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Behind the Scenes: Gay T-Shirt

That Mitchell and Webb Look
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.

The setup

During a filming break, David learns that the T-shirt his friend Robert gave him has a hidden purpose, and the explanation only makes things worse.

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The premise

Here’s the bit.

Seated beside Robert between takes, David is wearing the T-shirt Robert bought him and nervously asks whether it makes him look fat. Robert reassures him in a backhanded way, then admits that the gift was meant to make David look gay. After a row with a gay acquaintance in which he said some things he insists were ironic, Robert wants a cover story that proves he cannot be homophobic. He argues that David has no girlfriend anyway, so he might as well be the gay one, while David protests that this will wreck his chances of finding one. Robert counters that the disguise at least gives David a handy excuse for his unhappiness, and offers a pointed alternative explanation that David does not enjoy. The chat ends with a sarcastic offer of a biscuit.

The funny people

Meet the cast. 2

Say it with us

Highly quotable.

I never found happiness because Rob made me pretend to be gay for his career.

One of us ought to be gay.

I don't smell. Well, must be attractiveness then.

Behind the scenes

The people who made it.

ScriptEnglish · 28 turns

Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.

  1. 00:05

    Robert Webb

    I see you're wearing that T-shirt I bought you.

  2. 00:07

    David Mitchell

    Yeah. Well, you did drop quite a few hints about it, actually, so I pretty much felt I had to.

  3. 00:11

    Robert Webb

    You're very welcome.

  4. 00:14

    David Mitchell

    You don't think it makes me look fat, do you?

  5. 00:16

    Robert Webb

    No, no, no, no, no. I don't actually think that's possible.

  6. 00:19

    David Mitchell

    Oh, thank you very much.

  7. 00:20

    Robert Webb

    That's not what I meant. Oh. What I meant was the only way it's possible for a T-shirt to contribute to making someone look fat is if they et it.

  8. 00:27

    David Mitchell

    Did you deliberately buy this T-shirt to make me look fat?

  9. 00:30

    Robert Webb

    No, of course not! I bought it to deliberately make you look gay. You look fat, whatever you wear.

  10. 00:35

    David Mitchell

    Why do you want me to look gay?

  11. 00:36

    Robert Webb

    None of your business!

  12. 00:38

    David Mitchell

    Sorry. Hang on.

  13. 00:40

    Robert Webb

    All right, if you must know, I got into a bit of a row the other night with this bloke who was gay, and I said some things that could be construed as homophobic.

  14. 00:50

    David Mitchell

    What sort of things?

  15. 00:51

    Robert Webb

    Nothing, really. Nothing, just a bit of, backs to the wall, chaps, watch out, he wants to bum you. I mean, it was completely ironic.

  16. 00:59

    David Mitchell

    Bloody hell.

  17. 00:59

    Robert Webb

    Look, it was being incredibly rude about Tony Blair, and Tony can't defend himself, you know, he hasn't got an army anymore. So I'm just covering my arse, so to speak, by making you look gay, so, you know, I can say, look, there's no way I'm homophobic, I spend my whole time working with that bender.

  18. 01:17

    David Mitchell

    I mean, I wouldn't phrase it like that. And where does that leave...

  19. 01:22

    Robert Webb

    Look, it's no skin off your nose. You haven't got a girlfriend.

  20. 01:25

    David Mitchell

    In what way do those two statements go together?

  21. 01:28

    Robert Webb

    Well, you might as well be gay. I mean, one of us ought to be gay. I used to have a go. Remember my earring?

  22. 01:34

    David Mitchell

    Yeah, well.

  23. 01:35

    Robert Webb

    So now it's your turn.

  24. 01:37

    David Mitchell

    But if everyone thinks I'm gay, you know, I'll never ever get a girlfriend, will I?

  25. 01:45

    Robert Webb

    Look, I don't mean to be rude, but that is kind of the case already. You know, I mean, at least this way you've got an excuse. You know, I never found happiness because Rob made me pretend to be gay for his career. That's a lot better than, I never found happiness because of reasons to do with, I don't know, attractiveness or smell.

  26. 02:08

    David Mitchell

    I don't smell.

  27. 02:09

    Robert Webb

    Well, must be attractiveness then. Just trying to give you a get-out, mate.

  28. 02:15

    David Mitchell

    Thanks. Have a biscuit.

The rabbit hole continues

One more couldn’t hurt.

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