One must really wonder how much James Schloeffel (from 'The Shovel') and Charles Firth ('The Chaser') have worked in offices, because their mockery of the modern workplace is right on the money in a way that is almost depressing.
Proving the age-old adage, “You have to laugh otherwise we’ll take this offline and pick it up at the next meeting.”
Do not be concerned if you have not participated in meetings for meetings’ sake, workshop seminars and professional development training – your outsider’s perspective will only make it more apparent how funny some workplace rituals are.
However, if you have ever received a carefully constructed e-mail sent to trigger you and resolve no underlying issues with the team – well then, this will resonate to your very bones. I mean, maybe having to send such e-mails shows how incompetent that person is rather than the team they are constantly harassing. You know some people move on to bigger and better things which just proves the point that some people were not allowing them to contribute at their full capacity. Which is sad but that is in the past.
I mean. . . For a hypothetical example.
Run like a consultative workshop, we cover all the key performances indicators here, how to re-write role descriptions, beef up your LinkedIn profile and start a new company website. The show really hits its stride when covering track changes, the underlying messages of follow-up e-mails and company videos. James at one point genuinely revels in the fact that major companies across the nation have basically the same values in their mission statements.
The performance is paced well, the two move with confidence and play off each other and the audience with glee. Not afraid to twist the knife while skewering some corporate targets, the comedy remains relatable and good spirited.
Maybe ironically, one of the biggest laughs was had when ChatGPT was employed. Even more ironically, it is very possible some companies will attempt to hire Charles and James for their next corporate workshop, to deconstruct the very nature of such workshops, before. . . Holding another workshop.
That is how much buy-in they generate.
