Clown Peter Shub on his Facebook video success in Asia
Congratulations Peter Shub! A short video of you performing has almost 90 million views on Facebook.
Yes, it’s madness. When friends called me and said I had gone viral, I thought my corona test had come out positive. I first had to look it up in the dictionary to find out that it meant rapid dissemination on the Internet.
The five-minute clip comes from the carnival session “Rosa Wölkchen” by Hessischer Rundfunk, which sets a record. Does the success surprise you?
Yes, I’m really surprised. You can’t plan to go viral. It’s like winning the lottery, and that’s what it feels like – only unfortunately you don’t get as much money.
An analysis has shown that the clip owes its success above all to the immense popularity in Asia…
“The Story of a Moment”
In the number you joke around with a coat, a wardrobe and a hanger. What do you call this art form? slapstick?
Oh, you have to judge that for yourself. Mixed salad maybe. People have always told stories – in the past around the campfire, today on the Internet. Clowns tell the story of a moment, always hoping that people won’t fall asleep and with the fear that they might get bored.
How did this clip come about?
It was filmed a few months ago in a studio in the Frankfurt area with only a handful of people in it. Laughter and applause erupted. This was not so easy. As a clown, you actually need to interact with the audience. In the industry we say: “Comedy needs company”.
Here you can see the video:
Apparently your body language IS understood internationally. It is said that the clip’s success – apart from the recommendations provided by the Facebook algorithm – is also due to the fact that you get to see Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan a little…
I read that too, but there were even more clicks in other countries. In Indonesia alone there were around 19 million, in India more than eight million – and in Pakistan just over two million. But I took a look at this Premier on the Internet. I didn’t understand what he said. But judging by his demeanor, he seems like a fun guy. Maybe he’ll invite me to a show sometime.
Have you ever been to Asia? Or are you planning to perform there now?
I’ve been to Thailand before, but I’ve never performed there. At least I’ve been on stage in Taiwan before. I don’t have any concrete plans for Asia right now, but who knows what’s coming? First, however, I’m going to the GOP in Hanover to see a show that a friend is appearing on. Nothing against the internet, but I prefer to laugh live.
About: Peter Shub
He is one of the most famous clowns in the world: 64-year-old Peter Shub, born in Pennsylvania, attended drama school in Paris and did street theater in Germany. Later he stood with me Stars like Loriot on stage, was at the Roncalli circus and became a regular guest at the small festival in Herrenhausen. He received numerous awards for his mixture of pantomime, slapstick and comedy in German-English gibberish. He moved to Hanover because of his wife Ina, he has been living in Waldhausen for years.
By Simon Benne