Bad Vaudeville acts would often see their time on stage ended by a shepherd's hook jerking them around the neck and back "behind the black." As burlesque and other Vaudeville favorites return to our modern stage, we see litigiousness and political correctness impacting yet another aspect of our lives. Gone is the hilarious giant hook 'round the poor player's neck. Today, a sub-par act on a new Vaudeville-esque stage will find themselves gently pulled by the thumb by a soft thin hook, as though they'd simply changed their mind about performing. The color makes it invisible to the audience and the length prevents anyone from seeing the operator's traditional uniform: a red-and-white vertically striped shirt and a straw boater.

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