I have been trying to break this habit for awhile now, where I find myself saying, "tough crowd". I keep saying it because sometimes it gets a good reaction when there is no reaction, which of course is what I'm looking for-some reaction. But I am wondering what others think, because my gut tells me it's never good to ever tell an audience that they are tough, and that it only digs me further into a hole. But again- sometimes it gets a good reaction, which is why I keep finding myself using it...

What do you think?

Also, I'm not only talking about comedy, but magic too...

Hi:

I think it's a good line; I say if the audience is responding to it, keep it in.

Ron

Sometimes the crowd needs a swift kick in the pants without attacking them. Especially in this day and age, Audiences forget that they have a repsonsibility at a live show, they are not in thier living room, watching TV, breathing thru their mouth.

One line that I have been using that has been getting a great reaction is.

(do the joke and get not much of a reaction)
"NUTHIN. I got Nuthin for that one"
let me try it again, this time with feeling"

(I do it again and more passionately and the crowd will either repeat their first reaction or go thru the roof, but I hope they don't do much because its funnier if I can say...)

"AND I STILL GOT NOTHING - I'm moving on..."

I watched Copperfield on DVD the other night and he was doing "Graffiti". After he revealed the first match on the paper, the crowd did not react. With a big smile, he slightly crumbled the paper and turned to the audience and said....

"Does this not impress you people"?

The crowd applauded!

I think what we can learn from this is to create an applause without resrting to the term "Tough Crowd". Sometimes a pose will queue an applause. Sometimes a revaltion will cause applause....
get creative and give them a reason to make some hand noise. Sometimes an audience won't applaud because they don't want to interupt your show. Getting an audience warmed up is the only way to break this barrier. You can do your own warmup, but to be the FEATURE act you need a separate warmup/MC. A warmup would be something that primes them for the real magic. It breaks the ice and makes a crowd not so tough.

I suppose it matters if you look like you're poking fun at the response or if you're really looking desperate. I remember the guy in "Magic" looking out into the dead audience saying; "Don't you people know how hard that was?"

As performers, we are (hopefully) giving our all to entertain our audiences. But Remember as well, the audience can always give more too. There's nothing wrong with demanding more from your audience - letting them know that you need and enjoy their feedback. I remember going to see George Carlin a few years back and when ever he got a really strong applause break, he would almost break character and say "I appreciate that!". Not on just his regular laugh breaks, but when the audience broke into applause - he let us know that it made him happy. I have listened to many of his recorded performances, and have noticed the exact same thing. If the audience applauds, he tells them he appreciates it - and because he tells the audience that Applause is what he wants and expects, it encourages the audience to do it more.
A live performance is an interactive experience, So if there is no response, by all means - bring attention to it and 'train' the audience to respond the way you want them to. Of course you want to do it in a way that endures them to you - you don't want an audience that is being forced to clap for a guy that they hate...

BE careful, if they don't respond to the LINE then you have just doubled your discomfort.

Often, calling it as it is, defuses the awkardness of a failed joke, poor routine or cricket chirping silence. Here's a few lines....

"Thank you for that warm round of indifference"

"And that is what Zen philosphers call "The Sound of No Hands Clapping"

"So that's how it sounds when mime's clap"

If one or two people clap:

"Thanks for the applause but, please, stay with the rest of the group."

"Thanks! I like you! If you come to all my gigs you could run around and make it sound like a standing ovation"

"Take your hands out of your pockets...i'll provide the entertainment."

Please consider this...have a CD or tape ready to fire WITH CRICKET SOUND FX...it worked for Daffy Duck and Bugs for years...it'll work for you.
Of course if you're a really funny person you'll have to throw in a few duds just to use the gag.



Also remember, Rodney Dangerfield made a living off that line..."boy...you guys are a tough crowd..."

This seems to be an overused bit, that did and does work for Rodney.

I have seen some magicians use it in the same place in there act no matter what the reaction was???

I go back to journaling and using books such as

A whack in the side of the head

The Artis Way

to stimulate ideas.

Be safe and creative.

Harris

It worked for Rodney because of the nature of his act...it could just as easily kill an act depending on when and how it's delivered.

I love the cricket idea!

Craig

I wouldn't use that line for the very reason that Nicholas Johnson brought up: If they don't respond, you and they are even worse off!

Two lines I use with effectiveness; they accomplish the same thing without putting the onus on the audience:

"Yes, when I first saw that I was too amazed to applaud, too."

And, when the applause is scattered and not all at once:
"Please try to applaud together. If you applaud separately, we'll be here all night."

cheers,
Peter Marucci

Here's another good alternative:

"Ah, I see you're all too stunned to respond."

And, if you can pull it off with the right zany delivery, you can probably get a good laugh out of this one:

"Come one, everybody...if you're happy and you know it clap your hands!"

Craig

I occasionally use the line "Tough room!" I'm not sure why. It just seems a little more generic.

And then I don't wait for more discomfort... I move on to the next bit!

See ya!
Joe L.

How about, "I don't require applause. An occasional nod of comprehension will suffice?"

Of course, not if you're trying to make friends.

Sid

I tap my imaginary shirt mic and ask "Is this thing on test 1 2 test test"?
that has hit everytime for me or I have used
"Alrighty.... I knew I shouldn't have quit that mime gig"!

In awkward silences, here are some of the lines I find funny.

"This is free to you people, so I don't expect you to be impressed yet"

"You get what you pay for at this place"

"im not as good as the guys on tv...thats why I'm here at ****** and they are earning their millions on tv!"

"you're looking like you see this every day of your life?!"

"well it worked when the other table tipped me....but you didn't so I guess we'll work on that"

or sometimes...just sometimes I might be really cheeky and say "you're on a night out, lossen up and enjoy yourself people....i can only do so much!" (with a cheeky smile of course...i don't snap at them)

"Tough crowd" WOULD work well in a biker bar.

Craig

If you say a joke and no one responds to it, my line is 'uh, wasted on you lot!' (in a joking way, obviously).

-Niko

That one can backfire. How about, "That joke has a built-in time delay, so when you find yourself laughing later for no apparent reason you'll know why."

Craig

UK comedians Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer would do a bit like this on their show, Shooting Stars. Vic would always tell a duff joke all the guests would remain stony-faced, cricket/wind sounds where played and a ball of tumble-weed would roll slowly across the studio floor.
George