Veronika Merklein takes a seat in a waiting room and tells “jokes,” each beginning in a similar way: “A fat person goes to the doctor.” Canned laughter pours over painful, boundary-crossing narratives. A clever, sharp performance that leaves viewers with a sense of unease.
Veronika Merklein has taken a seat in the waiting room. While magazines promise miracle diets and quick fixes, Merklein delivers personal accounts structured like jokes. Each starts the same: “A fat person goes to the doctor.” The camera focuses tightly on her mouth—lips painted red—repeating the word “FAT FAT FAT FAT,” while the stories unfold beside her: white text on a black background. They are painful, tragic, and reveal untreated fractures and metabolic disorders, threats, and sadistic tactics—one transgression after another. An invisible audience responds with laughter—canned sitcom-style laughter.

Performance in English and German.
Video (in English) distributed by sixpackfilm. German subtitles available.