Comic Dodges Thrown Drink, Has Epic Response

Comic Ariel Elias turned what could have been her worst night onstage into one of her best, landing her in talks for a set on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The comic was performing at Uncle Vinnie's Comedy Club in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, on Saturday when a female audience member asked if she voted for former President Trump. "Why would you ask me that question when you know I'm the only Jew in the room? Are you trying to get me killed?" Elias joked, per Deadline. "I can tell by your jokes that you voted for Biden," the woman continued, to which Elias replied, "I can tell by the fact that you're still talking when nobody wants you to that you voted for Trump." The audience roared, and Elias moved on. Then a full can of alcoholic seltzer flew toward her head.

Elias' mouth dropped open in shock. (See it happen here.) Her next move has been praised by comedians including Whitney Cummings, Patton Oswalt, and Jim Gaffigan. The 33-year-old, who's been doing stand-up for 11 years, picked up the can, which had smashed into the wall behind her, and after holding it for a few seconds, chugged what was left. "As soon as I picked up the beer and felt liquid still in it, I knew to chug it," she later told Newsweek. "It felt like the only way to recover. Also suddenly I really needed a drink, so it really worked out." It was the perfect cover. "I had so much adrenaline and was trying to breathe, take a beat, not let anybody see that my hands were shaking," Elias said, per CBS News.

Elias added that club owner Dino Ibelli is pressing charges against the woman's partner, who allegedly threw the can from the back of the room after she walked out, per CBS and the Washington Post. "I'm not [pressing charges] because in order to do that, I would have to return to Point Pleasant Beach, and I'm not doing that unless someone pays me to," the New York City comic quipped, per Newsweek. After Kimmel praised her "flawless" performance on Twitter, Elias asked if she could make her late-night debut on his show, and he accepted. Producers are now organizing a date for her debut, per Deadline. "I'd really appreciate it if anyone could please just let my teachers know that chugging a beer has in fact been great for my career," Elias tweeted. (More comedian stories.)