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...that a comedian can take the living * out of spectators and heckers and be loved by their audience yet we have to walk on egg shells?

I'm kinda playing devil's advocate here but I'd be interested in the replys

Flood wrote:...that a comedian can take the living * out of spectators and heckers and be loved by their audience yet we have to walk on egg shells?

I'm kinda playing devil's advocate here but I'd be interested in the replys

Who says so?

Mind you, my heart sinks when a comic comes on and you realise that their act consists mostly of insulting the people in the front row.

Not every comedian can, some just come across as tossers. At the same time Magicians such as Jerry Sadowitz, Gazzo (and in fact most busking magicians), Penn Jillette and many others can and do get away with taking the *.

It's all to do with your performance style. If your the type of magician who presents their act in a 'look how smart I am' style (and there'l nothing wrong with that), taking the * changes your character from smart to smug.

Also people go to comedy shows to laugh, and nearly all humor is derisory of something, so people are more inclined to see it as harmless, to have a sense of humor about it, as it were.

Tomo wrote:
Mind you, my heart sinks when a comic comes on and you realise that their act consists mostly of insulting the people in the front row.

You'll like this story then.

A friend of my Dad was performing at the Edinburgh fringe and went to see some of the other shows. One comedian came on and started taking the * out of everyone in the front row, one after another, 'What's your name? What do you do?'. My dads friend was sitting at the end of the row, and when the comedian asked him 'What do you do?' he replied 'I make people laugh, WHAT DO YOU DO?'

Jean Eugene Roberts wrote:

Tomo wrote:
Mind you, my heart sinks when a comic comes on and you realise that their act consists mostly of insulting the people in the front row.

You'll like this story then.

A friend of my Dad was performing at the Edinburgh fringe and went to see some of the other shows. One comedian came on and started taking the * out of everyone in the front row, one after another, 'What's your name? What do you do?'. My dads friend was sitting at the end of the row, and when the comedian asked him 'What do you do?' he replied 'I make people laugh, WHAT DO YOU DO?'

I love it!

A magician can get away with it but its something that's got to be done just right. Just comming out and insulting the audience is never going to work. You need to work into your performance, win the audience over and establish that understanding that what ytoure doing is just light hearted fun. I've seen far too many comedians as well as magicians just think that they can throw the insults out and be funny. It doesn't work that way.

I was doing a stand up gig at manchesters frog and bucket, a woman got up to go to the loo and when she came back all I said was "that was longer than a wee" she laughed, the audience laughed, it went down well. But after the gig her husband caught up with me and hit me so hard I was seeing stars for a week. They might get away with it on stage but It doesn't mean they get away with it after!

I remember a thread kicking up a fuss either here or the cafe.It was about an insult that Derren dished out at one of his participants.She was to be one without the luck and the other participant was apparently to be the one with all the luck.The routine was about a 20 pound note in a matchbox.Anyways he insulted the woman's intelligence I think and a lot of people were saying it was out of hand and uncharacteristic.Which in fairness it was and was quite cringy to watch.

I always melt inside when I see a comic make fun of his audience.I always feel for the person who's taking the abuse as the attention is directed entirely on them which is a total nightmare for shy people especially and then they have a few thousand people laughing at them.It's no surprise then that some audience members refuse to go on stage an participate.I like the disclaimer that Richard Osterlind has in one of his new shows where he reassures the audience that he will show nothing but respect for them when theyre on stage and that all people deserve the respect because not one person is better than the other.

I think personally that magic has the stigma of one-upmanship where the audience expects to be made a fool without insults.So when insults are thrown on top it makes for the ultimate D&%$ head performer.

When I perform I try not to offend anyone at all.I don't put anyone on the spot or make dirty jokes because I know they're not for everyone.

Have you ever seen Mel Mellers live? Don't catch his eye and expect to get away!

corindaman wrote:Have you ever seen Mel Mellers live? Don't catch his eye and expect to get away!

The difference there is that Mel tempers it all with a cheeky grin or expresion which means completely removes any grounds for offence. One of the best lines I heard him say was when he looked around the room which had many ladies of, shall we say, retirement age who were all dressed to the nines in their finest for an evening's cabaret. Mel looked at them all and said, 'It's good to see so many lovely ladies here this evening...and, as we live in risky times, so sensible of you all to leave the good jewellery at home!'

If I started dishing out insults to the audience for a laugh I'd have little grounds for complaint when they start shouting nasty remarks back, so I think its only fair not to do it.

If I am playing a student audience or a comedy club audience I will do it the same way as any other comedian. And god help you if you heckle. I see no reason why magicians can't get away with performing any way they see fit.

I read this somewhere, or it may be an urban myth....

People laugh WITH a comedian, but they laugh AT a magician.

Its a myth.If a magician does something funny, why would an audience laugh at him(or her)

you should know something.
A couple of times i have had some very odd ball characters up in the show at Vauxhall. Its that kind of place.
( come see if you dont believe me.. This thursday)

Its fair game to chide a male member of the audience, who is weilding a fairy wand and wearing bloody pink wings trying his hardest to upstage you.
As long as you treat the guy with kid gloves, and say what everybody else is thinking.. there is nothing wrong.

By the way, I find Mell Mellers ON STAGE PERSONA rude and insulting sometimes. Yet he gets bookings all over the place.