Manner sind primitiv aber glucklich

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on August 11th, 2008

Which, translated from the German, means “Men are primitive, but happy.” It’s the title of German comedian Mario Barth‘s show, which, according to Deutche Welle (a German TV and radio conglomerate), sold out Olympic Stadium on the 12th of last month.

We thought the article might be a slick hoax. There were typos in the piece, but we eventually chalked them up to mere bad translation. (It is, after all, an English language article on a German website.) Barth is real. He sounds like a cross between Rob Becker and Andrew Dice Clay.

A sharp-eyed reader sent us the link. We figure he mainly wanted us to see this part:

The 35-year-old comedian had been touring Germany with his show since the beginning of 2006. And despite critics lambasting the comedian’s material for lacking depth, his shows are consistently sold out and the audience, seemingly, can identify with his jokes.

Emphasis ours. Critics are the same the world over. And, even after selling out a 70,000-seat venue, this particular author can’t resist slipping in the qualifier “seemingly.” Is that priceless or what?

And this delusion that critics have any influence over anyone but a thin crust of the population is truly precious. (Did he kick off that introductory clause with “Despite?” Someone has a serious misunderstanding as to how this whole critic-consumer relationship works.)

The article is full of such digs at Barth. And there’s even a half-hearted attempt to find a critic-friendly explanation of why Barth is so popular and how so many Germans can be so… wrong.

Perhaps achingly hip Berlin is tired of having to be edgy all the time.

“He’s about as anarchic as a building loan contract,” complained one critic recently.

Then it’s quickly back again to the poor, moaning critics, who insist that any comic who isn’t “anarchic” isn’t worth our time or money.

Thanks to Adam Ward.

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