Bad day at the office

March 14, 2007 9:28 AM

Ever get the giggles at the most inappropriate time? It will never compare with the day this Dutch interviewer spoke to a man who tragically lost his testicles following a surgical error.
posted by Turtles all the way down (38 comments total)

A bad day for everyone involved, clearly.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 9:32 AM on March 14, 2007

Well, it's a eunuch, I mean unique situation...
posted by jonmc at 9:34 AM on March 14, 2007 [3 favorites]

Just by glancing at the comments on youtube, I learned two things: (1) this guy is from Belgium; he is not Dutch; and (2) this is a comedy sketch, not an actual tv show interview.
posted by dios at 9:34 AM on March 14, 2007

If it's a comedy sketch it's awfully well done because it very precisely walks the fine line between comedy and tragedy.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 9:37 AM on March 14, 2007

Well, it's a eunuch, I mean unique situation...
posted by jonmc at 11:34 AM CST on March 14

Teh winnar (and we barely got started). But that simply can't be topped, so we might as well call it now.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:42 AM on March 14, 2007

Maybe Belgians do their comedy sketches better than we do.
posted by DU at 9:43 AM on March 14, 2007

It's very funny but it's also a Belgian comedy program.
posted by gfrobe at 9:43 AM on March 14, 2007

Dude, a guy getting his nuts lopped off is not a laughing matter.












Hehehe.
posted by The Straightener at 9:45 AM on March 14, 2007

A testicklish situation, nonetheless.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 9:46 AM on March 14, 2007

Only problem is, even in the sketch, he hasn't had his testicles removed. His vocal cords were damaged in a tonsilectomy.

The full sketch (with accurate subtitles).
posted by EarBucket at 9:50 AM on March 14, 2007 [1 favorite]

Florence Nightingale was a great nurse but...
posted by Lentrohamsanin at 9:50 AM on March 14, 2007

Oh, and related.
posted by EarBucket at 9:51 AM on March 14, 2007

At any rate, I hope the doctor got sacked.
posted by jonmc at 9:53 AM on March 14, 2007

Only problem is, even in the sketch, he hasn't had his testicles removed. His vocal cords were damaged in a tonsilectomy.

Okay, this thread is now better than the sketch.
posted by grobstein at 9:54 AM on March 14, 2007

This makes Borat look kind hearted.
posted by rsanheim at 9:57 AM on March 14, 2007

I huoe he was fired. I think he's speaking Flemish, not Dutch.
posted by parmanparman at 10:10 AM on March 14, 2007

-- I **hope** he was fired, actually
posted by parmanparman at 10:11 AM on March 14, 2007

Utoh someone didn't read the comments here before posting.
posted by basicchannel at 10:14 AM on March 14, 2007

>it's also a Belgian comedy program.
>Only problem is, even in the sketch, he hasn't had his testicles removed. His vocal cords were damaged in a tonsilectomy.

Interesting that in that light it's no longer very funny. The humour for the naive viewer I think arises from the tension between the interviewer's attemps to control his increasingly inappropriate laughter and the particular tragedy of the man's condition, all of which is heightened by the realistic surroundings--including the set design of the show and the audience's deadpan faces.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 10:14 AM on March 14, 2007

You know who else has a high pitched voice? Mike Tyson.
posted by srboisvert at 10:15 AM on March 14, 2007

He didn't get fired BECAUSE HE'S NOT REAL. He's a comedy sketch character, like Stuart Smalley or the pet shop owner from the dead parrot skit. You can't fire someone who doesn't exist.
posted by EarBucket at 10:16 AM on March 14, 2007

Well, darn it, I think he should be fired. And I also think the testicle man is a hero.
posted by Turtles all the way down at 10:18 AM on March 14, 2007

I think it's a pretty funny bit, although much less funny with all the after-the-fact commentary. You're right that the realistic nature of the set and the audience have a lot to do with the humor value. Plus the timing of the deep-voiced audience member is just absolutely perfect.
posted by EarBucket at 10:21 AM on March 14, 2007

Fantastic! Reminds me a wee bit of The Day Today, though much more understated.
posted by jack_mo at 10:30 AM on March 14, 2007

Yeah, it's fake but still funny.

Wish I could pull off a pun like you guys, but I just can't think as strate.
posted by cog_nate at 10:32 AM on March 14, 2007 [1 favorite]

I wrote a summary of the clip on that other site.

Funny how this keeps popping up all over the web. (Note that some of my friends who are native speakers of Dutch fell for it the first time as well.)
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:02 AM on March 14, 2007

It was funny until I learned it was fake.
posted by Nelson at 11:20 AM on March 14, 2007

First time he laughed it was obvious that this was fake.

I rule at the internets!
posted by papakwanz at 11:30 AM on March 14, 2007

I'm sorry, this is giggle-icious, but nothing tops the master.
posted by thanotopsis at 11:32 AM on March 14, 2007

In high school, a class of mine visited a murder trial. It was very early in the morning and most of the members of the jury and the judge kept falling asleep. I found this very funny for some reason and kept laughing out loud while the lawyers were speaking. Lesson learned: murder trials are funny.
posted by inconsequentialist at 12:01 PM on March 14, 2007

He just has a cold so that's why he sounds Flemish.
posted by hal9k at 12:37 PM on March 14, 2007

He just has a cold so that's why he sounds Flemish.
posted by hal9k at 2:37 PM CST on March 14

Ok hal9k, that's a yellow card right there.
posted by Ynoxas at 1:36 PM on March 14, 2007

So that was a fake reporter, and didn't involve balls...

Real reporter + real balls = Ohhhh, my goodness.
posted by CKmtl at 5:11 PM on March 14, 2007

oops, that was the added sound effect one. Non-tampered version.
posted by CKmtl at 5:22 PM on March 14, 2007

Loved it and laughed lots. :) Thanks.
posted by nickyskye at 9:34 PM on March 14, 2007

parmanparman: Flemish isn't a langauge. They speak Dutch. There are a variety of dialects in Flanders (amazingly, given it's smaller than Maryland). There are also dialects in The Netherlands. But the official dialect is officially identical. (/spouse of Flemish Belgian)
posted by Goofyy at 2:03 AM on March 15, 2007

As a Belgianite I feel it's my duty to shed some light on the matter. The sketch is one in a series called "In de gloria" (youtube). It's a series that ran a few years ago and spoofed the wave of so-called realitive tv-shows that pretended to be "human interest" while they just looked for the biggest freaks to have a laugh at their expense.

The genius of in the gloria was that it was the exact same thing as those tv-shows, only, it was acted.

So for us Belgianites, the fun part was actualy knowing it was fake.

I'll post a list of videos where you guys have to guess which one's fake and which one's real.
posted by Captain Crusty's Zeppelin Repair Service at 7:15 AM on March 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Thanks for the insider info, Captain Crusty!
posted by Turtles all the way down at 8:42 AM on March 15, 2007