Sueddeutsche: Great German Humor

The subtlety of German humor is lost on most non-Germans.

The German media, as a source of German political humor, are no exception to the rule. A case in point is this desperate attempt of left-wing daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung to be funny on the expense of (you guessed it) Americans.

Please check this site from Sueddeutsche called "Bundesdance" (skip intro). The site presents German politicians in awkward dancing movements, which already is very funny. But it gets even better! Click on "Amerikaner" (Americans) in the box "Randgruppe" (minority group). You can't stop laughing, right? Obese Americans with fast food items - hilarious!! None of the other groups in the Randgruppe box are treated as disrespectful as "Amerikaner", not even the North Koreans (Schurkenstaaten). (I just wonder why Sueddeutsche didn't use this pic they already have on file to depict a really fat American...)

Well, Sueddeutsche's humor has entertained us before. As we mentioned then, Groucho Marx once observed that the two thinnest books in the world are the ones on edible British cooking and on German humor.

British cooking sure has improved since Groucho's days.

(Hat tip Jan)

Comments

[RedLinda]

I was wondering about the exactly same thing. Must have been a bored intern at the Süddeutsche Zeitung, but other than that it's pretty funny.

[Pamela]

I don't know anything about Axel Springer, apparently a German media group. But its CEO Mathias Doepfner is certainly in no laughing mood.

"Europe, thy name is Cowardice"
Today we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in Holland, Britain, and elsewhere in Europe? By suggesting — wait for it — that the proper response to such barbarism is to initiate a “Muslim holiday” in Germany.
[snip]

What atrocity must occur before the European public and its political leadership understands what is really happening in the world? There is a sort of crusade underway — an especially perfidious campaign consisting of systematic attacks by Islamists, focused on civilians, that is directed against our free, open Western societies, and that is intent upon their utter destruction.

[snip]

While we criticise the “capitalistic robber barons” of America because they seem too sure of their priorities, we timidly defend our welfare states. “Stay out of it! It could get expensive,” we cry. So, instead of acting to defend our civilisation, we prefer to discuss reducing our 35-hour workweek or improving our dental coverage, or extending our four weeks of annual paid vacation. Or perhaps we listen to television pastors preach about the need to “reach out to terrorists,” to understand and forgive.

http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/MathiasDoepfner50823.htm

Have a nice laugh Germany, as you whistle past your own grave.

(~~waves to David and Ray~~)

Note from David: Pamela, have a look...

[tebox]

Give me a break, you are complaining about THIS???

Maybe you have become a little paranoid?

The best part of it that you are complaining about Germans lack of humor and in the same article you are whining about a silly joke.

[PacRim Jim]

Since Mad King Ludwig, Bavaria's best joke happened in the 1930s when a postcard painter from Braunau, Austria, held a meeting at a beerhall. Germans laughed till beer squirted out their noses, until 1945. They haven't even chuckled since then. Aber jetzt, Arbeit macht Freistaat Bayern.

[BEAM]

I wonder if the Euro media realize how many Americans are paying attention to blogs like this one. It's unfortunate that there is probably going to be a lot of anti-European feelings in America within the next decade or so.

[Scott_H]

Two comments:

1. That Bundesdance 2005 page is hilarious. Especially, when you set Schroeder's "dance" settings all the way to the right.

2. It doesn't surprise me that "Americans" are caricatured the way they are on that page. When I was stationed in Germany many years ago (don't ask how many), some German friends of mine asked if all American women were fat. It seems that they were basing their image of American women on the wives of the Americans stationed in Germany. And, as crass as it may sound, it generally was well known that the wives of soldiers -- particularly enlisted soldiers -- tended to be overweight. In fact, it wasn't unheard of when a soldier married a "thin" woman for his buddies to bet on how long it would take her to get fat. Sad, but true. Of course, it's also hypocritical since German's these days have almost as much of a weight problem as Americans.

[Thade]

And something else:
Humour is also, when you can laugh about yourself - so it seems you have lost it yourselve and are coming closer to our great sense of humour ;-)

What would you think if this would have been done by an american paper and they would have Europeans, esp. Germans included? How would they look? (Knowing that its forbidden here to greet "Heil Hitler" or even own any Nazi-Artefacts) (Knowing that not even 0.0001 % of the Nation is wearing bavarian leather trousers and that its only a costume nowadays in some areas in the south, only in Bavaria and to wear at Volksfests (fairs) ...)
You guessed it! Choice 1: People with "Lederhosen" and "Dirndl" or Choice 2: Nazis with a swastika flag greating "Heil Hitler" - Oh, how funny...

There were worse things to critisize in the German Media during the last 3 - 4 days and you picked the most harmless stuff... and made it a scandal ...

Btw:
Certainly it is an "obligation" if you visit the Oktoberfest. Either you are Japanese, American, Brasilian or Native Citicen - with Lederhosen you are always proper dressed ;-)

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

@ Thade

The SZ dance does depict the East Germans as Nazis btw... check out the red white and black flags on display (unless I am mistaken).

As for the Lederhosen bit this has been discussed on Medienkritik loads of times - I think its Niko that had a link on the German EXPO stand in Hannover where Germany gladly presented themselves in Lederhosen . However cliche Lederhosen may be it is a sort of national costume and isnt meant offensively. Surely you can see the difference between associating a German with a traditional costume and associating an American with a physical appearance i.e. being extremely fat. Why werent the Americans doing line dancing or why not some famous US pop stars?

As for the site in general it does look like the work of a young Azubi bored in the office. I dont have any sound on my laptop so perhaps the joke was lost on me....

[Doug]

The subtlety of German humor is lost on most non-Germans.

That's as subtle as blackface.

The best part of it that you are complaining about Germans lack of humor and in the same article you are whining about a silly joke.

That was a silly joke? I guess that makes you German.

[kid charlemagne]

I wonder if the Euro media realize how many Americans are paying attention to blogs like this one.

Of course not. They're convinced that Americans are completely parochial and don't know about anything going on outside their borders. You hear this OVER AND OVER in Europe. If they only knew...

[Motorhead]

Lieber ein dicker fast-food-essender Ami mit einem Job, Haus, Fortschritts- und Wachstumspotential als 5 Millionen eifersuechtige hoffnungslose Arbeitslosen.