{"id":175,"date":"2023-01-18T22:18:36","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T22:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opencomedy.com\/news\/?p=175"},"modified":"2026-04-13T17:19:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T17:19:04","slug":"how-to-deal-with-hecklers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/opencomedy.com\/news\/how-to-deal-with-hecklers\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Deal With Hecklers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Deal With Hecklers<\/strong> is essential for comedians. <\/p>\n

Learning how to deal with hecklers will always be a part of comedy. This article will break down the different types of hecklers and how to deal with them.<\/h4>\n

In the last few years, heckling has taken on a new life. We’ve all seen the tiktoks and reels. COMEDIAN DESTROYS HECKLER. COMIC OWNS DRUNK AUDIENCE MEMBER. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s great content, but it normalized heckling. Which is, like everything else, the algorithm\u2019s fault. Don\u2019t blame the comics, they\u2019re just getting their bag.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve dealt with a few hecklers, but every time it shakes me, and I bomb the rest of the set. Heckling doesn\u2019t seem like it\u2019s going away any time soon, so I\u2019ve got to learn how to deal with hecklers.<\/p>\n

I need to thicken my skin and fast.<\/p>\n

Entering The Gauntlet <\/h2>\n

To learn from the best of the best, I went to a show called The Gauntlet,<\/a> which encourages the audience to heckle. At the start of the show, the host gave me a slide whistle. <\/p>\n

Producer and host Chris Connell<\/a> – yelling his set into a bullhorn – told a joke that intentionally bombed. The audience was nervous, and tense, not wanting to break the normal social rules of comedy. <\/p>\n

\u201cYELL AT ME, YELL AT ME, YELL AT ME!\u201d Chris screamed through the bullhorn. <\/p>\n

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\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CnA3emAMZb7\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

What proceeded was a beautiful, chaotic masterpiece. Each comic survived an onslaught of heckling (or more accurately hazing) between every few jokes – if they got that far. <\/p>\n

Once they\u2019d all endured The Gauntlet, I asked a few of the comics on the lineup to give me advice on how to deal with hecklers.<\/p>\n

This is what they had to say:<\/p>\n

Assess The Heckler\u2019s Vibe<\/h2>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s important to think about the intent behind the heckler.”<\/em> <\/p>\n

Chase Hoffman<\/a> (Sunday Supper Comedy<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>Mom Jeans Comedy<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We work hard on our material. Anyone messing up the flow of our set can immediately come off as antagonistic. But that\u2019s not always the case. <\/p>\n

Before you respond to a heckler, it\u2019s important to determine what the person is saying and why they\u2019re saying it. Being too aggressive to someone who didn\u2019t deserve it is a surefire way to lose an audience.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How To Deal With Different Types of Hecklers<\/h2>\n

Learning how to deal with different types of hecklers require different approaches. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of possibilities why someone could be making noise or saying something during your set. They could be clueless, they could have verbal tics, or maybe they\u2019re just a garbage human.<\/p>\n

So how do you determine whether they\u2019re a piece of shit or someone who\u2019s just a little too excited? Instead of forcing yourself to make a split second decision, ease into a response. \u201cTreat them like a person,\u201d Chase suggested. \u201cIf someone tries to heckle me, I try to have a conversation with them and meet them where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no surprise Chase has such a person-first approach. He’s a co-founder of Mom Jeans Comedy, a queer and women-led production team and writing group.<\/p>\n

From our conversation, the comics all seemed to agree on three basic groups of hecklers.<\/p>\n

How To Deal With The Boring Heckler<\/h2>\n
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\u201cHecklers try to be funny but bomb all the time.\u201d <\/p>\n

Jake Letizia<\/a> (Dads Like Ducks<\/em><\/a>, Talking To Myself<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The boring heckler is the majority of hecklers. Their statements aren\u2019t funny or even mean, they usually think they\u2019re being supportive. They don\u2019t get that they\u2019re pulling attention away from the show, and slowing down your momentum. <\/p>\n

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\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CljAv7Cj4Yr\/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Your initial instinct might be to ignore them entirely, and that is a valid approach. But some people are persistent – and probably a little drunk.  <\/p>\n

Comic Will Morrison noted the dangers of stonewalling hecklers. \u201cIf you just ignore them, you can lose the table.” <\/p>\n

