There are Germans who are as you describe - the stereotype. These *are* in majority.
But then there are really good satirists in Germany, and many people love them.
It is said that the worse the government or society gets, the more biting, harsh and picking its satirists become. The last years of GDR were the best years of political satire in Germany ever... after 1990 the satire almost got replaced by comedy - an import of US and British style humor which is more shallow and (almost) not criticising. However, we are currently seeing a strongly increasing quality of established satire publications...
The German humor is, by tradition, either deeply hidden (stereotype: not existing), shallow (stereotype: jacka3) or very black (stereotype: think twice, until you think you got it, then think again, then smile and nod and shake your head because you realize it *is* that bad). All of those stereotypes have a long tradition, and have cycles of raise and fall, like the cycles of society. |
