The #1 Mistake Comics Make when Handling a Heckler
Handling Hecklers has become a far more prevalent part of the gig than ever. Thanks in no small part to the vast amount of crowd work and heckler videos on social media.
How many times have you heard, “I’m helping you!”
Nowadays, audience members just assume we all actually want their participation.
I’ve studied the heckler moment for years and the different ways comics react to and deal with them. I’ve found there are 3 Major Mistakes comics make when handling a heckler and 5 major defenses comics use (in various forms) to handle the heckler.
But the biggest mistake by far which sets the ball rolling in a negative direction is GETTING RATTLED.
Everything we do on-stage is amplified, obviously. But when we get rattled, that too is amplified. We are the ones in the spotlight, holding the mic, all eyes on us. The heckler has the luxury of being buried in the darkness of the audience.
And I have seen the most experienced, professional comics get so rattled by having to deal with a heckler that the show just unravels.
It’s like getting sucker punched. You can’t help getting emotional. Getting angry. Striking out wildly. Losing control of the situation.
But if you can learn to recognize that moment. Control your emotions and handle that heckler, you can accomplish the true goal of handling a heckler: getting back to having a good show.
This is explicitly why I created the Handling Hecklers workshop. To train you to identify the moment and give you the tools to handle it without getting rattled.
Regardless, the next time you find yourself handing a heckler, take a breath, assess the situation and DON’T GET RATTLED.
Keep Crushing, G