Advice On How To Keep Party Tables "Happy"

I am quite new to poker and I have read some books, lurked here for awhile, and have begun to post here and there. I have played on a few of the sites (all at $.50/1 level) but have had the most financial success at Party Poker tables where there are at least a few loose and semi-loose passive players, a little bit of chat, and not a lot of intensity or bad mouthing of other players poker "skills". It can take some time to find these "good" tables.

Often when I do find a "good" table a player happens along, that perhaps suffers a "bad beat" to T5s (sometimes I don't even know what triggers one of these guys) or some such hand and begins a tirade against the offending player and sometimes anyone else who does meet his "standard" of play. This drives the fish away in droves and soon I am at a table of angry TAGs that want to take every last dime off of "big-mouth" and I end up in the cross-fire.

My question to more experienced players is what is the best thing to do when I am at a "good" table and someone starts such a tirade??

Do I:

1. Keep silent??
2. Start making jokes at my own expense? Me <----- fish
3. Flame the guy?
4. Try to become the object of his venom?
5. Just leave?
6. A strategy I haven't thought of??

A little advice here is appreciated. Thanks.