- Title: Slovenian comic's parody has Merkel dancing with "zombie" refugees
- Date: 3rd July 2017
- Summary: LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA (JUNE 16, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN COMEDIAN, KLEMEN SLAKONJA, SAYING: "I feel like I'm in heaven. To be this strong woman. In a metaphorical way, of course." (SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN COMEDIAN, KLEMEN SLAKONJA, SAYING: "After Trump and Putin, you know, it was difficult to do Angela Merkel, because there is no such juiciness as with Trump and Putin, so we had to make some things up. The story is that Angela Merkel comes to a theater, and watches a musical called "Ruf mich AnGela", and she enjoys it in the end. Like... Real Angela Merkel will, I hope, enjoy the video." SLAKONJA DRESSED AS MERKEL DANCING ON SET/ EXTRA DRESSED AS ADOLF HITLER MOCKINGLY SHOOTING HIMSELF (SOUNDBITE) (English) SLOVENIAN COMEDIAN, KLEMEN SLAKONJA, SAYING: "Nazi iconography is just a small part. I thought it could be fun, let's say it like that. Angela would be dancing with zombies, happy, playful, in the cemetery of history, and then out of skeletons would come Hitler and would be shocked (shouting) 'Was ist das?!', you know..."
- Embargoed: 17th July 2017 11:48
- Keywords: Merkel German chancellor parody comedian social media
- Location: LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA
- City: LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA
- Country: Slovenia
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Human Interest / Brights / Odd News
- Reuters ID: LVA0056O5XZRT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Slovenian comic who has attracted millions of online hits with extravagant musical parodies of such figures as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and the pope gives Angela Merkel the same satirical treatment in a clip released on Monday (July 3).
Klemen Slakonja plays the German chancellor in the YouTube video, along with a cast of dozens. Merkel dances with the German national soccer team as well as with "refugees" made up to resemble zombies. Adolf Hitler and Trump make brief cameo appearances.
"Refugees coming to Europe ... don't have the opportunities that they should get, so they are like the living dead here," Slakonja explained to Reuters.
Slakonja, 32, whose main job is as an actor with the Slovenian National Theatre, said he planned to make parodies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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