Viktor Giacobbo
Encyclopedia
Viktor Giacobbo is a Swiss writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...

 and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

.

Life

After school in Winterthur
Winterthur
Winterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...

, he made an apprenticeship as a typesetter. Afterwards, he was a corrector, reader and media documentalist.
Initially, he was author and actor at the independent comedy-theater groups “Stuzzicadenti” (1979–1986) and “Zampanoo's Variété” (1984–1985), then member of the comedy group “Harul's Top Service” (1985–1998). He worked for Radio DRS’ satire programme Satiramisù (1991–1994).

During the 90s, he created satirical figures like Harry Hasler, Debbie Mötteli, Fredi Hinz and Erwin Bischofberger (see below for detailed list).
He became well known, thanks to his job as a moderator and co-author of the satirical programmes Viktors Programm (1990–1994) and Viktors Spätprogramm (1995–2002) on SF DRS and as an author and main actor in the movie Ernstfall in Havanna (2002).
In 2000, Giacobbo initiated, together with Patrick Frey and others, the “Casinotheater” Winterthur. Since then, he is Verwaltungsrats-Präsident of the „Casinotheater AG”.
In 2006 he was the Circus Knie
Circus Knie
Circus Knie is the largest circus of Switzerland, based in Rapperswil.The circus was founded in 1803 by the Knie family and has existed in its present form since 1919 when it changed from an open arena to a covered tent. The circus has been long famous for its animals and now operates a zoo and a...

’s guest star.
He lives near Winterthur.

Alter egos

Giacobbo sometimes plays himself as a selfish, arrogant egoist, who is accompanied by bodyguards who hold back the fans.
He then has a desk full of goblets, a big poster showing himself, and gets paid for Product Placement
Product placement
Product placement, or embedded marketing, is a form of advertisement, where branded goods or services are placed in a context usually devoid of ads, such as movies, music videos, the story line of television shows, or news programs. The product placement is often not disclosed at the time that the...

 in reportages of the Schweizer Illustrierte. He refuses a children home's offer to take part at its ceremony, because the job doesn’t offer enough money. Further, Giacobbo cuts Walter Andreas Müller’s gage. Giacobbo plays a video to show Müller, how miserable his acting was, but the shown role is Giacobbo’s. Müller is hustled out of the office and gets the order to visit the children’s home.
This alternative Giacobbo is depicted as a man who originally was respectable, prude and very uptight. The sketch says, his real name had been “Erwin Bischofberger“ (see below) but he had adopted the alias name “Viktor Giacobbo“. TV-director Peter Schellenberg discovered him, as a female jodler in a duet. But he had big success, after he had stolen the idea to disguise himself as “Harry Hasler” (see below). This idea allegedly had been stolen from a Chinese programme’s figure, therefore and Harry Hasler only was the occidental copy of that Asian figure called „Ha Li Hassel“.
  • Harry Hasler, (*1952 in Weinfelden
    Weinfelden
    Weinfelden is a municipality in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. It is the capital of the district of the same name.Weinfelden is an old town, which was known during Roman times as Quivelda .-History:...

    )

Is a typical macho manta-driver, plays a bouncer and pimp from Zürich’s „Stadtkreis Schwamendingen
Schwamendingen
Schwamendingen is a district in the Swiss city of Zurich. It is district number 12.The district comprises the quarters Schwamendingen Mitte, Saatlen and Hirzenbach....

“. Favourite holiday destination: Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....

. His attributes are a hairy chest, white country-singer’s clothing and golden necklaces.
A typical gesture is standing on one leg and angling the other, then stretching it and angling it again (like hitting the gas pedal). Typical words: „aber volle Pulle, Du!“ (But full throttle, you!), „Wennt weisch was i mein!“ (If you know what I mean!), or the greeting formula „Saletti zäme!“. He doesn’t visit Thailand to see culture and huge Buddha sculptures, but rather have “meetings” (sexual ones).

