A few weeks ago, I worked in a cocktail bar for a comedy show in Wollongong. While the acts were on, there weren’t too many people coming to order drinks because they were watching the show, which in turn made me a part of the audience as well. These comedians were no Dave Chapelle or Joe Rogan, but I was enjoying most of their jokes. One thing they did really well was use locality in their jokes. At one point, they even controversially referenced the people you “tend to find on Crown street (the main Street of Wollongong) after 2am”. This joke sparked an unexpected reaction from two members of the audience in particular who began to heckle the comedian after the punchline. Twice I went out and had a chat with them, asking them to please stop. The third time, along with help from security, I escorted them out. The rest of the audience was thrilled that they were removed, and to be able to get back to the show. The night finished with no more interruptions.
Once I got thinking, I was presented with a conundrum.
On one hand, the hecklers broke an important rule by talking and distracting while others were trying to listen. I watched a video in class recently that humorously expressed this rule, and other rules you might need to know if you’re going to be in a public audience. :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-KV_xkrnc .
On the other hand however, it could be argued that the insensitivity shown by the comedian in the joke warranted a not so nice response from the crowd because it was disrespectful.
After I spent time thinking to myself and looking for an answer, I came to a conclusion. It was the hecklers who were more in the wrong and heres why: I think you should never walk into a comedy show if you’re going to be easily offended. It is the one form of entertainment where the traditional rules around all sorts of sensitive issues are are allowed to be bent. Psychologist Peter McGaw sums adult comedy up perfectly, saying that in order for jokes to be successful, “There needs to be something wrong, unsettling, and threatening in some way.“. I’ll sum my conclusion up like this: I think it is entirely fair to get offended by insensitive jokes in almost all situations. however, the one place where it isn’t okay to kick up a stink about a joke is in an adult comedy show. if you are likely to be offended whilst in that audience, it is on you to leave quietly, or not go in the first place.
reference: Kermode Uncut: The MovieGoers Code Of Conduct, (KermodeandMayo, 2010) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-KV_xkrnc
Reference: The Atlantic: The Dark Psychology of being a Good Comedian, (Olga Kazan, 2014)
Elliott Bendixsen 