Phil Laude: Comedian invented “Almania” during the corona pandemic

Phil Laude
Comedian conceived “Almania” during the corona pandemic

Comedian Phil Laude (32) is best known for his funny YouTube skits. More than 1.1 million people have subscribed to him there, and some of his videos about German pop culture have been clicked more than eight million times. Laude already became a YouTube star in 2006 with the trio Y-Titty. After the dissolution in 2015, the entertainer quickly stood on his own two feet and devoted himself to his great passion: acting. In 2021 he made a big splash: With the ARD production “Almania”, his own series with two pilot episodes made it into the ARD media library.

In the mockumentary, he plays 28-year-old teacher candidate Frank Stimpel. Because he is overly correct, rule-obsessed and stiff-necked, he is considered a “typical Alman” by students and colleagues. Because of a misstep, Stimpel is transferred to a comprehensive school in a big city and has to deal with pedagogical hardships there.

On April 21, eight new episodes of “Almania” will appear in the media library. Laude is already very excited, as he explains in the interview. The series almost never existed, as he revealed to the news agency spot on news.

The series is called “Almania”. But what is an alman anyway?

Phil Laude: For me it’s the “prototype German”. But that works for me regardless of nationality or origin. I now know Almans from different countries (laughs). It’s more the lifestyle than the “German way of life”. It’s not just negative either. In my comedy I make fun of the peculiarities, but things like consistency and keeping one’s word are also part of being Alman.

You have chosen the school environment. How come?

Laude: What I like about the topic is that it is so connecting. It connects us across all generations and differences because we were all there. And it’s the path to adulthood for all of us. I also find that so exciting: it is a microcosm in which not much has really changed. On the other hand, we have a world that is changing so blatantly fast. Frank Stimpel also has to learn this in the series, that his personal experience from the suburban high school no longer keeps pace with the real world.

The first two episodes “Almania” have been around since 2021. What was the echo like back then?

Laude: They were very well received. They were watched a lot and the feedback was positive. Of course there was also criticism. However, I am also new to the series industry. My team consisted of a mixture of people I do YouTube with and people who come from the classic film and series world. In that respect it was an experiment for all of us and we learned a lot from the pilot episodes, which has now gone better in the new episodes.

What is YouTube ahead of TV?

Laude: Mostly the quick feedback. It’s easy to develop the content with your community or incorporate the feedback. That’s super fast. You have an idea and implement it in the next three to four days. That doesn’t happen so quickly with the public broadcasters. In the case of the YouTube sketches, the first punch line must be in the first four seconds. Otherwise people will swipe away. But of course you have a completely different narrative form in a series.

You define yourself very much in youth slang, but the first gray temples are already coming. How long will this be good?

Laude: I think it gets funnier the grayer I am (laughs). The 30th birthday was something special for me. I perceive myself very well through the feedback that I also get from outside. And I have the feeling that you are then perceived differently. Growing up has occupied me for a long time. I also defined it differently for me than just turning 18. It’s more of a lifelong commitment. But that definitely doesn’t mean I can’t make YouTube videos or faxes. But on the contrary. I think that’s a part of me that I really like and will always keep.

Corona has upset your stand-up plans. When will this be made up for?

Laude: I think the series probably wouldn’t have existed if Corona hadn’t come. Then I had time for something like that. But that’s right, I was actually on the stand-up track and Corona came before I finished my program. So I put that on hold. But I also have a feeling that the more life experience you have, the funnier you become as a stand-up comedian. And that’s why I can still do it in five or ten years. The stage never really lets you go completely. But one by one.

Your friend Maria Clara Groppler is also a comedian, you work with her a lot. How does it enrich your art?

Laude: It’s a special kind of relationship when both are artists. We exchange ideas all the time about everything we do. We write jokes together, that’s how we met. And we give each other feedback. Then you have to find a healthy life-work balance, but that also works quite well. I also think it’s really important to be serious.

Are you already in the mood for the next season of “Almania”?

Laude: Yes, of course. I dream of that. We are already writing and collecting ideas. The idea for the first season has been around since the pilot episodes. My dream would be for the journey of this school class to be finished. But in the end it’s up to the audience to decide. So far it’s looking good, but of course I’m still very excited about how it will be received (laughs).

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