Bernd das Brot, a depressed German loaf of bread
apnews.com119 points by geox 4 months ago
119 points by geox 4 months ago
The idea and the character design were fun, but the "night loops" (footage specifically produced for the nighttime "dead air" timeslots) became too mean for my liking.
I think the original premise was a grumpy main character interacting with his wacky and slightly-too-wellmeaning friends, which is fine. But it somehow ended up with an unseen narrator putting him into an endless loop of (mildly) unpleasant situations on purpose and making cynical comments about it.
Could be a case of flanderization or the series trying to embrace its adult following, but either case, I don't think it did the series well.
I never heard of Bernd das Brot, and having watched a few clips just now, I have to admit that a loaf of muppet bread that's forced in front of a camera and just wants to leave is exactly my kind of humour.
I recently wondered whether Bernd was funnier or the novelty of it was more amusing in the earlier 2000s or I was simply younger... But yeah, his friends were around much more often then and there was more variety and "action". I guess they reduced expenses by having only Bernd around most of the time. I mean it is a filler program...
If I remember correctly, there were two different formats: A normal kid's TV series which featured Bernd and his friends and had regular episodes; and the "night loop" which was more surreal/"edgy", featured Bernd alone and had no real plot, only a sequence of random events that eventually looped. (And I think the latter was what made it go viral at some point)
I can fully imagine that the actual target audience for the loop were stoners...
>the actual target audience for the loop
I, ahem, may have heard about that. At the time. In Minecraft.
> Bernd is a television presenter who wants nothing to do with TV and can’t wait to go home to stare at the wallpaper.
A national treasure.
I you visit the Reichstag in Berlin, they have an audio guide spoken by Bernd das Brot!
You could watch wallpaper dry, but instead you watch a depressed loaf watching wallpaper dry. Very meta.
There is also an opinionated point and click adventure called "Bernd das Brot und die Unmöglichen" (German title). Although not the greatest game, I somehow enjoyed it (bought it used for 5 bucks).
Ich will hier weg
Very young children like to watch it (because there is movement) but not necessarily voluntarily (children's programming stops early in the evening and then this is shown until the next morning). While some people behind the show had done great TV in the past, I would not allow my kids to watch it (too uninspiring, to put it mildly).
You either love or hate Bernd das Brot. I'm on the hate side. Cannot stand this for just 30 seconds.
My theory always was that this is television that was meant as a signal for kids to go to sleep.
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This isn't how the government works. I also pay into a system that fixes roads I'll never drive on but that isn't a reason to complain.
I remember the first time I saw him after moving to the UK was on the trip to Berlin when I chucked the TV on after getting back to the hotel absolutely blasted and was just enamoured with how weird it was - gave me mighty boosh/adventure time kinda vibes.
Since then I've seen him on TV in Austria, Netherlands, etc. Usually floating around in space making dry comments that I can't understand.
The option when watching TV late at night when younger was watching Bernd das Brot or Soft-Porn. Bernd was more entertaining.
Not a berliner by the looks of him.
Y'all have Spongebob Squarepants, we have Bernd das Brot.
I wonder if the character was ever used to raise awareness for depression. Does anybody know?
Seems like a no-brainer.
I guess Bread Barbershop on YT got the idea of Mr Bread from this Bend das Brot.
he's basically squidward
Bernd is explaining German history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCbOtJftDks
Spoiler: at 11:12 Nazi Germany is done as ... the scene with the globe from Chaplin's Dictator. I didn't like that: as if that was someone else on the stage (at 10:36 - the twenties were all fun and dance, no then came the guy with the mustache and spoiled the party, not that one - this was supposed to be a different one)
Mist!