Mel teaches the Taskmaster to say no to wine

Upon entering the study to find a VHS player on the table, Mel asks “What’s this contraption? I certainly don’t recognise it from my childhood.”

Having read the task brief, Mel asks Tom Cashman if there’s anything the Taskmaster can’t do. When he claims that there is not, Mel suggests that Tom Gleeson is unable to attend a work event without drinking.

Mel’s claim about Tom Gleeson’s drinking habit provides the inspiration for her video, which is titled ‘Say No to Wine’. Made in the style of an ’80s instructional video, the film features Mel as the character Virginia Hampen-Stalle, a PE teacher with a marketing degree who teaches people how to refuse wine at work functions.

Tom Cashman demonstrates Virginia’s various techniques for refusing a drink, starting with a verbal ‘no’. Secondly, Tom demonstrates a non-verbal ‘no’ by covering his drinking glass and miming driving. Thirdly, Tom demonstrates saying no in a foreign language by saying “Nein”. Fourthly, Tom makes an excuse by claiming that he has hepatitis C. Finally, Tom just pours his wine down the sink.

In the studio, Tom Gleeson points out that he and Mel have “kept pace” with their drinking at work events. Mel claims that this task had helped her reflect, and suggests limiting drinks to a “reasonable” 16–21 per event.

When Tom Gleeson asks if Mel has used the sink tactic at actual events, she claims that she has, with her parents. Tom points out that Mel is portraying drinking in Australia as a problem, which he claims definitely isn’t the case.

Mel earns 2 points for her video.

(Written by JoGo and proofread by Karl Craven)

(Illustrations collected by JoGo and adjusted by David Fuller)