When I caught up on the LOL Christmas special at the beginning of the year, after three episodes I came to the conclusion that the Bully Show had peaked with the brilliant comedy duo Anke Engelke and Bastian Pastewka. The two of them have already single-handedly challenged my funny bone. Together they are unbeatable. The Avengers of German comedy on TV. What else is to come?
The cast of the new LOL season has been known for a few days and I’m afraid we already have the answer. LOL host and presenter Michael “Bully” Herbig has chosen one for what is now the fifth round of the main series absolute comedy legend invited: Otto Waalkes. That could mean a knockout win in the first two episodes. Who in the world is supposed to stand up to the non-Frisian?
Comedy legend with over 60 years of experience: Otto Waalkes is mixing up LOL Season 5 on Amazon Prime
Otto Waalkes no longer needs a big introduction. The East Frisian comedian, musician and actor has been making people laugh since the 1960s. Much of it is certainly a product of its time and, from today’s perspective, controversial. The pop culture footprint he left behind through Otto, 7 Dwarves and his Dubbing role as Sid but there is no doubt that he has left a mark on the Ice Age series.
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Otto Waalkes in Otto – The Film
For several generations, Otto is one of the defining comedy names. Thanks to his idiosyncratic sense of humor, he was able to… unmistakable brand create that has not been forgotten even after a decade in which he was less in the spotlight. With LOL, Otto gets what is probably the biggest stage since his cinema hits in the 2000s. The other participants are already trembling.
At the beginning of each LOL season, the stars arrive at the studio one by one. Not infrequently There is a murmur going around, when someone like Pastewka enters the room. He always comes very well prepared and has prepared at least one sketch that upsets people, preferably with a disguised voice and an absurd costume. But that is not the biggest challenge.
No matter how precisely Pastewka rehearses his sketches, nothing is more dangerous than the casual and at the same time very penetrating glances that he gives the competition in between. The slightest movement on his face or an inconspicuous movement can make one tearing up inside with laughter. In other words: Pastewka is a walking comedy bomb – and that brings us back to Otto Waalkes.
LOL Season 5 could be the shortest thanks to Otto’s repertoire of jokes: Who in the world is going to survive that?
No matter what big gags Waalkes prepares, the most dangerous are the many bizarre things, which he just does on the side. A strange gait, an excited hop. Briefly disguise your voice and look with eager eyes. At the right moment, Otto can easily override all the safety mechanisms of not wanting to laugh. None of the LOL participants are likely to be immune to this.
Amazon
Otto Waalkes and the cast of LOL Season 5
Otto also has unpredictability on his side. Although he has a distinctive sense of humor, it would be a mistake to ignore his six decades of comedy experience to be reduced to a repeated joke. Otto can draw on a huge repertoire, from hunched postures to imaginative wordplay to absurd chains of noises that catapult us into another comedy dimension.
Otto also has a psychological advantage. He doesn’t come into the show as a blank slate. The reputation that precedes him is no secret and could be the new LOL cast put a lot of pressure on. With Otto’s presence comes the automatic fear that something hilarious could happen at any moment. This increases nervousness. And if you’re nervous, you have to try harder not to laugh.
Otto could win LOL faster than anyone before.
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