Eero is hampered by grammar

Eero focuses on the verb used in the task brief, ‘syöttää’. While this verb primarily means ‘to feed’, it is also used for various sports actions, such as serving or passing.

Eero seems to come up with his interpretation of the task very early on, as he calmly goes to the shed and uses a black marker to draw stripes on three ping pong balls, turning them into ‘zebras’.

He then searches the shed and emerges dressed in a kigurumi, wearing a headband fashioned to look like cartoon frog eyes (thereby casting himself as the clown), and carrying a sparkly silver jacket and a watering can. He wraps the watering can in the jacket and calls it an elephant.

Eero sets up a small goal in the driveway and starts hopping on a pogo stick nearby. One at a time, Pilvi then uses a golf club to pass the ping pong ball zebras (and, eventually, the watering can elephant) to Eero, who kicks them into the goal.

In the studio, Jaakko points out the flaw in Eero’s attempt: Eero was meant to feed/pass to the clown; instead, he (as the clown) was fed/passed to. Eero attempts to argue that ‘syöttää’ is a passive verb, and that he therefore shouldn’t be penalised. When Jaakko threatens to start deducting points, Eero backs down.

Jaakko awards Eero third place.

(Written by Jenny R and proofread by Karl Craven)

(Illustrations collected by Jenny R and adjusted by Karl Craven)