He once is a guest of a (fictive) programme about travelling, to tell the spectators about Mailand (there was a mistake). Furthermore, Hasler thinks, the Gondola (from which he shows a model) was a fertility goddess. According to Viktors Universum 1, DVD 1/2, Hasler earns money by selling these souvenirs. Other sketches show Hasler in other jobs: leader of a private army of civilists, seller at an esotericist fair. Regularly, Hasler is said to be a producer / seller of adult movies.

Hasler drives a „Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a sports car by the Chevrolet division of General Motors that has been produced in six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after...

 Stingray“. One of his favourite locals ist the "Pattaya" bar, a bar that really exists in Zürich. Harry has a father, who resembles himself, Konrad Hasler. Further, he has an uncle, that isn’t similar to him, but is a regular and respectable-looking elder man, that is a bit silent.

According to a comment by Giaccobo, Hasler's first appearance was in a sketch about a fictive discussion programme, that dealt with humour. But then, he wasn't called "Hasler", but "Grüter" or "Grütter". He didn't really enrich the fictive discussion programme, told jokes about manta drivers, instead of discussing humor.

Giacobbo played Santa on the street, filmed by a hidden camera. The "santa" spoke like Harry Hasler, he pretended to intimately know a female passerby. In another sequence, the "santa" had the "Italian guy"'s (see below) pronunciation.

Disguised as Harry Hasler, Giacobbo moderated a programme of Viktors Spätprogramm.
  • Fredi Hinz


Is a "typical" junkie. His attributes are unkempt hair and clothing, as well as a
plastic bag, which he carries all the time. His style of speaking is in fits and starts, aspirating, like a heavy smoker. He often begs for two "zwei Schtutz" (coll. for "zwei Franken" - "two Swiss Franks") to sleep at the Notschlafstelle.

A surprising aspect of Hinz' character are his (very seldom) intellectual thoughts.
E.g. when he has to interview fictive expert Stolte-Benrad (Patrick Frey) concerning the Iraq, he awkwardly searches the question catalogue, while the expert
gets angry. The expert starts talking despite there's no question, but suddenly, Fredi interrupts him and claims, that the expert is wrong, because the discussed "region obviously was coined monotheistic". He shows bits of deep knowledge and blames the expert for a short moment - just to start talking about "black afghan", "red libanese" and other types of the region's "shit" (hemp) afterwards again.

Disguised as Fredi Hinz, Giacobbo moderated a programme of Viktors Spätprogramm, in which he interviewed the (real) sect leader Uriella
Uriella
Uriella is the spiritual leader and founder of the neo-revelationist religious movement known as Fiat Lux .- Fiat Lux :...

.
  • Rajiv Prasad

A man from India, that is keen on money every time. He speaks a bad English, with
staccatoesque Indian accent. He deals and arranges everything. Once, he even tried to sell Indian soccer-players to the Swiss team. He would even agree selling his own sister, when the price is right.

Right wing politician Christoph Mörgeli criticised Giacobbo for discriminating Indian people. However the Swiss Indian community immediately replied that they don't feel being discriminated by the Rajiv character.

Disguised as Rajiv Prasad, Giacobbo moderated a programme of Viktors Spätprogramm.
  • Debbie Mötteli

She and her girlfriends (allegedly) are the typical "goldcoast chicks" (Zürich Goldcoast, right lakeside)

Debbie wears a waterproof red coat, is uneducated and naive. She doesn't even recognize Hitler, when finding him in an archive's cupboard. Hitler makes his gestures and paroles, but Mötteli just asks, who this man "with the little moustache" was.

In a certain sketch, Debbie's friend is introduced as a trucker called Küde (Mike Müller), who plans to blacken the traffic ministre with Debbie like Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...

 with Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

.

