Joe DeRosa vs Nurses and A Heckler

[Bucho]

This isn't just another comic vs heckler video.

It's longer than you may normally spend watching a YouTube vid but it's a pretty fascinating look at a stand up comedian dealing with a heckler and the emotional trajectory it sends him on as he analyses his own response to a heckler's emotional response to material he's emotionally invested in. Sooooooo, lots of emotions and stuff. That's A. Also, Joe's antipathy toward the healthcare system, so it's timely considering what our boy Keith is dealing with lately too.

There's a point at which Joe will lose you and you will be tempted to shut it off and make your judgment, but I suggest watching the whole thing, because to me it doesn't get really good until after the footage of his set itself, when Joe is back home watching the footage back and breaking it down. Those comic neuroses we hear Keith and Chemda talk about (and even bring to the surface with their guests) on KATG are right there on display and Joe's passion is too.

[Mark Sandiego]

I think Joe made three consecutive failures.

First his nursing joke has far more negativity and story to it than it has punch lines so it comes off as more of an angry rant than an actual joke. The audience is usually accepting of controversial topics and angry rants so long as there are plenty of genuinely funny one liners, act outs, or punch lines along the way. Joe's joke just feels empty and awkward and the audience gets bored. There are a few laughs, but even he knows that he is losing the room and losing momentum.

Second, rather than change directions and try something else, Joe does some really awkward monologue about losing the audience (which in his head was somehow supposed to come off sounding funny) and essentially begins confronting them about it. I have never seen confronting the audience about a bad joke or set turn into anything positive. A comedian should never blame the audience out loud. It just turns them against you. Joe turns his anger, or as he calls it his annoyance, against the audience and is totally serious about it without even attempting any more jokes. The night is blown at this point though he somehow manages to get a couple laughs later which I think were more like awkward nervous laughs.

Third, he continues to engage a heckler in a serious argument with no jokes and people begin to leave.

Joe made this set about himself and exploring his own issues which may have worked if the material was stronger. When the material fails to really connect, he forgets that he is there to entertain and decides to stop telling jokes and go off on some tirade. I think this is unprofessional and I believe this is what the heckler was referring to when she called his material amateur. It is amateur to attack the audience in general and even worse to do it with sincerity and not in a joking fashion. It is best to engage the audience is little as possible and keep it light and humorous if you do engage them.

When your jokes aren't working you try to build off of them or you move on. You don't stop to explain, you don't stop to complain about the audience, and you don't stop to fight. You keep moving. That's the difference between 'that guy just isn't funny, but we might try him another night' and 'that guy is a douche and we won't be back'. If the crowd likes you, they are more likely to laugh just like if a patient likes his or her doctor (or possibly medical staff) he or she is less likely to sue if things go wrong.

[Articthunder666]

Joey Roses rules.

[Junkenstein]

all i see in that video, is a whiny self absorbed comedian who had a couple of insultingly bad jokes and got rightfully told to fuck off and then proceeded to whine about it. change the subject of the ordeal from "nurses" to any less controversial job and no pone would even notice. i usually like Joe but this video just makes him look like Jamie Kennedy looked in "Heckler"

[Imatami]

It would be funnier if he did something about sexy nurses outfits and then flipped it and went in to nurse bashing but he starts with nurse bashing and doctors are awesome (which he later contradicts) and expects that one line about "it only takes one" to redeem the joke. He has to make it clear from the start that obviously there are good nurses who care. I think his feelings are a little to close to the surface with this all he needs is a little more time. Like he says its funny its just not great.
I agree about never attacking the audience. I've never yet seen it go well after that.