History Main / TheHeckler

* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'', Terry was struggling to fend off ComicBook/TheJoker and asked Bruce for advice, being told about Joker's penchant for talking and to ignore it. Terry opted for the complete opposite, becoming a heckler to [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech mock the various tricks Joker used and calling him pathetic]] for his fixation with the original [[TheComicallySerious Batman]].

-->'''Shrek:''' Could you kill me, and ''then'' sing?

* Famously made into an entire series through ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''. The show is staged as though the audience members at home are watching a bad movie in a theater, with the characters silhouetted in the bottom corner cracking jokes at the expense of the movie's poor writing, acting or production values.
* In an episode of ''Series/HomeImprovement'' Randy wrote an article in the school paper based on the poor pollution record of [[ShowWithinAShow Tool Time]]'s sponsor and Tim's employer Binford Tools. It was a rather damning article that eventually got the Tool Time audience riled up during a Q&A session because of one insistent person. One particularly funny response was one person complaining about "all that smoke coming out of that stack" and Tim and Al glance at each other before exclaiming together "It's a smoke stack!"
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'', Kramer takes his GirlOfTheWeek to see Jerry's act and she starts heckling him for no reason. Jerry can't bring himself to deliver any comebacks or insults to Kramer's girlfriend with Kramer right there next to her, so his show bombs as a result. Later, George brings up the usual response comedians give to hecklers -- "How would you like it if ''I'' went to where ''you'' work and heckled ''you''?" -- and convinces Jerry to actually do it. He goes to her office and heckles her until she runs out in tears, becoming a legend amongst his fellow comedians as a result.
-->'''Ronnie:''' Jerry, you're like Rosa Parks. You opened the door for all of us. I can't wait until the next time somebody heckles ''me''!\\
'''Jerry:''' [[StealthInsult Yeah, well, won't be long.]]
* ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'': During an ImagineSpot, Venus becomes a famous tv comedian ''a la'' Johnny Carson and gets heckled in his opening monologue. He realizes partway through that it's Johnny Fever, his fellow DJ, who is heckling him.
* In an episode of ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'', Mr. Kotter goes to an Open Mic night at a club to try his hand at standup comedy. He gets heckled and loses his nerve, until he starts talking about his students.

* One sketch on ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie'' involves a politician delivering a speech who keeps getting heckled by an audience member who keeps shouting accusations of the politician's villainy that make him sound like he's a Robin Hood villain. The bemused politician tries to ignore him and press on... until he learns that the heckler is "Tony of Plymouth", who apparently ''is'' JustLikeRobinHood, and promptly turns into a sneering matinee villain. The two end up in a sword fight.

* ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'': During an ImagineSpot Venus becomes a famous tv comedian ''a la'' Johnny Carson and gets heckled in his opening monologue. He realizes partway through that it's Johnny Fever, his fellow DJ, who is heckling him.
* In an episode of ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter'' Mr. Kotter goes to an Open Mic night at a club to try his hand at standup comedy. He gets heckled and loses his nerve, until he starts talking about his students.

Naturally TruthInTelevision. It should be noted that [[SturgeonsLaw 90 percent of the time]] when someone gets the courage to heckle it does not end well for them. The reason being is that often they make their move on private property where they can be asked to leave for disruptive conduct. Even if they're not thrown out, they are trying to heckle someone who ''has a microphone'', thus few people can hear their comments but ''everyone'' can hear the responses. It is part of the business with [[StandUpComedy stand-up comics]], who are usually prepared for it; incidents like with Creator/MichaelRichards are really fairly rare. (Let's face it, anyone who tries to heckle a professional InsultComic probably [[BullyingADragon deserves what they get]].)

Naturally TruthInTelevision. It should be noted that [[SturgeonsLaw 90 percent of the time]] when someone gets the courage to heckle it does not end well for them. The reason being is that often they make their move on private property where they can be asked to leave for disruptive conduct. Even if they're not thrown out, they are trying to heckle someone who ''has a microphone'', thus few people can hear their comments but ''everyone'' can hear the responses. It is part of the business with [[StandUpComedy stand-up comics]], who are usually prepared for it; incidents like with Michael Richards are really fairly rare. (Let's face it, anyone who tries to heckle a professional InsultComic probably [[BullyingADragon deserves what they get]].)

* In a sport with live audiences, clear cut good guys and bad guys, and an audience where half of them think they're in on the joke, audience reactions are considered part of the world. The {{Heel}} often ''wants'' the audience to heckle them, since it's a sign they're doing their job of making the crowd hate them and wanting the {{Face}} to win. The only problem wrestlers and other fans usually have is when unless an audience member is trying to mess with {{kayfabe}} itself, or is using family-unfriendly language at a family-friendly show. There are some specific examples, though.

* In a sport with live audiences, clear cut good guys and bad guys, and an audience where half of them think they're in on the joke, audience reactions are considered part of the world. Where heckling does happen, it ranges from signs to chants to shouted comments. Most of the wrestlers just roll with it, unless an audience member is trying to mess with {{kayfabe}} itself, or is using family-unfriendly language at a family-friendly show. There are some specific examples, though.

Naturally TruthInTelevision. It should be noted that 90 percent of the time when someone gets the courage to heckle it does not end well for them. The reason being is that often they make their move on private property where they can be asked to leave for disruptive conduct. At other times they are trying to heckle someone who has the microphone, thus few people can hear their comments but ''everyone'' can hear the responses. It is part of the business with [[StandUpComedy stand-up comics]], who are usually prepared for it; incidents like with Michael Richards are really fairly rare. (Let's face it, anyone who tries to heckle a professional InsultComic probably [[BullyingADragon deserves what they get]].)

