The Bert Show – Vault: We Reenact Movie Cliché Proposals

Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Bert Show Team (Bert, Jamie, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy & Cast)
Theme: Testing the truth behind movie cliché public proposals—do spontaneous applause and scene-stealing reactions actually happen in real life?

Main Theme / Purpose

This special "Vault" episode playfully investigates a classic romantic comedy trope: after a public proposal, does the crowd always break into joyful applause, just like in the movies? The team debates, shares personal stories, and stages their own public proposal experiment to find out if Hollywood meets reality.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Movie Proposal Clichés: Fact or Fiction?

• Context: The conversation launches from last week’s viral "Survivor" on-air proposal and the resulting eruption of applause.
• Cliché in Focus: The idea that whenever someone proposes in a public setting, spontaneous clapping and excitement automatically erupt, much like in countless TV and movie moments.

2. Real-Life Experiences with Public Proposals

• Skepticism vs. Confirmation:

  • Jamie expresses doubt, having never personally witnessed such an event despite frequenting many public places.
  • Others on the team, like Jamie and Tracy, share that they have actually witnessed such applause in real life, including at sporting events and popular hotels.

  Notable Quote:

  • "I've been out in a lot of restaurants and a lot of bars and a lot of public places and I have yet to see one of those. Have you?" – Jamie (Co-host) [01:51]
  • "I've seen more than one." – Jamie [01:59]

• Listener Call-In:

  • Laurie calls in with her own story: a meticulously planned public proposal at Cafe Lily, which did result in a round of applause and warm greetings from strangers.
  • "Everybody started clapping and cheering, taking our picture. It was absolutely wonderful. Strangers were coming over congratulating us." – Laurie [02:51]

3. The Bert Show’s LIVE Social Experiment

• The Setup:

  • Phil volunteers to stage a fake public proposal with Tracy at a busy Caribou Coffee shop, crowd of about 15 people, to see what kind of reaction unfolds in real-time.
  • The team gives Phil guidance on how to play up the moment with over-the-top declarations and authentic emotion.
  • Tracy is asked to act genuinely shocked for realism.

  Memorable Moment:

  • Suggestion for Phil to use the awkward line: "I know you're my sister," as a joke about proposal tropes.
  • "At some point during the proposal, I want you to use the sentence, I know you're my sister." – Jamie [05:58]

4. The Proposal and Reaction

• Phil’s Performance:

  • Phil stands on a chair, gathers everyone’s attention, and gives a heartfelt (albeit staged) speech recalling the “movie” style.
  • Tracy plays along, and the scene builds anticipation.

  Notable Quote (Phil’s proposal):

  "Hey, guys, if I can have y’alls attention for just two seconds. … I hate to bug y'all ... but this is my girlfriend, Tracy. I love her more than anything in the entire world ... I just want to know if you would marry me." – Phil [07:05]

• The Crowd’s Response:

  • Success! The coffee shop breaks out in applause, validating the movie trope.
  • "She said yes. They're applauded!" – Phil [07:41]
  • The team celebrates, surprised and delighted the social experiment worked so perfectly.

5. Reflecting on the Reality vs. Cinema

• The experiment suggests that, at least sometimes, real life can mirror Hollywood – strangers are often happy to join in on the joy, even if the moment is staged.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:45] Jamie (Co-host): "And everybody is applauding and they're starting the wave. And all the John 3:16 signs come out."
• [02:25] Phil (joking): "I told Scott to make him feel better that when we kiss, I won't use my tongue, so it'll just be a deep kiss."
• [05:58] Jamie: "At some point during the proposal, I want you to use the sentence, I know you're my sister."
• [07:05] Phil: (Public proposal monologue highlighted above)
• [07:41] Phil: "She said yes. She said yes. They're applauded."
• [08:08] Jamie (Co-host): "They're absolutely applauded."
• [08:11] Jamie (Co-host): "I just never saw any fall, right. That start with a movie cliche. Very nicely done. There you go."

Important Timestamps

• 00:52: Topic Introduction – Testing movie cliches, specifically the spontaneous applause after public proposals.
• 01:51–03:27: Hosts and listeners share personal experiences with public proposals.
• 04:36: Plan for the live experiment at Caribou Coffee.
• 06:29: Staging instructions and comedic asides.
• 07:05–08:03: Phil executes the proposal; Tracy accepts; applause follows.
• 08:08: Hosts react and debrief the experiment.

Summary

This episode brings The Bert Show’s signature blend of humor, authenticity, and listener engagement to full effect. By testing a time-honored rom-com cliché, the team uncovers that while life isn’t always like the movies…sometimes, when love is put on display (even as a stunt!), the world just might clap along.