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The Whim of Tim

Tim Harmston

Tubi · 2020 · 46 min

A dry, Midwestern inventory of modern life's weirdest details.

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The core of The Whim of Tim is a brain that refuses to slow down, specifically during a failed attempt at meditation. Tim Harmston uses a dry style that leans heavily on weird, hyper-specific observations and sudden, surreal left turns. When his mind refuses to clear itself, it fills up instead with thoughts of Prince, Aaron Rodgers, the tragic naming conventions of Duluth craft breweries, and why a pelican would make a better national symbol than an eagle.

Released in May 2020 by Minneapolis-based Stand Up! Records, this is the comedian’s second full-length comedy release. Recorded with a live audience, the set wanders through the absurdities of daily life, like the color-coded eco-friendly fish tagging system at Whole Foods. Harmston also pivots into more personal territory, detailing a medical saga involving hemorrhoid surgery, strawberry-scented numbing jelly, and the frustrating gaps in health insurance.

His delivery relies on slow, deliberate timing, letting the weirdness of each premise settle in before he moves to the next joke.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Inability to clear the mind during meditation

    Harmston describes his brain carousel spinning with diversions like beer, fudge, filet mignon, Aaron Rodgers, and Prince while struggling in the lotus position with his beer belly

  2. The pelican as a national symbol

    Contemplates whether the pelican would serve as a better avian symbol of Americanness than the bald eagle

  3. Worst-case scenarios for ash-scattering

    Explores the disastrous potential outcomes of scattering human ashes

  4. Orange-tagged fish at Whole Foods

    Questions what kind of irresponsible, grouper-groping fishing methods lead to an orange tag in the deli case

  5. Catastrophic penile incident policy

    Examines private health insurance coverage and the absurdities of the American medical system

  6. Donating used underwear

    Questions the thought process of people who donate second-hand underwear

How it plays

Tone
Deadpan and light-hearted, balancing observational absurdity with current divisiveness
On stage
Deadpan delivery, combining sharp wit with unadorned, eccentric observational storytelling
Pace
Tight pacing that highlights his distinct cadence
About
meditation and mindfulness, everyday eccentricities, American medical system, commercialism and absurd dilemmas, divisiveness and anger

What the critics said

Praised as an unadorned, minimalist showcase of insightful writing, tight pacing, sharp wit, and deadpan comedic delivery.

In the room: Smart, grassroots comedy club audience

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: volumeone.org, standuprecords.com, watchwhatwhere.com, radio.assisfeijo.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, theseriouscomedysite.com.

Backstory

Released during the early months of the 2020 global COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, recorded in the grassroots Eau Claire comedy scene fostered by Clear Water Comedy

Details

Released
Taped
The Plus, Eau Claire
Runtime
46 min
Where
Tubi
Director
Ian Rans
Topics

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