Netflix served me up Dieter Nuhr’s standup special “Nuhr in Berlin.” I’m pretty open to trying out a new comedian and the idea of a German comedian intrigued me, as did the idea of “getting” humor through translations in subtitle—I know a handful of German words here and there, but no way could I follow a native speaking at normal speed.
So, I’m about halfway through, and the effect it has on me is a very long speech about contemporary social and political topics. I agree with almost everything he says, but it doesn’t strike me that he’s saying any of it in a way that’s funny. I get the impression that his live audience has a similar reaction—he gets a lot more applause for making a virtuous statement than he gets laughter.
So, is anyone else here familiar with Dieter Nuhr’s act? Does anyone find his act funny? Is it funny if you fluently understand spoken German?
Wikipedia —Dieter Nuhr - Wikipedia —calls him a “comedian, cabaret artist, author, and television presenter.” So, maybe this act is not quite comedy in the same way I’m used to? What is his act to a German person?
Are there some aspects of German culture and society that would help me understand Dieter Nuhr’s place in the culture?
German here. No, he’s not funny, at least not anymore, he hit his peak maybe 15 years ago. His shtick is sarcasm to the highest degree, but he’s overdone it for a long time and forgot the funny.
Haven’t watched him perform in a while, but I would not consider him a comedian, certainly not a stand-up comedian in the Anglo-Saxon understanding. Cabaret artist is more like it and that means, IMHO, not telling jokes, but making sarcastic observations about problems within society. Those observations are not always funny, but sometimes lead to a lightbulb moments in looking at certain situations differently.