If Temu and Shein had a love child, that would be Sean Diao.
We Miss Brother H is a one-man stand-up sketch comedy show that dives into a wide range of topics. From the mundane life to trending topics on social media and the strange appreciations people advocate, Sean delivers it all with his signature humour and wit.
Whilst most would digitise their script or reply on a notepad, Sean Diao fully embraces the given environment and presents his work through a PowerPoint. It’s an unexpected choice that adds to the charm and quirkiness of his performance. It almost felt like we had transported back to our academic days, ready to present to the class.
With topics such as ‘The Changing English’ where he humorously incorporates the stigma of Asian inclusion through the ‘+’ sign to the arousal for E=mc2 and the oddities of aging, leading us into how individuals bait their audiences on platforms like YouTube with ’The Buzz Word’ which is more so a catfish than anything, to Australia going “Hey! You didn’t die in the ocean; you can live here permanently now! Here’s a PR!”.
Breaking through ‘Fun Facts’ and diving into ‘The Really Fun Facts of Polyandry and Monogamy’, Sean Diao questions who ever really thought studying the lifespan between men and women was all that cool? Because honestly, who wants to do research on why men die earlier, thanks to extreme sports and the relentless thrill-seeking antics? Not me.
And that opening any social media account is like unlocking Pandora’s box – you never know where you will end up or who you will attract. It’s like Narnia but with a lot less magic, a lot more weirdness and a dash of trolls. I didn’t fully understand where the title of Sean’s show We Miss Brother H came from until he revisited some of his past jokes and tales which could be found on his socials. With the help of his PowerPoint, pictures and captions, everything clicked and made more sense. Mood rings? Who needs those when you can just ask, “Hey, are you mad?” and if the answer is no, then your mood has changed.
Trampling on our desires of no self-control with the use of time-limiting apps, Sean asks us to think about how often we are online and if we can stay within our limits. How much hope do you really have on yourself to not doom scroll? Disable this function and do you still have hope? There’s no hope if you have no self-discipline. It felt a bit darker here, but then when you really think about it, Sean is right. We have little self-control over our endless scrolling.
Just like a conference, when the presentation is almost over and the Q&A opens, Sean kicks off a fun interactive game of This or That – and in this case, it’s Raygun or Kim Jong Un. Fun fact: North Korea doesn’t have taxes. Who would have thought that I would leave a stand-up show with more knowledge than when I walked in? With more participation from the like-minded audience, this could be more enjoyable, so make sure you get involved. Especially if you enjoy the memes and that quirky, distorted online humour.
Sean Diao delivers a quirky insight on our life, blending simplicity and a dash of racism with humour in the most unique ways. It’s a bit dry – like stale chicken – but that’s part of the charm and you’ll find yourself coming back for more. In a sense, the humour felt endearingly slow, much like the awkward audience interactions, but that’s the charm of Sean Diao’s stand-up. It’s not meant to be perfect, after all you can’t find perfect on Temu.
Sean Diao’s We Miss Brother H is currently playing as part of 2024 Melbourne Fringe at the Chinese Museum: Education Space until October 19th.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/we-miss-brother-h
https://www.instagram.com/sean_diao
https://www.youtube.com/@Seandiaocomedy