I found myself trapped in a dark New York City basement recently where a sticky layer of alcohol coated walls decorated with the faces of Rodney Dangerfield, George Burns, Cheech Marin and other comedic has-beens -- also known as the New York Comedy Club.

It was there that these eyes witnessed more disrespect and mockery of working artists that I could have ever imagined possible.

Envision a gladiator match where the audience behaves as if the performers step up on stage to be mutilated for entertainment and that witnessing them crumble in public is the ultimate prize. That prize was presented to a couple of the comedians that night -- their entire routines completely shattered by some of the most ignorant and self-centered people I have seen in this town in quite some time.

Maybe it's shocking to me because most art performances I attend typically have an audience of people who have a general respect for artists and are sensitive to their fragile self esteem. Even in a town where hundreds of no-name bands play their hearts out in the beat up clubs weekly, you rarely hear any negative comments (out loud) from the audience. People seem to have a soft spot for the artists that perform music or display visual art when they are face-to-face. The back lashing and criticism are typically found outside the club in the smoker's circle.

Comedians however, seem to attract an audience that is willing to pay top dollar for a type of entertainment where no respect is required. Here are some of the unbelievable scenes that took place during my night at the comedy club:

COMEDIAN 1: Guy sitting front and center (the closest audience member to the comedian -- about 12 inches from him) decides to make a phone call to see what his buddy is up to during the middle of the bit. Comedian stops bit and tries to play off the guy making the phone call. Guy on phone doesn't give a shit. Thug across the room decides to waltz on over to the guy on the phone to say hello. Thug is now standing in front of comedian who is now completely thrown off guard and again attempts to work off this scene for some one-liners. The rest of the audience is a little too shocked to laugh. Guy and thug finally part ways and time is up for comedian 1.

COMEDIAN 2: Irish comedian from Boston takes on intoxicated ex-marine celebrating his 55th birthday wearing a hideous white sweater. We, the audience knew from an outburst earlier in the evening that a man in the front row was celebrating his birthday, but we didn't know that a half an hour later a comedian was going to start making fun of his sweater, his wife and his alcoholism resulting in him walking out on the show kicking and screaming. You see, the man with the sweater took offense to a joke by the Irishman about the brutality in the streets for which NYC is famous. Apparently the man was having a bad flashback to something he witnessed in the line of duty and did not find any humor in the topic at all. He felt inclined to verbalize his thoughts in a drunken slur to the comedian during the middle of his bit and the comedian acknowledged him by making fun of his sweater. By the time the man got irritated enough to leave the building, the Irishman finished his set by offering the wife straight up cash to leave her loser husband.

COMEDIAN 3: Table of 18 year old wanna-be lesbians refuse to shut up. I won't justify this annoyance with too much of a recap. Picture a table of 8 of them talking on their cell phones, peeing every 5 minutes and primping every two...

Looking back, I wonder when this type of entertainment became an underground torture chamber for artists. Where were the bouncers that tell people to sit down during the set or escort the drunken sailors out of the club? What is it about comedians that make them less than artists for this type of audience and what gives comedians the strength to keep facing the crowds every night? I am sure they have lost all hope for humanity.