@@jaycho7198 I don't think patience has a big play here. As he demonstrated by the drawing at the end, he also can't quite grasp the complex concept of a "bigger spoon". So the boss himself isn't probably feeling like the worker is doing a subpar job or that he is taking too long. This is, after all, quite a complicated project they got themselves into.
I saw this sketch years ago and didn't think much of it tbh. And yet, years later, when my boss is trying to explain something at my web job to me that he finds simple and I don't understand, I just keep flashing back to "like this one, only.... you know, bigger." I get this sketch now.
@@WilliamSmith-mx6ze It's not that simple. They went from a sketch about a dense guy who doesn't understand a simple concept and flipped it into an even better joke about design. A lot of times clients think they know what they want and try to explain it but it turns out they don't have a clear idea of what they want. Or something seems really simple but it turns out is really difficult to get right.
@@justin_5631yes it is. it's a layered joke. Scott's inability to understand a simple concept such as a larger spoon, and the boss's incompetence in illustrating the same simple concept. It's a joke about a breakdown in communication.
I work in software development. I get told that a bigger spoon is needed while having no knowledge the dinner collection exists, then find out that another team already built a bigger spoon, and in the end the client decides to use a smaller fork instead.
I'm telling you, get the exact dimensions of the request and have it signed off by the entire design committee. That way, you only have to do it five or six times.
I want to work in a place like that. Supportive boss who genuinely appreciates your work, doesn’t blame you when you make a mistake and tries to help you when you do.
The whole thing is extremely funny, and even when watching it for the 20th time! At the end, when he says 'it's tricky, isn't it?', is one of my favorite parts. I also loved when he couldn't draw the bigger spoon.
To be fair, I'm sure it's what teaching anything to anyone sort of feels like when you easily understand what you're teaching and the student doesn't get it.
As a primary school special ed teacher this is also how it feels explaining to other teachers how to handle neurodivergent kids when they're in class. It just does not sink in.
For some reason this still is one of my absolute favorite things they ever made together. It's so simple and almost boring, but I love it every time I watch it!
David's character under the mistaken impression that Robert's character is a moron. When the truth is Robert just bought a pack of spoons from the shop and doesn't actuallyeven know how to make spoons and he's just trying figure out a way of selling the fact that he only has two spoon sizes available.
Professors? What? Clients who want a feature.. but don't care about how it works.. only that it does.. what they want it to do? And they're not sure about that, just that it has to be *better* than what they've got.
I stumbled upon these guys about a week ago and checked out about 40+ of their sketches right away here on youtube (I am from Central-Europe, we don't have them on TV). This is probably the one I like the most: its almost metaphysical and transcendental. Hahaha, this is what human life is like, by the end I am almost scared. :-))) In any petty daily situation you would think is so easy and absolutely in your hand, and then you suddenly stare into something way beyond human comprehension... Hahaha, the bigger spoon as the devil laughing at you, its tricky isn't it... :-D
Wow a racist and sexist immigrant joke. Congratulations on being so edgy. And nah, we have plenty of comedy in Central Europe, but you wouldn't get it because its the intellectual, philosophical kind.
This was like pulling teeth, but finding pulling teeth uproariously hilarious at the same time 😂😆 How many times I said 'this is so stupid!' but splitting my sides with laughter at the same time, I have no idea 😂
its a metaphor like wot, they do n' such to make ways between ideas an concepts an such to other thoughts and ideas in a sort of well, proportional like relationship. Its a bridge between concepts too foreign and complex to be compressed, but totally compressed in this form, in something like wot you'd call a representative conception of wot it must be like.
This illustrates perfectly why i end up doing so many 'delegated tasks' myself.. after spending three or four hours trying to get someone to do a three minute job. its like working in a local council.
Two things. 1) It was showing that what clients ask for isnt as easy in practice as they think it is. 2) He was likely just taking cutlery he found in a set, which doesn't have a bigger spoon
AlmightyK yeah, that's great, but what I was really thinking was couldn't he just make a spoon, like the second spoon, only bigger? Do you know what I mean? It's tricky, isn't it?
I have this same problem. I design things and sketch them out. Then I realise I needed it bigger to put in more detail, so I get a new page and draw it exactly the same! And this happens to me over and over! So funny!
Design meetings always have a problem where the client has trouble communicating their vision to the designer. Generally the problem is the client has a very clear picture in their head of what they want, but can only describe it in vague language (trendy, youthful, grand) resulting in a lot of frustrating reworks. The joke here is that it's a very clear request being made but the designer still doesn't understand.
I recently had the experience of watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail in a cinema with a lot of people who are Monty Python fans. It was incredibly quiet. Just a little titter and giggle here and there. I felt self-conscious laughing. I don't know if this was because that film is actually slower and quieter than most modern films (it certainly is) or if the effect was because of where we live - Maine, in the U.S. - people don't tend to show a great deal of emotion, publicly.
@@TheLowest Here in Maine we think Stephen King is actually really funny, and very kind, and we're quite fond of him. But we do pride ourselves on not showing too much emotion. Supposedly Mark Twain did his stage bit here and was crushed by the response from the audience (none), but he hung around outside and overheard a couple leaving saying "that guy was so funny I had all I could do not to laugh."
Im a graphic designer and this is very normal actually. a client says "Its verry simple. we want this but X". so you say "can you show me an example or explain in detail". and they just can't, cause they dont know shit
if your clients are employing you to design something, and you have to ask them to show you what It would look like, it sounds like maybe you are a bit rubbish mate :(
@@fjsgparker3826 I need a thing, to show customers what I do. But I don't want any diagrams or text, it needs to be visual. No pictures or videos either, I need the other way of doing it, you know what I mean. Note: this may sound ridiculous, but I've been in meetings like this. Once you ask for an example, they often realise that they've no idea what they want.
That is why you as a designer have to bring a sketch block, pencil and a ruler to these meetings. And you (the designer) makes the sketches. ((Almost)Never the client).
They could have said something like: "If I asked you to make a larger spoon instead of a bigger spoon would that help clarify what I'm asking?" "No, not really" "Why not?" "Cause the terms 'bigger' and 'larger' just mean the same thing, don't they?" "Well yeah, I suppose"
This is like one of those dreams where your legs stop working.
😂😂😂
accurate
its nothing like that
@dylan murphy I don't think he understands what we mean
I have these on the reg. My legs tangle when I try to walk. Or run. It's annoying.
But this is nothing like that.
I've been in design meetings just like that. In fact exactly like that. Well bigger really.
Sad to say, but yeah, I'm in IT and this stuff happens all the freaking time.
John Edwards we want examplessssssss
What bigger
Yeah.. you really lost me at the end there. Could you explain it better?
Just think of a design meeting, then think of one thats, well, bigger
"Sorry, I'm explaining this very badly.", exquisite!
The level of ettiquette is through the roof! Such a supportive and understanding boss with so much patience!
@@jaycho7198 I don't think patience has a big play here. As he demonstrated by the drawing at the end, he also can't quite grasp the complex concept of a "bigger spoon". So the boss himself isn't probably feeling like the worker is doing a subpar job or that he is taking too long. This is, after all, quite a complicated project they got themselves into.
The absence of a laugh track suits this sketch perfectly.
I was just about to say the same thing, a laugh track would have ruined the offbeat humour
Honestly laugh tracks are always bad in this era. If something isn’t funny enough for no laugh track it’s not funny enough to bother watching.
Unless the show is designed to incorporate them, laugh tracks are just lame
BBC sketch shows do not use laughter tracks; they're shown to a live studio audience and any laughter we hear is genuine.
Those spoons are from the IKEA Manhattan Brushed 16 piece cutlery set circa 2002.
And I should REALLY go out more.
Make sure if you do go out its to somewhere other than ikea ;)
You would have no Ikea :)
Class A dad, joke. Respect.
There's an IDEA furniture chain as well..
Wulfrune X
I saw this sketch years ago and didn't think much of it tbh. And yet, years later, when my boss is trying to explain something at my web job to me that he finds simple and I don't understand, I just keep flashing back to "like this one, only.... you know, bigger." I get this sketch now.
You do realise it's not David Mitchell's character who is unreasonable here?
@@WilliamSmith-mx6ze It's not that simple. They went from a sketch about a dense guy who doesn't understand a simple concept and flipped it into an even better joke about design. A lot of times clients think they know what they want and try to explain it but it turns out they don't have a clear idea of what they want. Or something seems really simple but it turns out is really difficult to get right.
@@justin_5631 I think the point is that they're both idiots, James Webb's Scott character being slightly more so 😂
@@Aquascape_Dreaming No, that's not the joke.
@@justin_5631yes it is. it's a layered joke. Scott's inability to understand a simple concept such as a larger spoon, and the boss's incompetence in illustrating the same simple concept. It's a joke about a breakdown in communication.
I work in software development.
I get told that a bigger spoon is needed while having no knowledge the dinner collection exists, then find out that another team already built a bigger spoon, and in the end the client decides to use a smaller fork instead.
Bahahaha! [sorry]
I'm telling you, get the exact dimensions of the request and have it signed off by the entire design committee. That way, you only have to do it five or six times.
😂 still too many times
Too true!
Number of times = point at which you contemplate murder or suicide + 1
😂
I want to work in a place like that. Supportive boss who genuinely appreciates your work, doesn’t blame you when you make a mistake and tries to help you when you do.
and you want to work for someone that makes completely unreasonable demands? a bigger spoon? you've got to be kidding me ffs
How would you even make a bigger spoon? A third one? It's a joke. Totally unreasonable boss.
and is as dumb as you
A bigger spoon? Right... No.
@@dwarfoscar they're supposed to be dumber, otherwise you wouldn't have the job
This sketch perfectly summarises my entire professional life.
I would lose my mind lol.
The whole thing is extremely funny, and even when watching it for the 20th time! At the end, when he says 'it's tricky, isn't it?', is one of my favorite parts. I also loved when he couldn't draw the bigger spoon.
That ending was perfect.
Alejandro D Tricky isn't it?
Can’t stop laughing
This is what teaching primary school children is like
i hope you've gotten better by now
This is what teaching college students is like...
To be fair, I'm sure it's what teaching anything to anyone sort of feels like when you easily understand what you're teaching and the student doesn't get it.
As a primary school special ed teacher this is also how it feels explaining to other teachers how to handle neurodivergent kids when they're in class. It just does not sink in.
For some reason this still is one of my absolute favorite things they ever made together. It's so simple and almost boring, but I love it every time I watch it!
Almost boring, but so not.
This is probably their best "look" sketch. It's so simple, but so ridiculous.
@9teen8efore am I wooshed here? their show is the mitchell and webb look, which is why this is a look
@9teen8efore oh, my bad then, didnt know about that
They were going for both simplicity and flair...
But this isn't Look it's Situation
@@zelnidav Well that certainly came across.
Such a simple idea but clever in its execution.
I feel like this describes a lot of Mitchell and Webb sketches.
It's so good that it's painful to watch.
that is how business management works these days
David's character under the mistaken impression that Robert's character is a moron. When the truth is Robert just bought a pack of spoons from the shop and doesn't actuallyeven know how to make spoons and he's just trying figure out a way of selling the fact that he only has two spoon sizes available.
You'll only get this if you ever had meetings with professors in which they ask for features they don't even know how to explain.
Or a boss who tells you to do something when they can't even do it themselves
And if you didn't, this really seems weird and not funny at all
Professors? What? Clients who want a feature.. but don't care about how it works.. only that it does.. what they want it to do? And they're not sure about that, just that it has to be *better* than what they've got.
There is an excellent web site for this. It's called clients from hell.
I just got trapped on that site for hours :D
This is every meeting ever where supvervisors have no idea on the subject.
The end killed me. "Tricky isn't it?"
I'm trying to imagine selling this sketch on paper to a BBC commissioning producer.
It feels very much like "conceived in the waiting room before the meeting with the BBC commissioning producer"
I would've thought he'd come back with a massive ladle or something.
A lesser comedy would have
@@Virolaxion yes exactly.
"Sorry, I'm explaining this very badly..."
I was expecting him to create the bigger spoon, just with a massive arm and a tiny head. He didn't need to - the sketch was perfect as it was.
I stumbled upon these guys about a week ago and checked out about 40+ of their sketches right away here on youtube (I am from Central-Europe, we don't have them on TV). This is probably the one I like the most: its almost metaphysical and transcendental. Hahaha, this is what human life is like, by the end I am almost scared. :-))) In any petty daily situation you would think is so easy and absolutely in your hand, and then you suddenly stare into something way beyond human comprehension... Hahaha, the bigger spoon as the devil laughing at you, its tricky isn't it... :-D
What have you been smoking!?
+Gábor Palásti Shoo! Get back in your cage!
Gábor Palásti Its great isnt it? One of their best acted sketches too. Thats a great character for David Mitchel
Wow a racist and sexist immigrant joke. Congratulations on being so edgy.
And nah, we have plenty of comedy in Central Europe, but you wouldn't get it because its the intellectual, philosophical kind.
omfg Gabor high five we Hungarians will always be looked down on i wonder why.....
I love the gentle and patient manner of the comissioner, it's so well observed and really complements the silliness of the sketch.
I've sat through this meeting too many times for this to be funny.
It's like learning proofs and logic, it's obvious and self evident but it's still confusing.
Yes, like the physics of water applied to a globe. Just doesn't work.
Stationary Plane it works perfectly
This sketch is perfect.
i probably think about this sketch once a week
".... I understand what you're saying."
Narrator: "He did not understand what he was saying."
he was going for simplicity while also going for flair... absolutely love it
As an artist, this sketch is my daily life. x_x
+Dalton Fitzgerald You've not understood the joke.
+Dalton Fitzgerald that's not what the joke is xD
there is no spoon
No there is The Matrix aside there is a spoon in this case. ;)
This was like pulling teeth, but finding pulling teeth uproariously hilarious at the same time 😂😆
How many times I said 'this is so stupid!' but splitting my sides with laughter at the same time, I have no idea 😂
I worked with designers from a well known agency back in the 80s and this is 100% accurate.
That’s why when you don’t get something you just admit it. You “ego” would suffer the same damage either way and it saves a lot of time.
I thought he was gonna come back in a third time with a fork
***** LOL, this was nice icing on the cake after that sketch
+FirenX951 Yet he doesn't know what bigger means
Kyle Netherwood Some people wouldn't know wit if it came up and punched them in the face
+The Guy Your line about the fork made me roar with laughter! I could absolutely imagine that. Thank you for that.
+InformationIsTheEdge I'm guessing you've not experienced much comedy before today
„it’s tricky, isn’t it?“ 😂
That's why you need to be more specific in your instructions and give measurements.
its a metaphor like wot, they do n' such to make ways between ideas an concepts an such to other thoughts and ideas in a sort of well, proportional like relationship. Its a bridge between concepts too foreign and complex to be compressed, but totally compressed in this form, in something like wot you'd call a representative conception of wot it must be like.
wot wot
That's how meetings between the designer and client always go
I suspect this has just been precisely replicated in a lot of Track and Trace app development meetings over the last few months.....
I just punched my laptop out of pure rage and frustration that a client can't explain properly or give constructive feedback. **AARRRGGHHHH***
@Noþhelm Blodcyning:"It's tricky, isn't it?"
This illustrates perfectly why i end up doing so many 'delegated tasks' myself.. after spending three or four hours trying to get someone to do a three minute job. its like working in a local council.
Back for my monthly viewing of this video
they've reached Maximum Spoon
I can't explain it but this sketch broke me and had me in tears of laughter for a good minute. Even now I'm chuckling as I type this message.
You've done a lovely set of tears of laughter. I was wondering if you could do more, but... bigger?
...reminds me of nearly every design pitch I've ever been present in.
That got pretty surreal at the end there, trippy.
That's actually quite clever. I did maths at uni and I felt this way every time I spoke to a lecturer haha.
I don't understand why he couldn't just make a bigger spoon. You know, a spoon which is bigger than the other one. And the smaller one.
Two things. 1) It was showing that what clients ask for isnt as easy in practice as they think it is. 2) He was likely just taking cutlery he found in a set, which doesn't have a bigger spoon
AlmightyK yeah, that's great, but what I was really thinking was couldn't he just make a spoon, like the second spoon, only bigger? Do you know what I mean? It's tricky, isn't it?
Hahaha, went straight over AlmightyK's head!
Referencing the sketch. Gotcha.
(Some others were seriously asking)
It's British humour. The tension and anxiety of not being able to communicate properly.
I have no idea why I'm laughing so hard about this! it's absolute genius comedy, but i have no idea why!
I just love this guys
This would be funny if I hadn’t sat through so many meetings like this.
This is how many design team meetings go. The frustration.
This is why I enjoy working/creating things alone
I have this same problem. I design things and sketch them out. Then I realise I needed it bigger to put in more detail, so I get a new page and draw it exactly the same! And this happens to me over and over! So funny!
Accurate representation of me in maths class
after two years, I'm curious to know if you got better at maths?
(I used to suck terribly at maths too)
Anyone who's been in a design meeting will love this sketch. Anyone who hasn't probably won't get it.
...yeah I don't. Could you enlighten me?
suzystar3 It's like being on a meeting that's bigger.
