Another day, another comic heckled. Though heckling comes with the territory, there’s no denying that there are some very obvious lines that shouldn’t be crossed. In this case, American comedian Ariel Elias—performing at Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in New Jersey—decided to take questions from the audience, prompting some prompting a drunk patron of the club to give her a particularly hard time. When Elias shut down the heckler, a beer can was thrown at her head. Here’s how it went down.
An audience member asked the comedian who she voted for in the US elections, a question Elias deftly side-stepped by asking, “Why would you ask me that knowing I’m the only Jew in the room?” The audience member persisted with her line of questioning, saying, “I could just tell from your jokes that you voted for Biden.”
“I can tell by the fact that you’re still talking when nobody wants you to, that you voted for Trump,” Elias clapped back. The comedian’s response got a lot of laughs, and she joked that taking questions was probably a bad call. She was about to proceed with her set when a beer can was flung at her. Without skipping a beat, Elias picked up the can and downed the beer.
Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club owner Dino Ibelli told EW that the audience member was asked to stop asking further questions once Elias continued her act, but left the comedy club in anger. Her husband followed close behind but only after chucking his beer at the comedian. Local authorities were contacted and a police report was filed, but it is up to the comedian to press charges.
A slew of prominent American comedians including Jim Gaffigan, Patton Oswalt, Mark Normand, David Cross and Whitney Cummings (and Elijah Wood!?) have come out in support of Elias. Scroll down for their reactions.
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