Belligerent Drunks at Hypnosis Stage Shows

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Permalink Reply by Brian David Phillips on September 26, 2011 at 3:09pm

The Penn & Teller episode on hypnosis was both poorly researched (social roleplay?  come on, it's an old theory and even if it were as simplistic as it is so often presented - it is not, the social role theory is much more complex and in no way suggests that hypnosis is not a real phenomenon - MRI studies have already demonstrated something very real is going on far beyond social role expectation) and poorly presented.  Hint, if Penn & Teller ever ask you to be on their show . . . think three times before saying no.  If they want you to DO anything beyond sit and talk about what someone else is doing then run away as you are the mark.  If they want you to sit and talk and not do anything then you might be safe as the Talking Head for that episode but probably your comments will be edited and taken out of context and come out saying something very different from your intention.  Don't assume that because you share some of the same general views as P&T you will be safe, their views positions are maleable at any moment, depending upon potential for "good" television.  Damned if you do, either way, not damned if you don't . . . but . . . that massive TV exposure sure is tempting.

 

As to drunks, the approaches already given seem to be the way to go.

 

Respond immediately, firmly, but with an engaging manner but if all else fails then the Metallica Response might do for you, although I would first suggest asking the bouncers or management to handle it politely yet firmly up to and including gentle yet forceful removal from the premises.  You are not paid to interact with disruptive folks, you're paid to entertain the audience with hypnotic effects and so if the audience understands that and the staff understand it, no one will fault you for removing a disruptive influence so you can get on with what you are being paid to do and what the audience has paid to see (seriously, they can see asshole drunks argue for free at most pubs so why would they want to see it happen at your show?).  If the venue has no security or staff (odd that last one) then ask they audience who the guy's friends are and then make them responsible for taking care of him so he doesn't make them look like tools.  If he has no friends and is disruptive then someone working for the venue/bar needs to eject him or sit his ass down far away from where you're doing your bit and keep him polite or boot him.

 

Most of my shows are in Asia . . . duh, given where I live . . . and so I don't really have an issue with drunks and hecklers.  The few drunks I've had at shows have wanted to be helpful and a few of them have produced some of my best gags - the first time I had drunks try to come up on stage (and in fairness, it would have been difficult on that particular night to find anyone in the venue who hadn't lost a few sheets to the wind) I looked 'em straight in the eye and said in no uncertain terms that if they were too drunk to follow my directions or if they in any way disrupted anything I'd boot 'em right out and since they really wanted to give it a go I let 'em stay and had an amazing show (not so far gone as not to be hypnotizeable and absolutely wonderful responders as it turned out).

 

Asia doesn't really have the heckling culture that the West does so drunks are more likely going to be disruptive in that they are too eager to help than anything else.   Honestly, the ONLY times I have ever had disruptive drunks or hecklers at all for that matter they were Americans, Canadians, or Brits in the audience - mostly at music festivals that have a lot of expatriates and only once in an actual club.  At the standup comedy shows, the only hecklers I've seen have been expat comedians - usually inexperienced folks who fancy themselves as comedians with no real experience - who mistakenly believed that a standup show isn't really a standup unless they heckle their fellow performers (both the audience and the other performers were uncomfortable but some people have very weird ideas and engage in behaviors that would have them bounced from the circuit elsewhere).

 

- Brian

Permalink Reply by Shelley Stockwell-Nicholas on November 19, 2011 at 5:20am

Shelley Stockwell here. I was doing a show for a huge corporate party and as soon as I took the mic three guys dragged over a drunk and plopped him down on the floor in front of me. "Take him away" I said "I've already hypnotized him." and the dragged him back to where he came from.

Permalink Reply by John Cerbone - The Trance-Master on November 21, 2011 at 10:29am

Great going Shelly!  Nice handling that situation.

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