The secret of Loriot's genius was his focus on physical, as well as verbal, comedy – but the English just don't get it
Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time trying to convince friends and colleagues of the rare genius of Loriot, the German comedian who died on Monday. Let's just say I've struggled.
One reason for this, of course, is that English people can be supremely arrogant about their own sense of humour: a feeling of national entitlement comparable to the pre-1953 smugness of English footballers. The Pavlovian response ("German comedy, is it?") I've met again and again this week would just be a tad more credible if it was followed by an appreciation of any non-English form of comedy whatsoever: "Belgian stand-up: now we're talking." Empirically speaking, English people are among the least qualified in the world to pass judgment on comedy in other languages.
Over the last few days, I have spent a lot of time trying to convince friends and colleagues of the rare genius of Loriot, the German comedian who died on Monday. Let's just say I've struggled.
One reason for this, of course, is that English people can be supremely arrogant about their own sense of humour: a feeling of national entitlement comparable to the pre-1953 smugness of English footballers. The Pavlovian response ("German comedy, is it?") I've met again and again this week would just be a tad more credible if it was followed by an appreciation of any non-English form of comedy whatsoever: "Belgian stand-up: now we're talking." Empirically speaking, English people are among the least qualified in the world to pass judgment on comedy in other languages.
- 8/25/2011
- by Philip Oltermann
- The Guardian - Film News
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