"Laughing is Self-Defense": Satirist Florian Scheuba in Interview

Florian Scheuba is primarily a team player - known, among other things, as a member of "Hektiker" or "Staatskünstler". On November 11, his third solo program "Good Evening Austria" premieres at the Vienna Stadtsaal. Daily politics will play little role in it. In advance, Scheuba spoke with APA about the trend of satire lawsuits, sado-populism, the meaning of life, and why seven plums can be encouraging.

Wave of Lawsuits Against Satirists in Austria

APA: In August, you were found guilty of defamation by the OLG because you attested to the Federal Criminal Office Director Andreas Holzer a "mysterious inactivity" and "consequential refusal to work" in connection with the investigations into the "Ibiza video" in your "Standard" column. Do you now think twice about every formulation?

Florian Scheuba: No. But a former prosecutor and current judge made me aware of the possible consequences of this verdict - namely, that officials could immunize themselves against any form of criticism by equating criticism with the accusation of abuse of office. Judges could then sue against appeals. That's the dangerous thing about it, which goes far beyond the question of satire and non-satire.

APA: Does this have any impact on your work?

Scheuba: No, no. A lawyer supporting the other side openly said in a background conversation that the goal of the lawsuit is to "shut Scheuba up." I won't comply with that, because then the goal would be achieved. Suing against satire is still relatively new in Austria. But it is a worrying development. I'm not the only one. Malarina was sued by Egisto Ott, the "Tagespresse" by the FPÖ. Suing satirists is like suing the mirror for body shaming when visiting the hall of mirrors at the Wurstelprater. In any case, I do not intend to be intimidated by it.

Extreme Case USA

APA: In the USA, unpopular late-night shows are now being canceled.

Scheuba: There, satire is indeed politically fought from the top. With Trump, I'm not sure if it's not a competitive mindset to push other comedians out of the market. (laughs) You can suspect with many of his actions that it is satire. For example, with his cabinet, he didn't just choose incompetent, corrupt, loyal henchmen, but made the effort to find the most unsuitable person possible. That seems like a satirical approach.

APA: Reality as an exaggerated form of satire?

Scheuba: There is still a difference between voluntary and involuntary comedy. But I believe that today satire needs to be labeled as such more often. In the past, this was a no-go because it implied that the audience was too stupid to figure it out themselves.

Humor Reaches People

APA: You have been doing a kind of investigative cabaret for years. What is your goal?

Scheuba: In the past, one could assume that things discussed on "Zeit im Bild" were generally known. That is no longer the case. Moreover, so many things happen simultaneously that I have the ambition to tell people about them. I try to present it satirically to perhaps reach more people.

APA: What are you dealing with in the new program?

Scheuba: It is about the evening mood in the Occident that currently prevails. We live in a world that I have never experienced like this before. Future prospects are overshadowed by massive threats - the war in Europe, the USA tipping into authoritarianism, the climate catastrophe. I try to reflect on what this does to us - and eventually end up at the meaning of life.

APA: If the crisis is everywhere anyway, who would want to pay to see it?

Scheuba: The aim is indeed to make fun of it and highlight aspects that are funny. Laughter is also a form of self-defense. I try to analyze phenomena, slip into roles, question lines of argument. An example: One can see that the moral societal consensus that lying is something bad is crumbling. J.D. Vance openly said during the election campaign: If it's about creating stories to get into the media, then I'll do it. A confession to lying. People don't even bother to make lies appear credible anymore when they claim that immigrants eat pets and hurricanes are made by the government. The message is: There is no truth, only opinions. Some say this, others say that, we don't really know either. We don't need the truth anymore, there are only opinions.

Meaninglessness in Populism

APA: Do you also offer solutions?

Scheuba: This may be a naive message, but I believe that reflecting on the meaning of life can help us work constructively and positively on our world again. I also believe that we are no longer dealing with populism, but with a sadomasochistic populism. Populism said: "Free beer for everyone." Sadomasochistic populism says: "No beer for the others." This resonates with many people. According to studies, a significant common denominator among voters who fall for it is a sense of meaninglessness. These are people who see no meaning in their lives and take outrage or anger as a substitute for meaning.

APA: As an enlightener, don't you sometimes question the meaning, especially in times like these?

Scheuba: Of course. I don't have the illusion that a cabaret program can improve the world. And often it's said that you only reach people who already share the same opinion. That may be, but that's already something meaningful. Knowing that there are other people who still have their wits about them can be encouraging.

Solo Program No. 3 by Florian Scheuba

APA: You work a lot in a team. "Good Evening" is only your third solo - remarkable, considering you've been on stage for a good 40 years. Do you not like performing alone?

Scheuba: It just happened that way. I tried it once with the first program, it was nice and fine, and I thought it could become another facet of my work. Recently, I had several projects together with colleagues again. I feel very privileged because I get to work with people with whom it's a lot of fun. But now I thought it might be time to do a solo again.

The Future of the "State Artists"

APA: And how are the "State Artists" doing?

Scheuba: We're doing another annual review, so we're already diligently collecting. Maybe a new program will come out too.

APA: Has ORF not approached you for a "State Artists" comeback?

Scheuba: No. They always say: "Unfortunately, no money!"

(The conversation was conducted by Thomas Rieder/APA)

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