How Funny are Germans?
Are they as funny as an unannounced tax audit on Monday morning? Or more like a root canal treatment next to an open window?
Germans are not renowned for their humor, despite recent events. A landslide victory by the far-right party AfD in Lower Saxony, soaring gas prices, political instability in Berlin, and threats from Vladimir Putin and extremism have stirred controversy. Nonetheless, Germans have historically embraced humor, as evidenced by figures like Loriot and comedians such as Dieter Hildebrandt, Karl Dall, and Otto Waalkes.
In the 1990s, shows like RTL Samstag Nacht played to American-style comedy, and independent channels produced shows like "RTL Samstag Nacht" and "RTL Nacht". In recent years, gifted comedians like Hape Kerkeling, Piet Klocke, Jochen Malmsheimer, Atze Schröder, and Wolfgang Trepper have drawn laughter from German audiences. Female stand-up comedians like Caroline Kebekus and Anke Engelke have also made their mark.
TV news programs such as "Extra 3" and "Heute Show" utilize humor to address current affairs. Meanwhile, the satirical newspaper "Der Postillon" launched in 2008 by Stefan Sichermann, which employs a witty form of humor between 'informed and intelligent' and 'low-level stuff'.
Written by urgent.news from The Berlin Spectator's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