Disguised as Debbie Mötteli, Giacobbo moderated a programme of Viktors Spätprogramm, in which he interviewed Gunvor
Gunvor Guggisberg
Gunvor Guggisberg , known professionally simply as Gunvor, is a Swiss singer and dancer. She is from Berne and owes her name to her Swedish grandfather....

 and Nella Martinetti
Nella Martinetti
Nella Martinetti was a Swiss singer and songwriter.Martinetti was born in Brissago, Switzerland. In 1986, she became the first winner of the Grand Prix der Volksmusik with the song Bella Musica, which she had composed herself...

.
  • Dr. Klöti

Is a very nervous expert, who speaks extremely fast. He e.g. gives banal tips to stop smoking, or a very short quiz, that contains absurd and doubtable questions.
  • Prelate Morgenthaler and Sister (Viktoria) Morgenthaler (a nun)

Are from catholic clerics, both with the same ugly teeth. The prelate once acts as a clerical occupational counsellor, that degrades bishop Wolfgang Haas
Wolfgang Haas
Wolfgang Haas is the first archbishop of the Archdiocese of Vaduz in Liechtenstein. He was ordained a priest as well as incardinated in Chur on April 7, 1974. At the request of the bishop of Chur Johannes Vonderach, Haas was appointed to the position of coadjutor bishop of Chur on March 25,...

 after a laughable qualifying examination.

The nun appears in a fictive TV-spot, where tries to find new members for church.
(Do you know the Landeskirche? Do you know, that only every second person is member? (…) Call now!). This advertising is made like callsex-commercials, with the nun winking seductively.
  • Erwin Bischofberger

Is a uptight library employee (according to other comments, he is a counsellor for enterprises, too. Once, Bischofberger even spoke at a real meeting of a real Swiss enterprise). He has huge glasses. In a fictive coupling show, Bischofberger's hobby is described to be riding a "motorcycle" - the following part of the film shows him riding a moped.
  • Jakob Liniger

A pensioner with shifted bit and partially bald head. He is anchorman of the fictive programme „Bettflucht“.
  • Sonny Boppeler, called Jack Boppeler, too

A soccer coach, that isn't very sympathetic. In one sketch, he tries to deal African players.
  • Italian-guy (called "Gian-Franco Benelli" in sketch "Die Weihnachtsgeschichte")

Italian guest worker, speaks a bad but fast Swiss German. His cadence is rhythmic and "Italian", like his gestures are. He seemingly doesn't know grammar and therefore he e.g. doubles verbs.
Furthermore, he doesn't really assume a conversation's momentane content, but simply
shouts his typical phrases, e.g. „Chasche nitte mache!“ (You can't do that!).
  • Turkish- or Kurd-guy (called "Mehmet Örkan" in sketch "Der neue Arena-Moderator")

A seldom figure, a bit similar to the Italian-guy, but with different hair (partially grey).
According to the sketch "Der neue Arena-Moderator", he is a "weapons dealer and mafioso". In a fictive discussion of the programme "Arena", he celebrates himself, putting the hands in the air and making gestures to increase the own applause. The (real) Kurt Aeschbacher, who play the moderator, says that Örkan speaks the Swiss German dialect of Berne very well - But Örkan only says a few, merely unclear, words and imitates gun sounds.

Maybe because of their alikeness, "Turkish/Kurd-guy" and "Italian-guy" are in the same folder on
Viktors Universum DVD 1½, which has a chapter menu that organizes sketches after the figures appearing in.

Real persons that were parodied (a selection)

  • Roger Schawinski
    Roger Schawinski
    Roger Schawinski is a well known Swiss journalist and entrepreneur as well as the creator of a highly successful Swiss consumer watchdog program called Kassensturz ....

  • Ueli Maurer
    Ueli Maurer
    Ueli Maurer is a member of the Swiss Federal Council and head of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports...

  • Martina Hingis
    Martina Hingis
    Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...



Further, there were e.g. parodies of:
Carla Del Ponte
Carla Del Ponte
Carla Del Ponte is a former Chief Prosecutor of two United Nations international criminal law tribunals. A former Swiss attorney general, she was appointed prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in August...

