Have you ever been singled out by a stand-up comic?

[Pickles89]

How did it go? What did they say to you? How did you feel about it? I would totally cringe myself to death I think, with the embarrassment of it!

Yes went to a lot of stuff during the Edinburgh festival and front row was fair game. If everyone avoided the front row they'd chat to the 2nd.

@iklboo

DH was picked out by Dara O'Briain. It was really good natured though and very funny. We saw him in the foyer later and had a chat. He was really nice.

Yep my DH also.. at the comedy club in London.. front row in a Hawaiian shirt he deserved everything Dara threw at him..

Quite enjoyed Russel Howard attacking my boss at a comedy night in Sussex from some rows further back

Someone in a stage show sat on the lap of my friend, who was sitting next to me. When they got up, they took my handbag back up on stage without me noticing and looked through it all, commenting on everything they took our. That was fun.

Despite almost always getting front row seats I haven't, but my brother was named the lizard King by Ross Noble. It was good fun, never seen any comics be nasty to people they single out - but then I've never been a fan of that sort of humour, so wouldn't go to those gigs.

Yes. It was at Red Raw at The Stand, where new comedians have a go, so you get really funny people who are great but you also get people who just aren't any good at it. One of the not good at it guys was talking to the front row and talked to me and my boyfriend, made some comments and it was sort of fine then later in his set he started talking about sex and looked at me and asked if I had ever had sex. My boyfriend had some choice words for him.

@TheBitchOfTheVicar

Were you by any chance pregnant at the time, with folic acid tablets in your bag? If yes, then I might know you!

Yeah I was out with DH who was DBF at the time. He is 6 years younger than me and at the time it showed

Shappi Korsandi who wasn't well known at the time pointed to DH and said 'ahh aren't you cute, you out with your mum?'

I wasn't 'too' offended

Oh god someone in my group did, she’s had the same haircut since the 70’s apparently, think Farah Farcett and the comedian picked up on it, we were sat at a table right near the stage, she was mortified and left in the break.

Yes, in one of those 'be the hands' routines where you stand behind them and put your arms through underneath theirs and act as their hands. I really didn't want to but also felt too awkward to say no so made sure I hid my face behind him for the whole routine and it was actually ok!

I was in the front row of an Al Murray gig, and very pregnant. It felt like I had a target on me, until he spoke to the guy next to me, whose name was Tarquin or Quentin, or something like that, I felt a huge sigh of relief when Al moved onto him.

My DH was singled out by Al Murray just for being French. This was 20 something years ago. DH was young and didn't mind too much, he just didn't think it was the most inventive material.

Yes, by Johnny Vegas. It was all very good-natured and he certainly didn't try to embarrass or make a fool out of me. He's lovely

Yep. Comic in the comedy house picked on my boyfriend first for looking like a racist then started jokingly chatting me up. He said he 'would headbutt a gorilla' to get my number.
I've just bought front row to rob Beckett so will report back in 6 months 😁

DH is Very Tall which for some reason makes him a prime victim for this sort of stuff. We went to a local comedy night thing once and he was singled out by EVERY comedian he’s also been dragged into a number of street performances and things in the past.

We went to see Jimmy Carr a few years ago and he spent the entire show poking fun at a woman on the balcony nearest to the stage, it was never-ending to the point where it felt like the whole audience were a bit sick of it by the end.

Rule #1 never sit near the front!

the worst ever audience participation bit I saw was when a comedian basically forced a random guy to go on his boxer shorts in front of the audience. it was dreadful. can't remember the comedians name, so obviously not someone well known.

Once went to a gig with a friend who is quite quirky looking, big guy, unusual features, 3 out of 4 comics laid into him, with some quite unkind comments, it was horrible, they weren't even that funny. It was a small venue which we've avoided since. Love live comedy, trip to the Comedy Store is definitely on my post covid list.

Yes by a ventriloquist and his dummy at a holiday park. Lots of comments about coming back to my caravan/tent for the night. The dummys last comment was "Phwoar...Phyllis, get in my box" as he was put away.
It was so funny. I was actually about 3 months pregnant at the time, although wasn't showing.
It was definitely a set up by the parks entertainment crew who used to come over to our tents after they finished and drink with us (well the others. Obviously I wasn't drinking)

@Santaiscovidfree

No but I got a' Congratulations' card when ds was born!! Had to cancel show tickets due to prem baby arrival!! Comic was told and sent a lovely card to our address. Something sarcastic in about having a baby not being a good reason to miss his show!

That's very sweet. Who was the comic?!

[quote Wenolikeexplodeythings]@TheBitchOfTheVicar

Were you by any chance pregnant at the time, with folic acid tablets in your bag? If yes, then I might know you![/quote]
Sorry, that wasn't me. I was more about the tampons! Such a minefield...

Myself and husband were told that we looked like extras from Hollyoaks. I was not actually displeased by this! I was also a student studying a socially based vocational degree, and there was some ripping my choice of future profession going on too. Was not half as bad as it could have been!

Yes at a Jongleurs night in a town in the home counties. Went with a whole crowd of people for work, it was good fun. Omid Djalili was one of the turns and he started a big routine about Scottish women (his wife is Scottish). All of my colleagues started pointing at me, he noticed, came over for a wee chat, took the piss out of my accent a bit and kept asking my colleagues whether they agreed with his observations about Scottish women.

It was all very good natured, he was never nasty and never offensive, didn;t make me feel uncomfortable.

Reginald D Hunter singled me out at a gig when I was clearly heavily pregnant. I took it in good humour but it was a bit . Partner didn't react - he had his arms folded and RDH picked him up on this and that he had not been laughing out loud throughout the gig - partner shrugged in a sorry, what you gonna do? way because the truth was that RTD had hit the nail on the head...we were smiling at the material but didn't rate him as very funny as that night he wasn't.
So I do wonder, having heard he's said to another punter upthread Don't you think I'm funny? whether it was his go-to when not getting the reaction he wanted: Attack as a form of defence/insecurity leading to confrontation.
I read recently an interview* that his attitude might have changed (he was criticised for punching down/having misogynist material) although a 2019 review doesn't testify to that but the snippet below was published this year.

*A fax to my agent informed me I was a dad. My daughter was 14 and she wanted to know her father. My female friends told me it served me right; it was karma after everything I’d said on stage about women. Parenthood forced me to get reacquainted with my humility, rethink my relationship with responsibility, and to change how I speak about the opposite gender.