This is Part One of the Hecklesode! Heckling is a phenomena that’s not exclusive to stand up comedy, but it is certainly more common to comedy than any other performance art. Part of the reason is that often the comedian is having a one-sided conversation with the audience, engaging them and occasionally including them. Some audience members with IQ levels equivalent to sheep and alcohol levels equivalent to your average English member of parliament can’t grasp the concept of a one-sided conversation. Either that or they are fixated on being the center of attention and so make desperate cries for attention by shouting nonsensically at the person on stage whose using an amplification system to be heard. Hecklers come in all shapes, shades and sizes and are often as diverse as the ranging opinions from comedians about how to deal with a heckler. There is no defiant answer and each case of heckling must be dealt with on an individual basis. Despite this the hosts of the Gray Area of Comedy try to break down the different categories of hecklers and the different styles of dealing with hecklers. Listen, learn, and enjoy:
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