Last week’s episode of What Not To Wear on TLC opened with scenes shot in Gotham Comedy Club, where, for reasons that are never fully explained, hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly decide to surprise former Family Ties child star Tina Yothers.
By roasting her from the audience.
That’s not anyone’s definition of TLC. Nor is it acceptable behavior in a comedy club, ever. Roll the clip.
The hourlong episode opens with stand-up comedian Chelsea White telling jokes at Gotham. Then cut to London and Kelly, who set up the scene.
“The reason we’re trying to keep our voices down is because the show is already underway,” London says. To the camera. Aimed on them. In the middle of the club. During the show.
Cue Rich Vos, who has been here and done this before (last year he participated in an ABC gimmick on unsuspecting audience members for What Would You Do?). While Vos is telling jokes, London and Kelly interrupt his crowd work with Yothers to heckle her, from the audience. After a minute of this, they turn up the lights, revealing themselves to the audience and Yothers.
They leave the comedy club to make over her wardrobe, and never pick up the comedy thread again.
So why heckle in the first place? Why are you pretending this is acceptable behavior, and thereby promoting it as such?