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Promotional art for Tiny Idiot
Cover image credit: Promotional image via Stand Up! Records

Tiny Idiot

Derek Sheen

Stand Up! Records · 2016 · 60 min

A cynical, rapid-fire hour of mental health struggles and biblical absurdism.

Watch on Stand Up! Records(opens in a new tab)

Derek Sheen leans heavily into his anxieties, transforming a personal attempt to wean himself off the antidepressant citalopram into high-energy, cynical storytelling. Rather than treating depression as a tragic cloud, he uses his mental health struggles as a springboard for hyper-detailed, neurotic bits that make the audience brace for impact.

Recorded at Timothy O’Toole’s Pub in Chicago for the “Comedians You Should Know” showcase, the 2016 release caught Sheen as he was steadily building an underground reputation on tour with comics like Patton Oswalt and Brian Posehn. He frames the Old Testament as an absurd Dungeons and Dragons campaign populated by giants and laser angel babies, explains why motels are exclusively haunted by the living, and pitches a modern rewrite of the D.A.R.E. program. Stand Up! Records released the special on vinyl, CD, and video, which drew critical comparisons to early Patton Oswalt for its mix of nerdy references and intense, rapid-fire delivery.

The set list

4 bits

  1. The Old Testament vs. the New Testament

    Examines the Old Testament as an insane Dungeons and Dragons quest filled with salt pillars and laser angel babies, while framing the New Testament as an ode to tapas-loving hippies.

  2. Hotels vs. Motels

    Highlights the distinct differences between accommodations, including motels haunted by the living.

  3. Modernized D.A.R.E. Program

    Reimagines drug education as 21st-century father-son bonding over marijuana and frittatas.

  4. Hipster Butcher Shops

    Offers a bird's-eye view of snarky artisan butcher shops and hipster meat baristas.

How it plays

Tone
Dark, self-deprecating, candid, and satirical.
On stage
An emotionally transparent, mercurial storyteller and master of self-deprecation.
Pace
Erratic and animated, with a delivery capable of spiraling into barely controlled mania.
About
Anti-depressants and mental health, Religious hypocrisy and biblical texts, Hotels and motels, Modern hipster culture, Parenting and substance education, Marriage

What the critics said

Praised by peers and comedy outlets; Brian Posehn called Sheen a 'goddamn delight' and 'giant genius,' while The Comedy Bureau commended his deft ability to bridge generational perspectives.

In the room: Taped before a packed, responsive capacity crowd at the Comedians You Should Know showcase.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, music.apple.com, allmusic.com, thecomedybureau.com, huffpost.com, en.wikipedia.org, thestranger.com.

Backstory

Taped while Sheen was weaning himself off anti-depressants (citalopram) and navigating sobriety following struggles with alcoholism.

Details

Released
Taped
2015, Timmy O'Toole's Pub, Chicago
Runtime
60 min
Where
Stand Up! Records
Director
Ian Rans
Topics
After
Holy Drivel (2017)

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