Will uses the confusion of a boring heckler to his advantage. \u201cYou can hone in on one person. Keep asking them questions until they stop talking to you.”<\/p>\n

The Boring Heckler Approach<\/h3>\n

\u201cIf what they heckled you with is boring, be nice at first,\u201d Jake advises. \u201cBut if they keep going, just point out how stupid what they\u2019re saying is.\u201d Jake did this a few times during his set, when the hecklers said something that didn\u2019t quite land. <\/p>\n

His rebuttal always got a bigger laugh. <\/p>\n

How To Deal With The Fun Heckler<\/h2>\n
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“Sometimes you get heckled so well that you use it as a punchline.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will Morrison<\/a> <\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a little rarer, but sometimes you get a gift where a heckler\u2019s input is actually super interesting. Their experience with your topic could be wilder than anything you have written. Maybe there\u2019s a man who\u2019s dating the woman who used to be his parole officer. True story. You never know what you\u2019ll find.<\/p>\n

The Fun Heckler Approach<\/h3>\n

A fun heckler can be useful, producer and comic Julia Desmond notes. If the heckler is funny enough, “you don’t have to rely on yourself for content at all times.” <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you engage people, they want to laugh more,\u201d Chase agreed. He pointed out the benefit of actually interacting with a heckler in this way. \u201cThey feel like they’re in the inner circle. It\u2019s like Improv for people who don’t want to do improv.\u201d <\/p>\n

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\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/Ci0MHimA89f\/?hl=en\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

But there is a fine line between an audience being engaged and being too comfortable. Sometimes you need to remind a heckler the show isn\u2019t about them.<\/p>\n

“I would always do a rapid give and take,\u201d Julia said about hecklers she\u2019d dealt with in North Carolina. \u201cThat\u2019s awesome, now shut up for the rest of the time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

How To Deal With The Mean Heckler<\/h2>\n
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“Shut them down immediately. Make them the fool, and they’ll stop.”<\/p>\n

Julia Desmond <\/a>(ACME Review<\/em><\/a>, Molly Is Late<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Though this isn\u2019t the most common type of heckler, this is the one people think of when they hear the word heckle<\/em>. The mean, drunk, angry, (potentially bigoted) heckler who just wants to put down the person on stage. <\/p>\n

These types of people have become emboldened recently, for a bunch of reasons we won\u2019t get into here. As a comic, you\u2019re putting yourself at risk for this every time you step on stage, that\u2019s simply the truth. <\/p>\n

So, when you\u2019re in front of the mic and you hear someone truly, brutally heckle you, what do you do?<\/p>\n

The Mean Heckler Approach<\/h3>\n

Comedy is completely about commanding the room. If you give up your ownership of the room, it\u2019s almost impossible to get it back. You need to do something immediately. Make sure everyone in the audience knows that this is your room.<\/p>\n

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\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/CkLsr2EgH5E\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Approach 1: Undermine Their Heckle<\/h4>\n
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\u201cGas them up. It’ll throw them off. \u2018That was amazing. You should do comedy<\/em>.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

Rachel Kenaston<\/a> (Flower Power Comedy<\/em><\/a>, Pitchfork Patty<\/em><\/a>, and Maxipad Productions<\/em><\/a>)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The unfortunate truth is, sometimes hecklers are funny. If what they said to heckle you landed with the audience, getting defensive isn\u2019t going to help. Most times, the audience, will respect you more for rolling with the punches.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you ignore them it’s gonna fester.\u2019 Rachel Kenaston handles hecklers by steering into the skid. <\/p>\n

A great example of this is the recent video of Ariel Elias chugging a beer a heckler threw at her on stage. If you haven\u2019t seen the video, watch it here. It\u2019s an amazing example of how to deal with the most violent kind of heckling short of someone storming the stage.<\/p>\n

Approach 2: Directly Address Them<\/h4>\n

Again, you need to be confident in yourself. This one\u2019s a bit harder, but it can be done. <\/p>\n

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@catladywithadream<\/a> <\/p>\n

#fyp\u30b7<\/a> #foryou<\/a> #standupcomedy<\/a> #standupcomedian<\/a> #womenincomedy<\/a> #foryoupage<\/a> #funnywomen<\/a><\/p>\n

\u266c original sound – Sarah Garner<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n