Naturally TruthInTelevision. It should be noted that 90 percent of the time when someone gets the courage to heckle it does not end well for them. The reason being is that often they make their move on private property where they can be asked to leave for disruptive conduct. At other times they are trying to heckle someone who has the microphone, thus few people can hear their comments but ''everyone'' can hear the responses. It is part of the business with [[StandUpComedy stand-up comics]], who are usually prepared for it; incidents like with Michael Richards are really fairly rare. (Let's face it, [[WhatAnIdiot anyone who tries]] to heckle a professional InsultComic probably [[BullyingADragon deserves what they get]].)

* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'', Terry was struggling to fend off ComicBook/TheJoker and asked Bruce for advice, being told about Joker's [[BreakThemByTalking love to talk]], and to ignore it. Terry opted for the complete opposite, becoming a heckler to [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech mock the various tricks Joker used and calling him pathetic]] for fixating on the original [[TheComicallySerious Batman]] for so long.

** In "Magician Mickey", WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse is a StageMagician being heckled by WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck. Mickey responds by making Donald part of the act and performing humiliating magic tricks on him.

* The flies at P.T. Flea's circus in ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife''.

'''Both:''' Do-ho-ho-ho-hoh!

* In the climax of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'', Terry was struggling to fend off ComicBook/TheJoker and asked Bruce for advice, being told about Joker's [[BreakThemByTalking love to talk]], and to ignore it. Terry opted for the complete opposite, becoming a heckler to [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech mock the various tricks Joker used and calling him pathetic]] for fixating on the original [[TheComicallySerious Batman]] for so long.
-->'''Joker:''' Funny guy...\\
'''Batman:''' Can't say the same for you. ''[shoves the Joker so that his gut hits a table]''\\
'''Joker:''' Impudent brat. Who do you think you're talking to?\\
''' Batman:''' Not a comedian, I'll tell you that.\\
'''Joker:''' ''[draws a laser pistol]'' Shut your mouth!\\
''[Few lines later, Batman is hiding in the shadows]''\\
'''Batman:''' I mean, joy buzzers, squirting flowers? Lame! Where's the "A" material? Make a face, drop your pants, something!\\
'''Joker:''' Show yourself!\\
'''Batman:''' You make me laugh. But only 'cause I think you're kinda pathetic. ''[mimics the Joker's laugh]''\\
'''Joker:''' Stop that!\\
'''Batman:''' So you fell in a tank of acid, got your skin bleached and decided to become a supervillain. What, you couldn't get a job as a rodeo clown? ''[laughs mockingly]''\\
'''Joker:''' ''[grabs some grenades]'' Don't you dare laugh at me!...\\
'''Batman:''' ''[laughs harder]'' Why? I thought the Joker always wanted to make Batman laugh!\\
'''Joker:''' ''[throwing grenades]'' '''[[VillainousBreakdown YOU'RE NOT BATMAN!!!]]'''

* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'': Diesel is usually to be found making fun of whatever the spotlighted engine is doing, often triggering their insecurities.

* In ''Anime/TokyoGodfathers'', one of these was the reason [[{{Transgender}} Hana]] ended up homeless after she left the bar her foster mother owned where she worked as a DragQueen. The heckler called her [[BerserkButton an old fart]] and after she attacked him she was too ashamed to stay there any longer.

** He later comments in ''The Voice in My Head'' [[https://youtu.be/--FN8mPqSiw that the most effective way to throw off a comedian is not to heckle]], since that means you're engaged in their act, [[SomebodyDoesntLoveRaymond but to simply not respond]]. As soon as you do that, you get their full attention, because comedians are {{Attention Whore}}s, and they will do whatever they can to provoke a reaction. This thought process led him to ''going off'' on one woman doing so - [[spoiler: only to learn from his fellow comedian, who's ''dying'' backstage, that she was ''[[EpicFail blind]]'']].

[[quoteright:350:[[Website/TimeOut https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heckler.jpg]]]]

Compare OffTheRails, InsultComic and {{MST}}ing. Overlaps with IShallTauntYou if the intention is to provoke the target into doing something stupid. Not related to the firearms company [[IKnowThatGun Heckler&Koch]].

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/heckler.jpg]]

--->'''Patton''': Oh my god, she's still talking to him, look at this! ''"Sweetie, there's something I've ''got'' to tell you. Let's wait until we pay for a comedy show and then I'll tell you all about it."''

--->'''Patton''': ''See''?! See how it got fucking louder? Literally a ''moment'' after you made that fucking noise, you ''stupid douchenozzle''! You truly don't fucking get it, do ya? You poor motherfucker. You're gonna miss everything cool and die angry

*

-->'''Richard''': My name’s Richard—\\
'''Bear''': —and I’m gay.\\
'''Richard''': I recently—\\
'''Bear''': —found out I’m gay.\\
'''Richard''': Anything I say or do, he thinks I’m a—\\
'''Bear''': —That he’s a bender.

[[folder:Sport]]

[[folder:Websites]]

->'''Statler''': You know, it's a great honor to be included alongside the world's best hecklers.\\
'''Waldorf''': Too bad ''we're'' stuck with the rest of them!\\
'''Both''': Do-ho-ho-ho-hoh!