3 people, including 15-year-old, shot at Kennywood

I saw Bill Burr last week at Capital One Arena in DC. Had to remove the necessary stuff from our pockets to go through metal detectors, but everyone was also given a "Yondr" pouch to lock their phone in during the show, which we found out was not the venue's choice but the artist's, and we found out why during the show. So videos of "offensive" jokes can't be posted online and taken out of context.

A little off the subject, but thought it was worth mentioning. Went to a Twenty-One Pilots concert at the same venue a couple weeks prior and I don't think they were even using metal detectors, or if they were I didn't have to empty my pockets.

My wife is a house manager, and yes, it's the "artist" who requires those stupid phone pouches, and everyone at the venue hates having to deal with them. The comedians are the worst, and think that their material is so precious and adults can't be treated like adults.

And if you wonder if Evolv works, remember that we post a story about someone who tried to walk into a Disney venue with a gun every few months.

While it was annoying, I actually understand why they do it. I think "the worst" is the fact that cancel culture exists.

Simultaneously criticizing people who steal or misappropriate creators' content, while also criticizing content creators who try to prevent theft or misappropriation of their content, seems a bit odd to me.

I don't think I'm making the point clearly. You can't take your camera out in any Broadway show, and no one does (save for the final bows, which is permitted). So these touring companies can trust people to act as adults but comedians can't? Please. And the official reasons given have nothing to do with cancel culture, it usually goes along the lines of, "I'm trying this new material out for my Netflix special, and I don't want it to get out."

Jeff:

The comedians are the worst, and think that their material is so precious and adults can't be treated like adults.

What do you mean by adults can't be treated like adults? Do you think the venue should make a general announcement that recording is prohibited, and trust that everyone will comply? Or do you think that comedians shouldn't care whether someone pulls out their phone and starts recording? Just trying to understand what your position is.

For the most part, I don't think the issue is comedians fearing their material will be stolen; I think it's what Vater said. A comedy show is an intimate experience, and the performer will sometimes "go places" based on how the show is going, if they feel they've won the audience over. So an offensive bit may play much better with the live crowd than it would on YouTube. Comedians try out new material all the time, especially if they are touring in preparation for a special. I saw George Carlin back in the early 00s and he confessed right at the top that his act was a work in progress, and for part of it he literally pulled out a script and read to us (and it was still funny).

Edit: Jeff's response came in simultaneously with mine, so that clears it up.

I mean, to bring it home, doesn't this just get in the way of law-abiding citizens checking their phone for likes on their dinner food porn?

So two thoughts on your response:

I think comedy is different than other types of performance art in that humor is based so much on the element of surprise. Things just aren't as funny the second or third time you hear them, so if you want your Netflix special to be fresh then if your material has gotten out ahead of time, it won't be as effective. So I think that concern is legit.

Also, comedy is uniquely vulnerable--if that's the right word--to cancel culture. There are plenty of people out there ready to take advantage of a gotcha moment with comedians. I don't think the same dynamic exists with Broadway shows.

Bakeman31092:

I think it's what Vater said.

And the reason I said it is because the comedian I referred to actually said it, pretty much verbatim. After telling a joke that would cross the line for many and hearing the resulting silence mixed with nervous laughter, he outright said, "That's why all your phones are locked up in pouches" (which elicited a roar of laughter). Then he went on to illustrate how someone could post a 10 second clip of what he just said which, out of context, would've riled up angry mobs with torches. Not far from reality.

Jeff:

...the official reasons given have nothing to do with cancel culture, it usually goes along the lines of, "I'm trying this new material out for my Netflix special, and I don't want it to get out."

I don't think the reasoning matters. These content creators want their content distributed in a way they feel best suits the medium and their brand, which I fail to see an issue with, just as I don't see an issue with a content creator not wanting a YouTuber using their video without attribution. Your content your choice.

I don't agree. It doesn't matter if you lift it from someone else's YouTube or a live show, the outcome is the same, but the lift scenario is not. Being in a theater with ushers looking over your shoulder is not the same as some anonymous kid in his basement downloading stuff.

Comedians have a hard time taking responsibility for what they say, which I'm only partially sympathetic to. And what Bill Barr says is no secret, he's still on The Mandalorian. Chapelle isn't hurting either. If that's what "cancelled" looks like, sign me up, because I want that cancelled money.

But might these comedians, in addition to caring about their pocketbooks, also care about their art? And might they feel that their art could be compromised if their shows are recorded against their wishes?

Compromised how, exactly?

Two ways I can think of. Cutting the context out of a bit and posting it online and posting unfinished bits that didn't work on stage. Articles get written about these leaks, people form opinions, etc. I don't see it as any different than an early cut of a movie leaking online.

Vater:

After telling a joke that would cross the line for many and hearing the resulting silence mixed with nervous laughter, he outright said, "That's why all your phones are locked up in pouches" (which elicited a roar of laughter). Then he went on to illustrate how someone could post a 10 second clip of what he just said which, out of context, would've riled up angry mobs with torches.

I don't know what the joke was, but I am struggling to come up with something, that if said at a comedy show and results in silence, how it is not something offensive. If hearing the whole thing in context crosses the line then it only seems logical that taken out of context it would cross the line as well.

Jeff:

So these touring companies can trust people to act as adults but comedians can't?

I suspect the latter is more about projection than anything.

So the argument is because spoilers? Treat the audience like children because spoilers?

Shades:

I am struggling to come up with something, that if said at a comedy show and results in silence, how it is not something offensive.

To me, the genius of comics like Burr, Chapelle, et al is the fact that they always do cross the line and offend nearly everyone. There were some jokes aimed at me that I might have found offensive in any other setting, but in the context of a standup comedy show were hilarious. I can't remember exactly what was said, guess you'll have to wait for his next Netflix special.

Shades:

If hearing the whole thing in context crosses the line then it only seems logical that taken out of context it would cross the line as well.

The silence could be for many reasons. Awkward placement, off-timed, wording and/or pacing not just right, or just a test to see how it goes. But another reason is simply being in the venue itself. When you enter a comedy club you're agreeing to an unwritten social contract, especially when seeing a comedian like Burr, Chappelle, or the late Gilbert Gottfried and/or Bob Saget, that all bets are off. What Vater just posted above while I was typing this is what I am getting at.

You can't duplicate the intimacy and context of being in the venue at home in front of your computer.

Jeff:

So the argument is because spoilers?

No. It's that people unfairly judge the content out of context.