Heckling: The Michael Richards Incident

Aside from the despicable language and behavior, the recent incident with comedian Michael Richards brings to light the problem of heckling, something that all entertainers and especially magicians have to deal with.

I’m not here to condemn or judge Richards, the public and media are doing enough of this and Richards is paying his price, but I wanted to offer some thoughts about heckling that the incident brings to mind.

Star Power
To start, I find it interesting that Richards was even being heckled. When his fellow Seinfeld alumni Jason Alexander performed at the Magic Castle earlier this year (click here to read our review), his show was an adoration-filled love fest. The audience practically worshiped Alexander-hanging on his every word and laughing, clapping and cheering generously in the right places.

After the show, there were people, even long-time Castle members, who said that Alexander’s show was one of the best that they had ever seen. The show was good, but not among the Magic Castle’s absolute finest. But hey, that’s star power.

In the same vein, I would have expected a crowd in a comedy club to be equally in awe of Richards, the television star. But obviously, this was not the case. And I understand that comedy clubs are edgier environments than that at the Magic Castle.

Not Immune
The incident brings to light the fact that as entertainers, we are all going to receive our share of rude feedback and, at times, heckling. I used to think that if I kept improving my magic and polishing my presentations, I would be able to one day rise above heckling. But the fact is, no performer is immune from it.

My regular table-hopping at a local bar keeps me well grounded as I have to often deal with inebriated people who say and do things that they normally wouldn’t when sober. And the more I talk with other magicians, even well respected performers-the best in our field-the more I realize that every magician has horror stories and “memorable” incidents.

Perhaps magicians are among the entertainers who are most likely to be heckled. After all, we encourage reactions from crowds, and it’s natural for some to view a magic show as a challenge to catch us and figure out secrets.

Heckle Bait
Personally, during performances, I’ve dealt with my share of smart alecks and hecklers. It’s usually loud, negative or boorish comments, typically, before I’ve even started a set.

If it’s a small crowd in a strolling situation, I try to diffuse the situation with a semi-humorous comment that acknowledges but doesn’t insult the person, and doesn’t give-up any ground. And then I do my job with my magic. In a larger crowd, I usually continue on until the loudmouth gives up. I have the microphone so I have the advantage.

These strategies have worked for me thus far, but I’m sure that I’ve got many interesting audience situations in my future. When it comes to performing magic, I’m a glass half-empty kind of guy. I always say that I haven’t yet met my worst crowd.

Entertain, Entertain, Entertain
I think that the best thing we can do as performers is to polish our presentations to a high level, make our routines as entertaining as possible and execute the finest magic that we can. As entertainers, we have to take interruptions and rudeness in stride and keep our cool, something that Richards didn’t do. Our jobs can be trying. It’s indeed part of the game.

And even if I receive some smart aleck remarks as I arrive at a table or begin a show, I think it’s better than the other negative alternative, being ignored. With the audience’s attention, even if that pain in the neck in the third row can’t keep his mouth shut, I still have the opportunity to entertain with magic, connect with the crowd and potentially turn the culprit.

-Wayne N. Kawamoto