The Tommy Tiernan Show review: Host proves he’s not a psychopath with one test
Psychologist and writer, Dr Kevin Dutton, was one of the guests on The Tommy Tiernan Show on Saturday night.
Saturday night’s was the last in the current series and saw reflections from comedian Pat Shortt on why comedy can go to dark places as well as a look at one musician’s collaboration with Bob Dylan.
Mr Shortt spoke about why he believes it is easy for comedians to play darker characters.
“I think it's very easy for a lot of comedians to play dark characters. When you go to comedy you go to one extreme, but it's equally as easy to go the other way,” Mr Shortt said.
“It's interesting to do that because you just don't get to do it that often. I've played a couple of dark characters and actually really enjoyed it, in for example.
“That was a really good case of going dark with that character. He was horrible. He was desperate and it was great to go and find out. He was horrible.”
The comic revealed he fell into acting “by accident” and said the characters he created for shows such as are based on observations.
“You watch physical things, like how women used to walk, with the arms moving and everything. That character came about because of a camera pan.
"We were trying to get Dieter into the bar and I said, look, give me two women and what we’ll do is we’ll power walk them into the bar. That's how it came about.”
Next, psychologist and writer, Dr Kevin Dutton spoke about the ‘psychopath test’ and how he can feel a chill in the air in the presence of a true psychopath.
The word ‘evil’ is a “loaded” word for him, he said.
“’Evil’ is a word which I have used on a couple of occasions to describe people who are. It just goes beyond the pale, it makes me feel a different way."
Explaining, he said he has met two “pure psychopaths” over his career and “you feel a palpable chill in the air. I'm at a loss to explain what that is”.
Dr Dutton also gave the results of Tiernan’s psychopath test.
“You are below average on the psychopathic spectrum — 12 to 17 is below average — so you're right on the cusp, between below average, and average."
Finally, acclaimed musician Rhiannon Giddens spoke about being a co-writer with music legend Bob Dylan.
“I'm one of the few women and I don't know if there are many other women of colour who are a co-writer with Bob Dylan on a few songs. It's pretty crazy.”
“My ancestors went through hell, so I could sit here in comfort.”@RhiannonGiddens tells @Tommedian she has a responsibility to tell their story#TommyTiernanShow pic.twitter.com/llwvbPLhfn
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) March 26, 2022
Ms Giddens, who grew up in North Carolina, said she also feels she has a responsibility to tell the story of her family and the past generations’ experience of slavery and racism.
“My ancestors went through what they went through, so that I could tell their story. They went through hell — I can sit here in comfort," she said.
“I've had an easy life in comparison to every generation that preceded me and I have absolutely a responsibility to tell their story.”
