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Tag: heckler

  • Lauryn Hill Sells Out Brooklyn Concert After Kicking Out Heckler In Chicago

    Nobody likes a heckler, least of all Lauryn Hill. The way a performer deals with a heckler is an art form in and of itself. Truly great performers deal with hecklers in ways that make the audience remember the experience forever.

    Is Lauryn Hill a truly great performer? She threw out a heckler on July 16th, and we are still talking about it two weeks later. TMZ caught the footage, and Radio.com gave us some details.

    The place? House of Blues in Chicago. The heckler shouted something, probably in regards to Hill arriving on stage later than expected. Her response? Call over security.

    “Excuse me, excuse me, there’s a gentlemen over there who just did something I don’t like. Can you please escort him out and refund him his money?” She said.

    But then she addresses the heckler personally:

    “I don’t play that. I don’t need to win you over and you don’t need to win me over. …I do this because I love it, not because I owe you anything. You understand that? I do this because I love it. You can get on your blogs and you can tweet and say whatever you want to. I don’t give a rat’s a–.”

    Guess what? Just a few days ago, on July 28th, Hill was late again. This time at the Brooklyn Bowl in New York. When she got on stage, XXL Magazine said the crowd went wild. The audience was packed, and there was not a heckler in sight. According to the report it was “an unforgettable experience.”

    Too bad the heckler of a few weeks ago couldn’t have been more appreciative of what he had.

    Maybe he could have avoided getting thrown out.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Obama Interrupted By Heckler During Immigration Speech

    President Obama was heckled on Monday by a young man during his speech on immigration reform in San Fransisco. The young man was calling on the president to stop deportation.

    “Mr. Obama, my family has been separated for 19 months now!” yelled a young man who stood with others behind the president. Obama continued to speak but the young man did not relent.  “Please, use your executive order,” the young man said, “to halt deportations from all 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in this country right now.”

    “We agree that we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” the protestor continued, “but at the same time, you have a power to stop deportations for all.”

    “Actually, I don’t,” the President responded. “And that’s why we’re here.” Several people then joined and started chanting, “Stop the deportations!” along with the “yes we can” slogan.

    The president turned to address the heckler as his security detail tried to eject the young man out of the Betty Ann Ong Chinese Recreation Center. Obama signaled them to let the young man stay. “I respect the passion of these young people because they feel deeply about the concerns for their families,” he said. “The easy way out is to try to yell and pretend like I can do something by violating our laws. He continued, “If in fact I could solve all these problems without passing laws in Congress, I would do so.”

    Having said that, the young man as well as those who had started chanting became calmer. “It won’t be as easy as just shouting. It requires us lobbying and getting it done.” Argued Obama.

    “So for those of you who are committed to getting this done, I am gonna march with you and fight with you every step of the way to make sure that we are welcoming every striving, hardworking immigrant who sees America the same way we do,” he said.

    (main image via YouTube)

  • President Obama Heckled During Recent Speeches

    Apparently, this is the week to get your two cents in with Obama:

    During a speech given at Ohio State University, President Obama had to deal with hecklers, as respect for the position he holds continues to erode in the eyes of those who believe differently. The Commander in Chief had to deal with audience member interruptions one more than one occasion, as one audience member challenged the President to read a book he was holding. The lead video reveals the exchange quite clearly, and Politco.com has also transcribed the exchange:

    “Sir, I’m here to speak to these folks. You can hold your own rally. You’re being rude. … I’m trying to talk to these people… I’ll be happy to read your book. If you want to give me your book, I’ll be happy to read it but don’t interrupt my conversation with these folks. Show me some courtesy. I’ll be happy to take your book, but don’t interrupt everybody else. Alright?”

    The President then instructed his aides to retrieve the book, and while no one outside of that particular circle will ever truly know what happens to the book (or the hecklers), it appears as if they obliged. As for the additional hecklers, they are unhappy with what’s going on with the Keystone XL project, which Politco describes as:

    Obama’s visit to a state [Oklahoma] where he lost all 77 counties four years ago will be to tout TransCanada’s plans to build the southern portion of the Keystone XL that would be intended to relieve a surplus of oil stored here in Cushing down to Texas refineries.

    Considering the recent outcry, some may be surprised to find Obama’s approval ratings remain steady.

    The President was also heckled during a press conference when he was discussing Guantanamo.

    The BBC also has additional footage (non-embeddable) where the President discusses the concepts of the First Amendment with the female heckler, who has been identified as Medea Benjamin an activist and founder of Code Pink, an organization that is firmly against war.

    Lead image courtesy

  • Russell Brand Destroys Heckler During Stand-Up Show

    Russell Brand isn’t someone you’d want to mess with. Take, for instance, his over-the-top reaction to a paparazzo’s attempt to snap a pic of him using an iPhone. Instead of asking the guy to shove off, Brand snatched the phone from the would-be photographer and tossed it through a nearby window. Like I said, this isn’t the sort of individual you would want to get into some sort of confrontation with. Chances are, he’s going to mess you up, be it physically or mentally.

    During Brand’s stand-up routine at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, someone in the audience thought it would be hilarious to shout Katy Perry’s name during his performance. Perry, of course, is Brand’s ex-girlfriend, and I’m sure the nerves of their broken relationship are still exposed and very, very raw. As expected, it didn’t take long for the situation to take on a life of its own.

    Fed up, Brand asked for the house lights to be turned on. Afterwards, he hopped off the stage and proceeded to get directly in the face of the man responsible for giving him such a hard time.

    “Let’s see you, mate. Let’s see how your mental illness looks in the daylight. It’s you, is it? Oh, dear. I was hoping that your personality was as a result of physical beauty. I thought, ‘this guy’s confident probably because he’s incredibly handsome,’ but look at you! You look like someone who’s fallen off the outside of a church,” the comedian ranted.

    You’d think that would be enough to humiliate the guy from never setting foot outside of his house ever again. Brand, however, proceeded to take the insults one step further. “They say of course, don’t they, that empty vessels make the most noise. What an enormous echo of nothingness from you. I think silence is your friend. I think keep your lips firmly, firmly clamped together, because everything that comes out of your mouth, from your idiotic announcements to your disgusting halitosis which is cutting through this room is an abomination.”

    Ouch.

    Although the audience thought it was a good show, what do you think of the comedian’s behavior? Did the heckler have it coming, or is this just the childish rantings of a man on the edge of a nervous breakdown? Leave your comments in the space provided below.