, Jean Ziegler
Jean Ziegler
Jean Ziegler is a former professor of sociology at the University of Geneva and the Sorbonne, Paris. He was a Member of Parliament for the Social Democrats in the Federal Assembly of Switzerland from 1981 to 1999...

, Christoph Blocher
Christoph Blocher
Christoph Blocher is a Swiss politician, industrialist, and former member of the Swiss Federal Council heading the Federal Department of Justice and Police . Currently he is serving as Vice President of the Swiss People's Party...

, Wolfgang Haas
Wolfgang Haas
Wolfgang Haas is the first archbishop of the Archdiocese of Vaduz in Liechtenstein. He was ordained a priest as well as incardinated in Chur on April 7, 1974. At the request of the bishop of Chur Johannes Vonderach, Haas was appointed to the position of coadjutor bishop of Chur on March 25,...

, Ursula Koch, but these parodies were by other actors of the programme: (Mike Müller, Peter Fischli, Walter Andreas Müller, Birgit Steinegger, Patrick Frey etc.)

There are also fictive figures played by others:
  • Mauro, an Italian of the 2nd generation Mike Müller
  • Herr Schupisser, expert and ambassador Andrej Togni

Publications

  • columnist for news magazine „Facts“ (1995–1999)
  • columnist for „Tages-Anzeiger
    Tages-Anzeiger
    Tages-Anzeiger, also abbreviated Tagi or TA, is a German language Swiss national daily newspaper based in Zurich. Among newspapers in Switzerland, it has one of the largest readerships, reaching around 550,000 readers. The Tages-Anzeiger was first published in 1893...

    “ (since 1999)

  • „Spargel der Vergeltung“ (collected columns), edition "Kein & Aber" (1998)
  • Calendar for 1999 and 2001 „Viktors Wandprogramm“, edition "Kein & Aber" (1998, 2000)

Movies and programmes on VHS, CD and DVD

  • CD Saletti, Rap alias Harry Hasler (1996)
  • Videocassette Volle Pulle, alias Harry Hasler, Warner Home Video (1996)
  • Videocassette Viktors Spätprogramm - Selection, Warner Home Video (1998–2001)
  • DVD Viktors Universum 1 & 2, Warner Home Video (2000, 2001)
  • DVD Ernstfall in Havanna, Warner Home Video, Vega Film (2002)
  • DVD Viktors Universum - Finale, Warner Home Video (2003)
  • CD Sickmen, Audio-CD of the theater play, edition "Kein & Aber" (2004)
  • DVD Undercover, Vega Film (2005)
  • CD Fredi Hinz - Unstoned, Audio-CD, edition "Kein & Aber" (2005)

  • Movie script writer (with Domenico Blass), actor and co-producer of Ernstfall in Havanna, Director: Sabine Boss (2001/2002)
  • Actor in Germanikus by Gerhard Polt
    Gerhard Polt
    Gerhard Polt is a Bavarian writer, filmmaker, actor and satirical cabaret artist.Gerhard Polt often performs using Bavarian dialect. His main topics are Bavarian people, culture and politics. His performances in Munich theaters, which he started in 1976, are very popular...

     (2004)

Awards

  • Salzburger Stier 1991 (with Birgit Steinegger)
  • Telepreis 1996
  • Prix Walo
    Prix Walo
    The Prix Walo is the most important award in Swiss show business. It is known as the "Swiss Oscar".----- Honorable - Walo - awards :* 1983: Charly Fritsche* 1991: Eynar Grabowsky* 1992: Willi Schmidt, First Harmonic Brass Band...

    (Category: Medienschaffende) 1996
  • Prix Walo for „Viktors Spätprogramm“ (Category: Fernsehsendung) 1997
  • Prix Walo for „Viktors Spätprogramm“ (Category: Fernsehproduktion) 2001
  • Swiss Award 2002 (Category: Showbusiness)
  • Spezialpreis für Fernsehsatire, Oltner Cabarettage, 2003

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK