joono?

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For timing and effect. There is nothing quite like a swaer word to get a point across.

Regardless, what has your issue to do with my topic??

[i-need-a-martini]

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@poddster wrote:

In most cases the hecklers are planted to give the comedian extra material 🙂

Old trick

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God Pods, how old are you anyway lol? This isn't 1970's Las Vagas and these aren't some washed out old comedians past their use by date that need a heckler for a prompt...

[poddster]

Martinus, it was not too long ago that one of my part time occupations was heckler at one function or another, even pollies hire hecklers, just to show they can perform a "put down" or to redirect the questions:)

You really need to get out more martinus

[cherry*135]

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@watta*drama*queen wrote:

Why does comedy need to be accompanied by profanity to make an audience laugh ?

Is the world so jaded that it is necessary ?

Obviously for some it is!

Sad really

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Are you serious?

I wouldn't appreciate that myself, therefore I wouldn't go see Comedy shows that is likely to occur.  I wouldn't expect my standards on the rest of the world though.

[i-need-a-martini]

You talking about corporate function comedians?? Do they even count as real comedians? 

[cherry*135]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

This week my son and I have been out and about for the Sydney Comedy Festival and nearly every show was spoiled by some person or 2 in the audience who thinks s/he is funnier than the guys on stage.

What kind of personality does this? At one show, even the audience got stroppy and started telling this one woman off but that didn't even stop her.

I don't get it.

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Do you think those people are just a bit odd (normal social conventions are absent), under the influence of alcohol or drugs? 

[cherry*135]

even pollies hire hecklers

Ha,  the current PM, before the last election would only speak at 'public' functions where same party members were invited... definetely no hecklers there! Even now he will slip out the back door from events/openings.

[poddster]

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@am*3 wrote:

 I wouldn't expect my standards on the rest of the world though.

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Thank god for small mercies 🙂

[icyfroth]

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@i-need-a-martini wrote:

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@icyfroth wrote:

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@j*oono wrote:

If you didn't want a child subjected to profanity then why the hell would you take them to a comedy festival?

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Don't know. Why would you, Joono?

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For timing and effect. There is nothing quite like a swaer word to get a point across.

Understand. Golly Gosh really just isn't good enough in many situations.

Regardless, what has your issue to do with my topic??

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I had to think about that for a few seconds. 'tini...

I guess my issue is that modern "comedians" think profanities and obscenities are funny. That's because they get laughs. Most people laugh because they're shocked, not necessarily because it's funny. It's because of "shock value". It gets reaction.

In other words, most comedians aren't really funny. They're just shocking. As against creative.

[i-need-a-martini]

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@icyfroth wrote:

I guess my issue is that modern "comedians" think profanities and obscenities are funny. That's because they get laughs. Most people laugh because they're shocked, not necessarily because it's funny. It's because of "shock value". It gets reaction.

In other words, most comedians aren't really funny. They're just shocking. As against creative.

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I have heard a lot of swearing on stage this week and I am certainly not laughing because I am shocked. In fact I don;t even notice the swearing - it could easily be (without as much effect) a pause before the punchline. Or like a burst of drama.

Billy Connolly is a good example. I have seen him on stage 3 times now and he is the master of the F word. He uses it to convey his frustration and to give emphasis. Interestingly the last time I saw him was when he was out here a couple of months ago and there was significantly less swearing in this show. Personally I think this made the show slower and less 'punchy'. He was no where near as funny as he was previous years. (And yes I realise he is not well and that didn't help).

We saw Akmal on Friday night and the F word was used a lot in his show. It felt right - his shows are very personal with lots of off-the-cuff segways. The swearing just felt as if this is the way he normally talks in a pub with friends. I'm Ok with that.

The only gratuitus swearing I heard was from an American comedian (forget his name). It just felt like he was so excited to have a less conservative audience (compared to Americans I imagine) that he let loose. But his jokes were so bad that nothing could save him. And the swearing did make it worse in his case.