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Hannibal Buress stops a heckler in his tracks

'You sir, are a social terrorist.'

 

Ramon Ramirez

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Posted on Mar 30, 2015   Updated on May 29, 2021, 4:51 am CDT

Somewhere between opening for Dave Chappelle and sparking a national conversation about Bill Cosby, Hannibal Buress became one of the most biting, essential-to-our-societal-fabric standups. It helps that the guy can quip off the dome like it’s nothing.

Proof positive: During Buress’s weekend at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Del., a seemingly drunk rando began barking at his jokes. Buress turned on a dime and spent three minutes reducing the heckler to kibbles. 

“Why can’t you hold your liquor?” Buress asked, before clarifying: “I want to give you the excuse of being drunk, and not just being a shitty, obnoxious person.”

The moment sparked a smooth aside, “When I’m drunk I like to ruin one or two people’s nights—a cab driver, a bartender, a woman that I’m seeing… I like to work on a small scale.”

The heckler was apparently criticizing something Buress said about Compton, Calif., rapper YG. But Buress attacked the heckler’s entire psychological structure.  

And rather than just clown the dude Buress went righteously defiant: “If you want attention you have to do what I did and work really hard for 13 years.” 

Screengrab via Hannibal Buress’ Comedy Camisado TV/YouTube

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*First Published: Mar 30, 2015, 8:32 pm CDT