How a gloomy German loaf of bread went viral in the US

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“This is all so pointless. My life is hell,” says Bernd das Brot — Bernd the bread — one of Germany’s most unusual children’s TV characters.

For 25 years, the perpetually grumpy loaf of bread has wandered through children’s television with world-weariness and dry quips. Now the sad loaf has gained viral appeal  in the US, after TV host John Oliver introduced the bad-tempered German character on his show, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”

Bernd embodies the stereotype of a humorless German who always has something to complain about, Oliver dryly observed: “That’s the most German thing I’ve ever seen.” The internet has lit up with enthusiasm for this “weird German bread.”

US media outlet Voice of America described Bernd as “a depressed German loaf of bread” that has been “a TV cult classic for 25 years.”

How did a loaf of bread become a cult figure in Germany?

The character first appeared in 2000 on the children’s channel KiKA. His debut was in the show “Tolle Sachen,” alongside cheerful characters Chili das Schaf, a sheep, and Briegel der Busch, a flowering bush.

In 2003, KiKA began showing short Bernd segments in its nightly loop during hours when regular programming was off the air. That move drew an adult audience and helped cement his status as a cult figure.

According to Tommy Krappweis, his creator, both children and adults can laugh at Bernd — though they tend to find different things funny.

In 2004, “Bernd das Brot” won the Adolf Grimme Prize — often regarded as Germany’s equivalent of the Emmy Awards in the US. The jury said the “anti-fun” character has a right to be in a bad mood “in the midst of a garish fun-event culture of hyped-up mega-emotional shows.”

What makes Bernd so special?

Bernd isn’t mainstream by a long shot. While children’s TV is usually colorful, cheerful and motivating, Bernd — a depressed loaf with a perpetually downcast mouth — trudges through absurd adventures. He just wants peace and quiet; and that’s exactly what makes him funny. Fans love his stoic humor, his constant listlessness and his quirky friends. He’s an honest bread who just wants to be left to wallow in his world-weariness.

Why is he so sad?

So just why is he so down in the dumps? He apparently attempted to be a mascot for a bakery’s advertising campaign and failed.

But that’s not all. In episode 85 of the children’s series, Bernd tells Chili and Briegel he once fell in love with a “beautiful, slim baguette.” But she only had eyes for a “run-of-the-mill multigrain bread with its 10 types of grain,” which left Bernd bitter. “Since then, my heart is a dry lump of flour.”

But Tommy Krappweis, co-creator of “Bernd das Brot,” has made clear that this love affair isn’t the real cause of Bernd’s perpetual gloom. Rather, Bernd is depressed by his own existence and the circumstances of his creation. He believes his life is essentially meaningless. His main activities are staring at walls and putting up with his annoyingly cheerful friends.

So Bernd remains what he is: a grumpy loaf who has unintentionally won hearts — in Germany, online, and now also among US audiences.

During his appearance with John Oliver, Bernd bid farewell to the audience with the line: “My life is hell.” With this, he left a lasting impression and gained thousands of new fans — despite himself.

This article was originally written in German.