People on social media are cheering the way a stand-up comic dispatched a MAGA heckler--by chugging his beer.
Comic Ariel Elias was doing her usual set at a comedy club in New Jersey last week--a set that by all accounts didn't even include political material. But that was no deterrent to a pair of members of former Republican President Donald Trump's cult who was in the audience.
After a woman began heckling Elias, demanding to know who she voted for in the 2020 election and yelling that she could "tell" Elias voted for Biden, her husband hurled his full beer can at Elias, narrowly missing her face.
So Elias simply picked it up and chugged it while the man was escorted out hoots and cheers. See the moment below, but be advised it contains profanity.
\u201cHere's the clip\u201d— Ariel Elias (@Ariel Elias) 1665291433
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Elias said the set was going well from the beginning because the hecklers were part of a larger party of rowdy audience members who were celebrating a "Mexican-themed" birthday.
But things took a turn when Elias reached the audience-interaction part of her set, in which she takes questions from the audience. The woman who heckled her asked if she voted for Trump, to which Elias replied:
“Did I vote for Donald Trump? What do you think?”
"Here’s a question for you: Why would you ask me that in here, knowing I’m the only Jew in the room? Are you trying to get me killed?”
After Elias tried to defuse the situation, the woman yelled she could "just tell by your jokes" Elias voted for Biden, to which Elias had the perfect comeback:
“I can tell by the fact that you’re still talking when nobody wants you to that you voted for Trump."
And when the woman protested that nobody had asked her to shut up, Elias asked the audience to clap if they wanted the woman to pipe down. The applause was thunderous.
But rather than take out their ire on the audience, the woman's husband then hurled his beer at Elias. But Elias was not to be bested. Rather than giving the couple what they wanted, she simply knelt down, picked up the beer and chugged it to wild applause.
Elias' clip almost instantly went viral on Twitter, where people are lauding her as an absolute hero.
\u201cYes\u2026 @Ariel_Comedy is the hero we need, people!!! \ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\ud83d\ude4c\u201d— Rafinha Bastos (@Rafinha Bastos) 1665358443
\u201cHandled it like a champ, @Ariel_Comedy ! \n\n(Please don't throw beer cans at me onstage, I can't finish it like a boss like Ariel here, 'll break out in rashes and die)\u201d— Dr Jason Leong \ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfe (@Dr Jason Leong \ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfe) 1665362581
\u201cUmm...SO MANY things to say about this but the big take away is that @ariel_Comedy is super funny and total class.\u201d— Jim Gaffigan (@Jim Gaffigan) 1665342121
\u201cThe republican fear of information and debate. Followed by a cowardly exit. America in microcosm at a comedy club. Well handled by Ariel who is clearly funny and strong and knows what she\u2019s doing out there.\u201d— Judd Apatow \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Judd Apatow \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1665340083
\u201cAriel wasn\u2019t even doing political material. The drunk heckler was craving what every MAGAt craves \u2014 grievance and revenge. And they\u2019ll alter the reality before their eyes to get it. \u201cYou SOUND like you voted for Biden.\u201d\u201d— Patton Oswalt (@Patton Oswalt) 1665335327
\u201cTrump supporters are the most sensitive audience members I\u2019ve ever performed in front of. They used to call The Comedy Store to ask and make sure nobody would be making fun of Trump that night. Never seen any other group do that before.\u201d— Robin Tran \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Robin Tran \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1665347083
\u201cYou rock Ariel. How I wish I was there.\u201d— Judy Gold (@Judy Gold) 1665372139
\u201c@Ariel_Comedy OMG. You are a champ.\u201d— Ariel Elias (@Ariel Elias) 1665291433
\u201c@Ariel_Comedy\u201d— Ariel Elias (@Ariel Elias) 1665291433
\u201c@Ariel_Comedy I stood up and clapped in an airport.\u201d— Ariel Elias (@Ariel Elias) 1665291433
After going mega viral, Elias added an update to the whole story:
\u201cFwiw the club is pressing charges against the guy and booked me to come back in April.\u201d— Ariel Elias (@Ariel Elias) 1665291433
She tweeted:
"Fwiw the club is pressing charges against the guy and booked me to come back in April."
Guess we know who won this battle!
@PreetBharara/X
@RepBrendanBoyle/X
@twesq/Bluesky
@christopherharris/Bluesky
@evangelinewarren/X
@FrankC164/X
AMC