Fringe Review VI Michael Mittermeier

There are a bunch of Germans who also work for the company my hostel is part of and together we went to see a German comedian called Michael Mittermeier.

Back when I was a teenager he was one of THE comedy superstars in Germany. I even owned a VHS cassette (yep that's how long he's been around) of the program which I think made him famous. I don't know if it was me just losing interest or if he actually disappeared from the face of the earth but I feel like I haven't heard from him in a while. Well, it might have something to do with the fact, that I left Germany years ago and don't have TV since 2006...

Anyways so here I was with my German friends in a room with about 200 - 300 people at the Fringe and really not knowing, if I would like his show or not, because I remember that when re-watching said VHS I felt like I had grown out of that kind of humor.

But WOW!!! I was quite surprised at how much I actually laughed. As I've said before, I am usually not a big comedy fan, but Michael Mittermeier hits a nerve. Maybe it's the fact that he is German, too and there is actually such a thing as German humor, but I really thought he was hilarious.

The show is called Blackout and he talks about all kinds of blackouts : an electricity blackout while living in New York, too much alcohol, being knocked unconscious and the Germans during WWII.
But he also talks a lot about being German, TV, zombies, Oktoberfest, Chinese people and having clowns for breakfast.
As a German who has traveled a bit and works with people from all over the world I can relate to a lot of cliches he brings up. And it is refreshing to find a German comedian who can make fun of the war in a way that doesn't make me cringe, because he makes fun of the victims, he doesn't.

What I admire about Mittermeier is that he doesn't need props or a flashy light show (well there is a teeny tiny bit of that at the beginning), he only uses his body language (he is master in making the funniest faces) and his voice to underline his words.

I am not sure how many Germans and how many non-Germans there were in the audience and who had more fun, but I do recommend this show if you are German or have German friends or colleges. You might recognise yourself or someone you know.

This Is Krist Novoselic: Standing With Eddie Vedder and the Real Possibilit...

Miss Snowdrop: I am sharing this post, because I think Krist nails it. I think you can't just blame one side for what's happening, both are and the ones that are suffering are the civilians who most likely just want to live in peace and not in fear for their lives.



This Is Krist Novoselic: Standing With Eddie Vedder and the Real Possibilit...: Palestinian / Israeli Separation Wall Thank you Eddie Vedder for speaking up for peace in our world. Eddie has gotten some criticism ove...