Wolfgang Hampel - author of global success 'Satire is my favorite animal' - adores Gerhard Polt

Wolfgang Hampel - author of global success 'Satire is my favorite animal' - adores Gerhard Polt ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Merkur "I don't react at all": Gerhard Polt (82) on political correctness and his inspiration Felicitas Bogner • 4 hours • 4 minutes reading time Interview Gerhard Polt is the Bavarian veteran of cabaret. He was recently awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. In an interview he talks about political correctness, the limits of humor and his inspiration. For many decades Gerhard Polt has been entertaining his audience with wonderful wordplay, sharp satire and his unique humor. With a profound look at society he repeatedly exposes people's quirks. His sketches are timeless. On Saturday Polt will be performing with the "NouWell Cousines" in the Tölzer Kurhaus - the tickets have long been sold out. In an interview with the Tölzer Kurier the artist talks about the stage, his sources, humor and his most recent award. Mr. Polt, you announced that you are doing your last big tour. Do we have to fear that you won't be performing any more soon here in Upper Bavaria? Well, well. By that I mean that I don't travel so far away anymore. I just don't like sitting in the car for long anymore, it's become too stressful for me. But of course I'll keep performing here. I really enjoy doing it. What else would I do? Then I'd have to die in front of the TV. (laughs) At the end of November you'll be performing in Bad Tölz. For you from Schliersee, that's just around the corner. Do you also go to the neighboring district? I like the area. There are still really rustic pubs in the Tölz region, I like that. You're 82 years old. Does the stage keep you young and fit? The stage is an elixir for me. It's wonderful that I get to do it. And as long as I can still do it, have something to say and people come, I'd be stupid to stop. Dieter Hildebrandt always said: "Cabaret artists are sex offenders." There is some truth in that. Gerhard Polt performs with "NouWell Cousines" in the Kurhaus You have been on stages all over Germany for decades. Do you still get stage fright? Yes, of course. A certain amount of nervousness before a performance is part of it. What do you do about it? Take three deep breaths and off you go. You speak Bavarian - even on stage - and like to use the Bavarian language in your humor. Does it make a difference whether you perform in Bavaria or other federal states? Does the humor come across differently here? Not really. The audience that comes knows roughly what to expect. Well, of course not what exactly to expect. But they are well aware that I am not from Westphalia (laughs). And the people who want to understand me do understand me, even if they don't know an expression. For example, when there is an argument about whether the word "Indianer" can still be used, I don't react at all. Such arguments are somehow too trivial for me. Gerhard Polt "Polt" stands for timeless humor. Even older sketches, such as "Oktoberfest" or "Longline," are extremely topical today. Was that always your intention, or are you surprised by the topicality of some of the pieces from the past? I'm surprised by that myself. But when I look into it more closely, I'm not. If you look at the summary of the Oktoberfest, for example, how people fight for seats or how many fights there are, then not much has actually changed. Where there are people, there is humanity. I think the basic characteristics that a person can have have remained. From vanity to overestimating one's own abilities. What basic characteristic makes you laugh the most? I try to see the contradictions of people. What they would like, what they say and where they end up - and above all how. I also find it interesting how people interpret themselves. It's sometimes very funny. Where do you get your inspiration from? Are these real situations? I get most of it from public spaces. Whether in a pub, in the doctor's waiting room, at a government office or at a homeowners' meeting. The quarrels that sometimes occur there are heartbreakingly funny. My sources are everywhere where people express themselves and behave. When you move from the human, everyday field to the political one, has anything changed in recent years? Political correctness is also taken more strictly in art. I haven't been too impressed by it. You don't have to respond to every mood in society. For example, if there is an argument about whether the word "Indian" can still be used, I have to say that I don't react at all. Such arguments are somehow too trivial for me.