Q19 - McKee: Heckling the performer is a long-standing

[Laura Damone]

Question Type:
ID the Disagreement EXCEPT

Stimulus Breakdown:
McKee
Conclusion: It's unwise for comedy venues to prevent audiences from heckling.
Evidence: Heckling is a tradition, and performers know this and learn to respond entertainingly.

Chapman
Heckling is only a tradition because it's tolerated. It's usually only fun for the heckler. In most cases, heckling is just a distraction from the performance.

Answer Anticipation:
Since this is an Except question, the correct answer is the one that will not be a point of disagreement. That means it will either be something about which both speakers agree, or, more likely, something about which at least one speaker hasn't articulated an opinion.

Correct answer:
C

Answer choice analysis:
(A) Point of disagreement. McKee says yes, while Chapman says no. Eliminate.

(B) Well, Chapman says that the heckling is a distraction from the performance, so we can infer that s/he thinks it's not part of the performance. McKee says that the performers respond entertainingly. Does that mean their response is part of the performance? Seems like a maybe. Defer.

(C) Hmm…McKee says that performers in general have learned to respond entertainingly to heckling, so we can infer that s/he believes the best performers can do so. But Chapman doesn't seem to weigh in on this point. S/he says that heckling is a distraction from the performance, but doesn't address whether the responses are entertaining. And nothing in her/his response address the best performers. This is a stronger answer than B.

(D) Chapman is a clear "no" on this one. When S/he says that heckling is usually only fun for the heckler, that establishes that the audience members aren't enjoying it. But what about McKee? Does the fact that the performers respond "entertainingly" imply that the audience is entertained and enjoying it? Seems like another maybe, and not as strong an answer as C. Defer.

(E) McKee uses the fact that heckling is a long-standing tradition as evidence for the claim that it should be preserved. That makes McKee a clear "yes" on E. Chapman, on the other hand, seems to want to prevent heckling. So, while it's not as clear cut as McKee's position, I think we can call Chapman a "no." Eliminate.

Takeaway/Pattern:
With B, C, and D left after a first pass through the answers, it's time to take a second pass and make a final call. I think you can argue that when McKee says the performers "respond entertainingly" to heckling, this indicates that s/he thinks the response is both part of the performance (B) and enjoyable to watch (D). Chapman, on the other hand, says nothing that would imply disagreement with a claim that is limited to the best stand-up comedians. That type of ranking is never used accidentally on the LSAT. Whenever you see it, expect it to play a role in how you answer the question. Also, remember that in Except questions, the bar is set lower. B and D don't express definitive enough points of disagreement for either to provide the correct answer to a non-Except question. For both answers, you have to infer more than is normally allowable. But because the bar is set lower for Except questions, they are just definitive enough to be eliminated. Don't be afraid to defer on answers like these on your first pass, especially on questions in the teens and twenties.

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