The German Joke - QI - Series 9 - Episode 8 - BBC Two

Subscribe and 🔔 to the BBC 👉 bit.ly/BBCYouT...
Watch the BBC first on iPlayer 👉 bbc.in/iPlayer... More about this programme: www.bbc.co.uk/p... Henning Wehn and Alan Davis tell a joke about a German Baby.
#bbc
All our TV channels and S4C are available to watch live through BBC iPlayer, although some programmes may not be available to stream online due to rights. If you would like to read more on what types of programmes are available to watch live, check the 'Are all programmes that are broadcast available on BBC iPlayer?' FAQ 👉 bbc.in/2m8ks6v.

[@flibflob2785]

As a german I can confirm this is our only joke. It is a good, efficient jokes. It sets up an expectation and then surprises with a punchline. After telling the punchline the humor has been executed and the humor receivers are doing the laughing, this is perfectly reasonable and works. Therefore a second joke is unnecessary.

[@martinhambleton5076]

Well done Flib Flob.😅🤣😂 Your German explanation is so funny, but very correct of course. Many thanks!

[@nathanglover8437]

The joke is satisfactory :')

[@neilgerace355]

"The humour receivers are doing the laughing" As long as that is the case :)

[@pythoniac]

Welllllll... There is the light bulb one...

[@flibflob2785]

@@pythoniac Do not touch the emergency joke, it is for emergencies only!

[@TintagelEmrys]

I like the story of the German on holiday in France. He got pulled over by a police officer. The police officer stared asking him some questions, "Name?" "Wolgang Klaus" "Age?" "36" "Occupation?" "No, just visiting"

[@Roof_Pizza]

Getting 8 thumbs up when you only recently posted on an 8 year old vid is quite impressive.

[@RasPutintheGreat]

Hahahahahha

[@-M0LE]

Cullen Mills 😂😂😂😂 made me chuckle

[@theuseraccountname]

Over 100 now.

[@Widdekuu91]

Also, my comment is temporarily gone, but the joke is that he answers the last sentence in German. It's pretty much only funny to tell other Dutch (german-speaking) people.

[@booboo3560]

I love how Alan and Henning pry this joke away from Stephen as if to say, “we got this”.

[@foodank_atr817]

They just spontaneously play it out, I laugh every time

[@Jahu-qs2us]

A flawless joke performed by three people at the same time. Awesome

[@Observ45er]

The idea that this is *_the_* German joke is funnier than the joke itself... (;-)

[@Zenon0K]

420 Blaze it.

[@TacComControl]

Ve haff already written one joke, it is funny, it is efficient, it vil do.

[@alistairpeck9667]

You could not tell this joke better than this. A total pleasure.

[@24sumo]

Pecker

[@A-Duck]

The German Joke, for there is only one.

[@FaakedLillebror]

Its German humor, not a laughing matter!

[@hellzila]

Don't need more.. This joke is Satisfactory

[@summbuddie9120]

A Duck poland

[@qetoun]

It is the most efficient joke ever created.

[@mirzaahmed6589]

There used to be a joke in Birmingham.

[@h.celine9303]

As a German, I found that one quite funny. And I want some Apfelstrudel immediately.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

so methodic...so german...

[@jwo7777777]

Your replies are not satisfactory.

[@mamabari07]

invade Austria perhaps? :D

[@TacComControl]

Served tepid, I hope?

[@Orion3741]

Got to love Sandi's "Don't mention the war" comment. From Fawlty Towers. Basil Fawlty's order-taking of "two eggs mayonnaise, a prawn Goebbels, a Hermann Goering and four Colditz salads" is timeless. And priceless.

[@Szaam]

The English, the Danes and the Germans, all brought together through comedy. We're not so bad after all.

[@peterclarke7240]

I think you meant to say, in an outrageously over-exaggerated German accent, "We are not so different, you and I."

[@graceygrumble]

Stereotypes of Germans, from (my) British perspective: Very efficient and very demanding of high standards. The joke is about years of parental efficiency, in satisfying Wolfgang. Thus, when standards slipped Wolfgang complained. We also stereotype Germans as having no sense of humour and of booking sun-loungers around hotel pools with Beach towels, leaving none for other people. Hope that clarifies everything.

