In his films, the common man exaggerations continued. Much of his time in the films was spent spoofing himself, whether it was the affected nervousness of the treasurer in "The Treasurer's Report" or the discomfort in explaining "The Sex Life of the Polyp" to a women's club. The longer, plot-driven shorts, such as "Lesson Number One", "Furnace Trouble", and "Stewed, Fried and Boiled", likewise show a Benchley character overmatched by seemingly mundane tasks. Even the more stereotypical characters held these qualities, such as the incapable sportscaster Benchley played in "The Sport Parade."