In Northern Ireland the "aitch"/"haitch" distinction is used as a shibboleth to determine which community you're from: Protestants tend to use "aitch", Catholics "haitch". If you view the sketch in this light it takes on rather more sinister undertones.

I can hardly watch this. I guess this sort of hyperbolic reaction to usage is one of my pet peeves.

One of my favourite sketches!

I suppose I am being too American in saying this, but it's just too violent to me. I think they could have made their point in a different way. The concept is funny, but carrying it out was a bit over the top...for me, a coddled American.

I think the opposite may actually be true.

I think it's probably less funny to Americans because it's perfectly conceivable in the US that a manager could own a gun and might go crazy and take it to the office and shoot people.

In the UK almost no honest citizen owns a gun and its very difficult to come by one legally. The basic scenario of the sketch is much more far-fetched to me than it is to you and so I can laugh at it as being thoroughly ridiculous whereas for you it isn't ridiculous enough.

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n Northern Ireland the "aitch"/"haitch" distinction is used as a shibboleth

There's a similar, but non-verbal, shibboleth also used over there. When using a spade (to dig potatoes, I assume) a Catholic will rest his/her left foot on the blade whereas a Protestant will use the right foot. Or perhaps it's the other way round ...

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I think it's probably less funny to Americans because it's perfectly conceivable in the US that a manager could own a gun and might go crazy and take it to the office and shoot people.

We're a sorry lot, Bob, but not that sorry!

[Now someone will probably post a scenario just like that to prove me wrong.]

I don't see it. I think an inevitable consequence of everyone being allowed to own a gun is that some people will use them. I'm not trying to make some deep social comment here and we've had our own share of spree-killers over here but if a schoolboy can take a gun into a classroom and start killing people (which has certainly happened) then I don't see why a manager can't.

Here the scenario is MUCH more far-fetched simply because it would be almost impossible, for example, for me to legally get hold of a handgun.

I find the sketch to be so ludicrously unlikely that it's funny. If I thought there was any possibility of a manager shooting his employees (not for bad grammar but for any reason) I probably wouldn't think it quite so funny.

It's just a theory.

And of course proof, as if proof were needed, can be found here at none other than the august Language Log. And if it's in Language Log you can count on it being true almost every day of the year.

The actual wording on Language Log:

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Language Log reveals the hard, plain truth about language, 24/7, 364 days a year.

There are 365 days in a year. Is the missing day 1 April, by any chance?

Well I did say you can count on it almost every day of the year.

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(There are darker rumors about him having once shot a man in Reno just for using lay not lie.)

I thought Tinman would prove me wrong, but instead it was Language Log.

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... shot a man in Reno just for using lay not lie.

That sounds like a Johnny Cash song.