Why Some Speakers Get Booed Off Stage
The first ever viral clip I saw was of Michael Richards (aka: Kramer from Seinfeld) getting booed off stage at a comedy club.
He was furious because there was a segment of the audience who kept talking during his jokes.
Suddenly, he snapped.
He went on a long racist diatribe to that segment of the audience.
Afterward, the people were shocked.
Soon, Kramer received a flurry of boos.
Booing happens when an audience expresses a strong disapproval of someone’s message.
In this blog, we’re going to break down the psychology behind booing, why it happens, when it happens, and more.
Let’s begin.
Why Do People Typically Boo?
Kramer was getting booed because he delivered a racist message to the audience.
The audience did not approve of his message.
Therefore, to showcase disapproval, they booed him.
Other times, someone will get booed not for their message, but for who they are.
There is a viral clip of when Elon Musk went to Dave Chappelle’s comedy show and got booed.
Elon didn’t say a word, so why the boos?
Because the audience did not resonate with Elon, the person.
‘You’re telling me a person can be silent and still get booed??!’
Yep.
Imagine if a jumbotron shows a Celtics player in the Lakers home arena.
That Celtics player will get booed simply because of team rivalry.
Environment for Booing
I believe environments play a huge role in terms of who gets booed and who does not.
I have never seen a professor getting booed off the stage.
Why?
Because of the formal atmosphere.
In formal atmospheres, the audience is more well-behaved.
Plus, small-scaled audiences don’t often boo.
Most individuals don’t like confrontation.
Let’s say a speaker is delivering a controversial message to an audience of 10.
Most likely, the audience of 10 is not going to boo the speaker.
‘Why not, Armani? They should!’
Because:
- When a small-scaled audience boos, it does not pack a punch.
- The individuals in the audience cannot hide behind a large group.
Normally, booing happens in informal atmospheres.
Where people are chilling, drinking, and horsing around.
Comedians get booed the most for this reason.
They perform in the jungle.
In the jungle, the audience is large.
When it’s a large-scaled audience, the individuals lose their identity to the swarm.
So, if the swarm is booing, the individuals feel safe to boo without getting singled out.
What Should You Do If You’re Getting Booed?
I have never gotten booed off stage, so take the following advice with a grain of salt.
I think there are 2 possible options when you’re booed:
- Get off the stage.
- Proceed on.
For number 1, thank the audience for their time and leave.
Sometimes, you said something really messed up, and leaving the stage is your way of taking accountability & apologizing.
Other times, what you’re saying is not wrong.
But this audience is not the correct demographic to hear the message.
The 2nd strategy is to proceed on.
This is when you try to win back the audience.
One time, I went to a concert called Project Revolution.
One of the bands said:
‘Orlando!! Are you ready??’
The lead singer made a big mistake.
He was not in Orlando.
He was in West Palm Beach!
A flurry of boos rained on the band.
Rather than the band members running off stage, they turned this faux pas into a funny situation.
The lead singer said:
‘I’d boo us too! Apologies, West Palm!!! Let the show begin.’
Then they began.
Audience members often have short-term memories if the speaker stays in motion.
A lot of audiences will easily give a 2nd chance.
But it really depends…
In the band situation, we were not trying to hear their ideas.
We were just trying to hear their music.
But if it’s a Kramer-like situation, then it’s best to wrap up soon.
The Booing Boogie-Man
Booing happens, no denying that.
But context is key.
A large reason for speech anxiety is because the newbie speaker thinks:
‘What if the audience doesn’t like me?’
After entertaining this idea for some time, they convince themselves that the audience will boo them.
However, that’s not accurate.
For the most part, speakers are not getting booed.
Especially when the speaker is in a formal situation and the audience is not scaled.
- Example: A Toastmasters meeting with 15 members.
Even if you are in an informal situation, let’s say a wedding…
Unless you said something very disrespectful, then you are not going to get booed.
In a wedding, most of these folks in the audience know each other.
And when they know each other, they don’t want to be pointed out later as:
‘Hey, weren’t you one of the guys booing the best man?’
Humans hate to be caught doing something primal by people they know.
The people who typically get booed are polarizing celebrities and rising comedians.
Unless you fall into those categories, you should be good.
Final Thoughts on Booing
Public speaking has a lot of good attributes.
But along with the good, there are ugly sides as well.
The ugly side of public speaking is when the audience boos the speaker.
Certain speakers try to push the boundaries.
As they try to push the boundaries, they are met with resistance.
Booing happens because the audience is expressing strong disapproval.
It’s not over until the fat lady sings though…
The speaker can leave the stage, or can keep doubling down and see how far they can get away with.
For the most part, booing is a rare situation indeed.
If you enjoyed this talk and want to learn more about public speaking, then be sure to check out the Speaking Wizard eBook.
Within this eBook, you will learn more about common public speaking mishaps, how to dominate your speech so you’re not getting booed left and right, and how to thrive under chaos on actual speech day.
Get the Speaking Wizard here!