[@dio614]

I believe it was Jimmy Carr who said "Dissecting a joke is like dissecting a frog; no one laughs and the frog dies."

[@JIMP1000]

sean hanlon well put

[@mustachos1993]

sean hanlon Who's taken it from Mark Twain ;)

[@graceygrumble]

Mustachos m Nevertheless, Jimmy Carr did say it. Mark Twain was never on QI. Now, wouldn't that be a hoot?

[@Magikpotion]

I've been living in germany and its system as a half german half american for almost my whole life and let me tell you, germans have a serious problem with humor and just generally taking things easy. Most have huge problems with appearing vulnerable and take offense very easily. Highly competitive people, made things complicated in childhood.

[@Keytaster]

FYI, I am German, I got the joke immediately and it made me crack up - big time!!

[@mimimirwitch]

I've never seen the German comedian's face before! Always hear him on radio 4 - he's hilarious :)

[@xSebLefebvreGirlx]

It's definitely not fake laughs, I went to a QI recording this year and it's filmed in front of a live audience the laughs are 100% real

[@garywood97]

They literally show you the audience nearly every episode.

[@craftylilhandses]

By far the funniest joke about Germans I've yet come across --- and I've lived in the UK as undercover Germaniac for 10 years now.

[@fattimiv]

This has to be one the best QI interactions

[@SirKnobofCheese]

Henning Wehn is a great Ambassador for german comedy.

[@lohphat]

Wenn ist das Nunstuck git und Slotermeyer? Ja! Beierhund das Oder die Flipperwald gersput!

[@chazhinkley6602]

*Falls over laughing*

[@Efreeti]

Fuck you, I'm dead now.

[@quassseabass2770]

One man accidentally saw two words at once and was taken to hospital...

[@niamhoconnor8986]

I died

[@Oceanmachine27]

NO! YOU FOOL! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE?

[@HandeToon]

I love Henning Wehn. =D

[@ShiitakeWarrior]

He timed his buzzer pretty well at the end. 😋

[@hukio114]

Henning Wehn is the best, saw him live in Melbourne.

[@KroK013]

I was searching for this joke once and finally found it on some forum or other. Someone from Germany had commented about their little sister, whose first words (at the age of six or seven, I believe) were shouted over breakfast. "Ich willst ein Ei!" The whole family was stunned.

[@andrew7taylor]

Stunned about her bad declination of the verb 'will', ja? :)

[@KroK013]

Hahaha. I blame Google Translate for that. I only know three German phrases, one of which is "Nicht spreche Duetsch." Which is probably also incorrect.

[@andrew7taylor]

KroK013 Ich spreche kein Deutsch. Although what you said was probably better for the purpose (after all, if you didn't know German, would you know how to say that properly? Probably not!)

[@KroK013]

Danke. I will practice.

[@Fourzerotw0]

You know what would make the joke even funnier? Them not talking over each other while saying it.

[@TriplePalindromous]

+David Davidson Weirdly enough, that's what makes this clip for me.

[@AymanB]

+David Davidson That's the point of the clip ... Tandem joke.

[@danielevans545]

+David Davidson Yes, but it plays out into a short, but great back and forth.

[@Fourzerotw0]

***** You have garbage taste my friend.

[@danielevans545]

David Davidson If you say so.

[@douglasreeves9938]

I just passed 12 year old scotch thru my nose listening to this joke. Simply hilarious.

[@markneedham8726]

12 yo scotch you say, That, sir is not funny.

[@bscepter]

"Who says the Germans don't have a sense of humour!" "Just about everyone, I think."

[@jonobrien1339]

Why did the German Chicken cross the road? He was just following orders.

[@itsacarolbthing5221]

And Sandi tops it!

[@xoldeuropex]

Hahaha, brilliant! (I am German and loving it)

[@19Mellon73]

all the more understandable why the poor boy finally thought it's time to speak up !

[@ThatDonChannel]

I have heard this joke before a couple of times - once on the old "Welcome Back, Kotter" TV series IIRC - but never knew it was particularly associated with Germany before now

[@FurnitureFan]

Don Del Grande Oh, it's old. I think adding "German" just gave them all an excuse to practice funny accents and have a giggle together.

[@CarlosAntonioBrown]

Sandi's humourous line is the icing on the cake that is the joke :D

[@TheJim9191]

My German friend told me this one: "How many Chermanz does it take to schrew a lightbalb? Von, because ve are efficient, and do not haf humour." Ja, sehr gut.

[@giraffstorm]

I love that woman

[@MWcrazyhorse]

ahaha love the "don't mention the war" buzzer.

[@McZorr0101]

This joke has also been said to have been a story about how Einstein was very slow to speak in full sentences. In that story he was nine years old with a variation on the foodstuff that was not satisfactory. I suspect it is just an excellent joke that was tagged on the Einstein’s life story.

[@SpiteAndMalice]

A tepid apple strudel is of no laughing matter, I don't find this a funny joke at all, Wolfgang's parents should have checked the temperature of the strudel or been more precise in following the instructions for cooking, they have indeed let him down very badly with this incident.

[@davidmarkersnr.1888]

Priceless. ;-)

[@SpiteAndMalice]

@@annother3350 You've never replied before, now after all these years you finally reply. Why haven't you replied before? ;-)

[@markneedham8726]

@@SpiteAndMalice Well until now, everything ...........!

[@kenny38606]

See, for someone who doesn't live in Europe like me (I've lived in Canada, US and Mexico), we're not really familiar with that stereotype about Germans. The most prevalent stereotype we have is that they're loud and angry. So it really did need explaining for some people, as the punchline went over my head. Thank you for explaining.

[@timolampe]

Loud? That surprises me the most, because we're not really loud people. I had people rrom the US over and they were surprised when everyone stared at them for talking on the bus. It's one of the many situations where it's considered rude to be loud here.

[@hexxon77]

The shortest book ever printed: three pages including title page: "1000 years of German Humor"

[@conors4430]

German whi is hilarious and everywhere, it’s just dry.

[@rosshart9514]

This book is part of a series. Other titles are: Saudi Cocktail Guide Italian Heroic Sagas 300 Years Of Arabic Innovations Great English Cook Book

[@cgulljbravi8264]

Even though adopted as a baby he was still given a german name, LMAO

[@samarvora7185]

You've never heard of 'Lee Mack's Wok around the Clock', have you?

[@cgulljbravi8264]

@@samarvora7185 unfortunately no, will do, thanks

[@bigbowlowrong4694]

And speaks with the thickest German accent possible😆

[@Plantsandtoyhorses]

Dang this show looks fun! wish I could see all of it here in America :(

[@burn443]

Decade late, but they’re all on KZbin/online for free

[@oscartravis5740]

And Sandy there with secret designs on her own empire of taking over Stephen's chair, which of course she did on letter N

[@mortenu.5606]

Sandi was born in Denmark, but has spent about 95 % of her life in the UK and is totally unknown here in Denmark.

[@klemensk8776]

No one knows Henning in here germany either and if we did, we wouldn't like him, because he is in the UK since 2004 and still has an accent like a 14 year old that never left germany. Also he spreads joy, a undesireable trait for a german.

[@JSmellerM]

@@klemensk8776 *an undesirable I don't like you and your false grammar.

[@adrianflo6481]

so? she is still a great ambassador of Denmark. Thats like saying Zlatan isnt Swedish.

[@adrianflo6481]

@@klemensk8776 Dude, that is what every german sounds like. Sorry not sorry.

[@timolampe]

@@adrianflo6481 no it's not.

[@enkisdaughter4795]

But apfelstrudel is Austrian! My late great Aunt (who was Austrian) made the best apfelstrudel ever. Her strudel pastry was to die for❤

[@danielwesterlund1905]

I guess that if the Germans only have one joke, it makes sense the Austrians are still figuring theirs out.

[@Macunator]

@Cranberryvid Yes... but the woman Sandi, is Danish, thats why she said " this is the most fun a Danish person has had with a German person since 1944"

[@TheOnlyArtifex]

@TheOnlyArtifex Oh, and what's also important for the Dutch are the historic soccer/footbal matches between the Germans and Dutch.

