slapped by Will Smith at the Oscars in March, and Dave Chappelle, who was tackled by a stranger at the Hollywood Bowl earlier this month — comedians across the country say violence from audience members is an increasing problem.Curtis Shaw Flagg, 37, president of The Laugh Factory in Chicago, told The Post he’s seen an alarming uptick in incidents over the past year, as people feel increasingly emboldened to lash out if a comic displeases them.“Not long ago, we had a patron stand up in the middle of a performance and say, ‘I will be outside waiting for you, I’m going to kill you,’” Flagg said. “After the show, we did a sweep of the outside and there was no sign of the guy, and the comic left unharmed.
But nobody felt safer.”In recent weeks, the Laugh Factory chain — which has clubs in Hollywood, Las Vegas, Chicago, Reno and Long Beach — has added cameras and metal detectors to its venues, and in some locations, they’ve doubled their security personnel. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” Flagg said. “Chris Rock was the kindling.
And Chappelle put a little more flame in the fire. Those are the guys we think of as untouchable.“I’m literally thumbing through security applications as I talk to you,” added Flagg. “We want people to know when they’re coming in, if you try anything, you will be handled.”Many comics reacted to the Rock and Chappelle attacks with fear and anger.
Howie Mandel told E! News he doesn’t “want to go on stage. I’m just really afraid.” Bill Maher called it a “war on jokes,” and standup Heather McDonald offered free front row tickets to any police officers who want to attend her shows.
Read more on nypost.com
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