*****
Okay, I get that... But I don't see how that relates to the sketch... Thanks anyway :P
Design meetings always have a problem where the client has trouble communicating their vision to the designer. Generally the problem is the client has a very clear picture in their head of what they want, but can only describe it in vague language (trendy, youthful, grand) resulting in a lot of frustrating reworks. The joke here is that it's a very clear request being made but the designer still doesn't understand.
Luke
XD That makes sense. Thanks.
I have definitely had conversations like this at work.
I recently had the experience of watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail in a cinema with a lot of people who are Monty Python fans. It was incredibly quiet. Just a little titter and giggle here and there. I felt self-conscious laughing. I don't know if this was because that film is actually slower and quieter than most modern films (it certainly is) or if the effect was because of where we live - Maine, in the U.S. - people don't tend to show a great deal of emotion, publicly.
Because people from maine are miserable, just look at stephen king the humourless douche
@@TheLowest ;D ikr? I have come to really adore him in the past few years.
@@TheLowest Here in Maine we think Stephen King is actually really funny, and very kind, and we're quite fond of him. But we do pride ourselves on not showing too much emotion. Supposedly Mark Twain did his stage bit here and was crushed by the response from the audience (none), but he hung around outside and overheard a couple leaving saying "that guy was so funny I had all I could do not to laugh."
Ah the early millennium period!
I do in no way find this funny, but for some reason i can't stop returning to this clip every few months. It's like asmr or something.
Here I am again for what must be the 10th time or something.
This is literally any Engineering or programming job which involves a client
I'm a web designer......this is my life.
I don't get it, can't you just make the website bigger:)
That's the best ending
Explaining anything to Microsoft support is exactly like this
This is why we need some system to specify length.
So many actual meetings that go like that 😖
I will bring out *the comically large spoon*
Im a graphic designer and this is very normal actually. a client says "Its verry simple. we want this but X". so you say "can you show me an example or explain in detail". and they just can't, cause they dont know shit
Sounds like you're mediocre at your job ;)
if your clients are employing you to design something, and you have to ask them to show you what It would look like, it sounds like maybe you are a bit rubbish mate :(
@@fjsgparker3826 Ok, I want you to design me that thing I need. Can you do it, or would you like me to be more specific?
@@adamrobinson6951 what do you need sir? a description would be lovely, but don't worry about providing an example - that's my job :)
@@fjsgparker3826 I need a thing, to show customers what I do. But I don't want any diagrams or text, it needs to be visual. No pictures or videos either, I need the other way of doing it, you know what I mean.
Note: this may sound ridiculous, but I've been in meetings like this. Once you ask for an example, they often realise that they've no idea what they want.
God damn, just watching people make an absolute meal of something is the funniest shit
Simple comedy like this is simply brilliant!
This undermines my sense of reality
It's actually mathematically impossible to produce a larger spoon.
One of the best punchlines of all time.
Didn't notice any of the cuts you mentioned. It's well edited, and a great sketch. Be proud :)
only a spoonful
this is how any trades person feels seeing a DIY job
I agree. It fits in so well with some of the supervision I've had.
The new spoon WAS bigger.
Ever so slightly.
It's insane that this is 10 or so years older than AI chat and art bots. Because this is totally it.
why feel bad? it embodies simplicity and flair.
Spoon technology is so complicated.
I'll just leave it to these highly educated spoongineers.
what a delayed payoff. wonderful, comedy gold
I have this cutlery set in my kitchen
Absolute genius here. I laughed out loud.
I was deadass expecting the punchline to be he somehow interprets it into a comically large spoon.
I kinda dig David's spoon-drawing.
“I like the color of the shoes but can you make them pop more?” Also I love the blank…”i understand what you mean”
That is why you as a designer have to bring a sketch block, pencil and a ruler to these meetings.
And you (the designer) makes the sketches. ((Almost)Never the client).
Just flipped at the flipchart! 🤣🧠💣
The comments are as funny as the sketch ~ sometimes even moreso. Love when a video inspires more comedy and riffing. ☺
How do you even come up with this nonsense? It´s fantastic.
Great end twist
They must be running out of ideas to put something as inane as this together.
somehow explains how we got trapped In conceptual post modernism without actually transcending it materially
They could have said something like:
"If I asked you to make a larger spoon instead of a bigger spoon would that help clarify what I'm asking?"
"No, not really"
"Why not?"
"Cause the terms 'bigger' and 'larger' just mean the same thing, don't they?"
"Well yeah, I suppose"
"Great SCOTT!" - Dr. Emmet Brown