A comedian is going viral for her response to a heckler that has left social media stunned.
While performing at Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey on Saturday. Oct. 8, Ariel Elias opened up the floor for a question and answer part of her set. She immediately regretted it when one woman in the audience asked her, "Did you vote for Trump?"
From there, things got awkward and tense, with Elias trying to understand what the person's end-game was with the line of questioning
After a cringeworthy back and forth, the heckler said: “I could just tell by your jokes you voted for Biden.”
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Elias seemingly shuts the back-and-forth down when she responded, “I can tell by the fact that you’re still talking when nobody wants you to that you voted for Trump.”
Elias tried to carry on her with her set, before out of nowhere a beer can is seen aggressively pummeled at her head in the video. It hits the wall behind her, spraying everywhere before falling to the floor.
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Stunned, Elias picked up the can and chugged what was left in the can, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
Uncle Vinnie’s Comedy Club owner Dino Ibelli told BuzzFeed Newsthe heckler's male partner was the person who threw the beer, and that he was in touch with police to press charges.
TODAY reached out to the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department for further comment but did not immediately hear back.
Gianmarco Soresi — another comedian who was on the night's billing — told Buzzfeed News, “There’s this idea that the brave comedian is the one saying the thing we’re all thinking, and I’m like, just take a look at this video if you want to see what real bravery looks like as a comedian."
Shared on Twitter, the clip has amassed more than 2 million views since being shared Sunday morning, catching the eye of many prominent comedians like Patton Oswalt, Whitney Cummings and Jim Gaffigan who are applauding Elias for keeping her cool under such upsetting circumstances.
Elias, who has been performing for 11 years, told Buzzfeed News, “I’ve been at this for a long time. It feels nice to have any positive recognition. Maybe it softens the blow — no pun intended — a little bit.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
