Publication: Herald News
Publication Date: 01/06/2002

Bald, bold | Shorewood's own Scott Derenger is back from entertaining overseas troops in December

By: Marilyn Olson

SHOREWOOD -- Scott Derenger is unashamedly, unabashedly, unapologetically bald. In fact, the stand-up comic is so bald he shaves what little hair he has -- and any men in his audience with a comb-over or a bad rug become the brunt of his humor.

The comic's Web site celebrates that baldness at www.shaveyourhead.com but a warning: this is a pretty obscene site so you may not want your children logging on there.But it was bald humor that was a real problem for some officers in Japan and Korea in December when Derenger, who grew up in Joliet, took his show on the road and entertained U.S. troops.

Derenger spent three weeks doing his raucous, no- holds-barred show to audiences which varied from 20 to 320 people.

This was the second time he has toured armed forces bases in Korea and Japan.

His first trip was in September 2000.

"I was delighted to entertain members of the Air Force, Army and Marines," Derenger said.

"One night, I spent some time with members of the 80th Fighter Squadron.

It was just amazing.

These pilots talked about how passionate they are about what they do.

And I thought, `Wow, all I do is think about chicks and jokes all day.' These are the people who defend our country.

They protect us and enable me to come over there and tell a few jokes, or go to Omaha and tell jokes.

We take it all for granted every day about how good we have it because of guys like the guys of the 80th Fighter Squadron."

The tour to bases in Korea and Japan was in partnership with another comic from Baltimore.

Several comics signed on to entertain the troops at Christmastime.

Shows usually included several comics.

"The shows were free, and we played to whatever audience showed up," Derenger said.

"Some audiences were only 15 to 20 people, others were several hundred people."

Travel was difficult, and the accommodations were often less than comfortable.

Derenger said Korea was cold, with lots of snow.

"And making it through security at airports was tough after the Sept. 11 attacks.

It was a long time on airplanes."

Derenger, who grew up as Scott Deininger in Joliet, has been developing his career as a stand-up comic since he graduated from Joliet Catholic Academy (1993) and Joliet Junior College (1996).

"They all called me `Derenger' in high school, and it stuck.

Interestingly, I was never in the theater program in either high school or at JJC," he said.

"I always made fun of the students in theater.

Now I think of how helpful a theater background would be for me now."

Instead, Derenger was into sports, playing baseball and football.

"How many times do I throw a fastball now?" he said.

"But back then, I wanted to be a sports anchor.

I had decided I wasn't good enough to play professionally, but I thought I could talk about sports -- until someone told me I had a face for radio."

After college, Derenger spent a year at a broadcasting trade school in Lombard.

"Basically, I paid a lot of money for an internship," he said with a laugh.

"But I did make some good contacts."

He used those contacts to land a job in Phoenix, working in the video production department of the Arizona Cardinals football team.

"It was great," he said.

"I got to travel a lot, eat free food, and see 20 games, all for free.

For a sports fan, it was phenomenal.

My Christmas card that year was a photo of me and five Dallas cheerleaders."

But comedy was calling.

Derenger had a natural talent for comedy and had decided he wanted to move to Los Angeles.

"I had done some stand-up in Oak Lawn before I moved to Phoenix, and thought I wanted to pursue that," he said.

"Actually, I did a 17- minute act at Goal Posts, and was told I was up there 16 minutes too long.

I guess it was pretty bad."

Derenger began waiting on tables, worrying he was not yet good enough to try his hand in L.A.

"Then in one of those serendipitous moments, life changed," he said.

"I was waiting on a table with the worst possible kind of customer.

When they left, the people at the table next to them struck up a conversation.

I told them I wanted to be a stand-up comic, and they suggested I take some lessons from Louis Anthony Russo.

It was fate and karma.

Russo taught improv and comedy and helped me enormously."

Though lessons helped, Derenger has always had a knack for comedy.

He was so funny that he spent a lot of his high school years being thrown out of classes.

"I've always had to have the last word," he says.

"And it's usually a funny last word.

I got kicked out of class a lot because you can't do that kind of thing in a Catholic school.

Fortunately, I was really smart, so I could do all my assignments in the hall."

His first weeklong show was at the Tempe (Ariz.) Improv, where he did an eight-minute act.

"Right then, I knew this is what I want to do," Derenger said.

"I wanted to get my thoughts out there, either as a stand-up comic, writer, columnist.

I didn't want an office job and have my life revolve around a 401(k) plan and a cubicle.

Society measures your success by money, your house, kids and car.

I don't want that.

I live in an apartment that would be a storage closet if I didn't live there.

But I love what I'm doing."

Still not ready for the big time in L.A., Derenger moved back to Chicago in the fall of 1999 to hone his skills.

"I knew I'd be a very little fish in the huge pond that's L.A.," he said.

"And the mac and cheese was fine, but I wanted to move up to Kraft instead of the store brand."

With the move back to Chicago, Derenger is now getting serious and steady jobs.

His home club is Zanies in Chicago, and he is often seen at Barrel of Laughs in Oak Lawn.

He's appearing at Barrel of Laughs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2.

"I've worked with the legendary George Carlin and Bob Saget at Zanies," Derenger said.

He said finding new material is always a challenge for a comic.

He plays clubs across the country, usually returning to each club once or twice each year.

"I get material from all over, including my family," he says.

"I had to be a comic.

My mother, Bernie McMahel, used to own Bernie's Big Bargains, a resale shop for fat people, on Plainfield Road. I tell people to imagine my mother, just imagine if Fred Sanford, Roseanne and Mother Theresa had a child.

That would be her."

That try at the big time is still in the future for Derenger, as is a book on etiquette for dining out.

"I've waited on tables enough to write a book," Derenger said.

"And I'm working on a sitcom and movie ideas."

Joliet area radio listeners can hear Derenger every few weeks on Will Rock 96.7 (FM) radio on the Fat Matt (Matt Dubiel) show.

For more information about Derenger's appearance at Barrel of Laughs, call the club at (708) 499-2969. He also is working with Brian Graf at Crabigale's, the new comedy club that will open in Joliet, as a comedy consultant.

You can see Scott at

Jan. 22: Zanies, 1548 N. Wells St., Chicago. (312) 337-4027. Audition for the fifth annual Chicago Comedy Festival happening again this summer.

Jan. 27: The Eclipse at Coyle's Tippling House, 2843 N. Halsted St., Chicago. (773) 528-7569.

April 25-27: JD's Comedy Cafe, Milwaukee. (414) 271-5653.