[@allydfc12]

@NizziRandomz The apple strudel is a bit tepid. And they say, "Woflgang! You've never spoken before. After all these years you finally speak, why haven't you spokne before?" Up until now, everything has been satisfactory!

[@TheOnlyArtifex]

@adamclongden Well you know, the view of a specific country (in this case Germany) is different for every nationality. For example in this case, the English apparantly see the Germans as complainers or something like that and mostly make (judging on just one joke, forgive me if I'm wrong) jokes about that. While the Dutch usually just make jokes about germans dying or being hurt, which obviously still comes from the second world war.

[@nedisahonkey]

Quite the opposite. They see them as very serious and unlikely to speak unless neccasary.

[@gurbindersekhon8240]

Wolfgang!!

[@farkagal]

Its Apfelstrudel in German. its like a pastry or cake filled with apples.

[@preciousfreakydarlin]

thats very funny. i love it.

[@UKU2ber]

Such a funny joke lol

[@ourorboros2]

you realise this is filmed infront of a live audience right? the laughter is coming from the people in the audience, its not canned.

[@MsDDiddy]

haha no problem. i dont even know why i got angry in my explaining. i guess it never occurred to me that the German stereotype wasn't universal. anyway, glad i could help :)

[@creativeamerican8811]

0:26 Then ONE ONE ONE DAY DAY DAY

[@anglo-saxonredcoat3728]

Why are people saying they don't get the joke!! someone has explained it in the top comment haha

[@BNL07604]

The German Joke: A Lost Seinfeld Episode.

[@hasansal11]

its apple strudel, its like a mini apple pie kinda thing :)

[@creativeamerican8811]

hasansal11 Yes, but that’s irrelevant .. Never mind

[@SR1Records]

Is funny because is true!

[@itzjung]

Yes I'm from the USA, however I do work closely with Germans from Germany. My job demands it and they seem very nice. From my experience the owner of a anonymous company (in Germany) was very very big and he gave me a big hug i felt like a little baby. We enjoyed many beers together at a pub in which they had over 100 different types of beer. Germans love beer you are just approaching them incorrectly.

[@Lilithly]

I don't get the joke. probably cause I'm german^^; luckily i've got all these nice comments to help me out.

[@MariaElenaMontoyadeJust]

You don't know how intelligent real German humor is. It is beyond that. English is useless to express it properly.

[@TheMegadethMonk]

Yep, your right! Here's the proof! watch?v=-FHctQJ5_74

[@florianfrueh3282]

as a german i could tell some jokes...but youtube would ban me for doing so....(no racist jokes, just dark....fuc**** dark)

[@DonMeaker]

+Maria Elena Montoya de Just "My dog has no nose." "How does he smell?" "Terrible!"

[@DonMeaker]

+TheMegadethMonk the First Special Service Force had stickers made, so when they slipped into the German lines, knifed the sleeping soldiers, and left with one prisoner, and left one German soldier alive in each position, they attached a sticker to each corpse "Die dicke ende kommt noch." The worst is yet to come.

[@TheMegadethMonk]

DonMeaker Ok?

[@GriffinGamingStudios]

That's.. Actually a brilliant idea. I should try it in my philosophy class, one mention of quantum mechanics and then all looked as if I was trying to teach latin to a group of toddlers. Of course, being philosophy it can't be the meaning of life, but I'm sure calculus will work perfectly.

[@Pandamahn]

Well, I'm fucking sorry for not knowing every single stereotype. That must mean I'm a fucking idiot, because stereotyping is such a great thing, and I really should've kept myself up to date.

[@ndubuisimbano9042]

Dont mention the war

[@adamclongden]

i find it hard to believe that some people dont get this...

[@romanpr1nce]

I love German culture so much. :D

[@YT_Loz]

@Ilkhan28 QI Is rather good, very 'British' in it's approach but fun for all. I would recommend the DVD Box set for Christmas, Amazon normally has a discount or two!

[@foodank_atr817]

The old comments in this thread from back before the youtube comment reply system was overhauled all look like insane rants.

[@JosephineMiller]

its an old joke. I first heard it when I was a kid in the 60's

[@binaway]

+Josephine Miller My dad used the same joke about my elder brother in the 60's as well

[@AngryChamois]

@odatas Er sagt nicht der Strudel schmeckt komisch, er sagt er ist zu lauwarm (tepid)

[@necoragha65]

No offence intended. I said I may be wrong. Come to think of it I have a German colleague with a great sense of humour.

[@katinkers]

i made it through half of this not understanding a word of what they said, believing that maybe the joke was about british accents? turns out, it was about germans. fuck me right?

[@rosiefay7283]

"not understanding a word of what they said" Really? Must've been because of Stephen and Alan's awful attempts at a German accent.

[@WorstRescueEver]

@MrSkinnyBill oh, thanks :) ... didn't know there was a cliché like that :D

[@19Mellon73]

@EmmyNeander Nah, you don't get it either. We only talk if there is reason, you know efficiency. If there's no information to be delivered, there's no point to talk. ...exept you are female. In this case gender trumps nationality. Of course! ;)

[@manovardasilgas]

It's a first time I hear about such stereotype. Maybe it's only popular in UK?

[@Cranb]

@NizziRandomz The guy speaking with the German accent is German.

[@illiteratellipsis]

This joke is my childhood. Seriously, was tested and everything. Well, except the German bit.

[@slothfulcobra]

Funny, I heard this bit about Albert Einstein

[@davd1986]

All I can say is, LOL.

[@oscartravis5740]

I thought this had some basis in fact about Albert Einstein's upbringing, how he didn't speak until a quite late age for a baby's development?

[@Cranb]

@Macunator What's that got to do with a German accent?

[@MonkeyspankO]

The German version of this joke involves salty soup and spoiled kids

[@EmmyNeander]

This is so very true! @WorstRescueEver basically Germans never laud stuff, whenever they speak it's to complain or criticise. We're generally quite miserable and cynical people :P

[@Gigaguenther]

this is supposedly the story of albert einsteins first words (or first complete sentence)

[@Feeluck]

if my pronounciation was that good.. in german schools its mostly about grammar and vocabulary but not about spoken english what is pretty sad in my opinion.. and wow. i didn't know that host really had a tv show!! i just know him from V as Vendetta :D

[@timolampe]

Thank god that changed. Today, the focus is on speaking the language instead of on grammar because it is considered more important.

[@CptSpauIding]

This is the internet.

[@Alex-ur8kd]

... - Мамо, а чому борщ пересолений? - боже мій, синку, ти вмієш розмовляти! А чого ж ти мовчав всі ці роки? - так раніше все нормально було..

[@truknayr23]

@MWcrazyhorse it was more like.... "dzon't menchun ze wor!!!! LOL! PEACE!

[@Telstar62a]

Really old joke, but the first time I've heard it with a specific nationality attached.

[@frac]

I don't know if it's true but, yes, I've heard a very similar story attributed to Einstein. According to my mother my first "word" was, "May I have some tea, too, please?". In my case, though, I don't recall if it was because of poor service.

[@Imeralds]

@giraffstorm what is her name? :P

[@SirChildrenEater]

@WorstRescueEver it really isn't that hard to understand :/

[@alanpgoodwin]

@Ilkhan28 google the BBC iPlayer. :) Have fun with QI.

[@Celeb132]

Don't mention the var!

[@Macunator]

@IdaABC The woman is Danish haha

[@yudyyou]

Sandi Toksvigs humour is so dry......love her to bits

[@mystaee2914]

god how i long to figure this fuckin joke. Please. I'm 9 years late and infuriated. germans I cannot convey how much i crave to understand this joke.

[@davidknox1234]

And the troll got you. Or are you counter-trolling?

[@bazillusfungus]

funny, we have an other stereotype of the germans and beacause of that i need to read all these explainations to understand how british understand the joke. so i go watch big brother again.

[@MrBooBeeDoo]

I don't get it?

[@WorstRescueEver]

@Ashyboy1992 yes, really^^