Joko Winterscheidt: This is how he wants to score points with his climate documentary

The comedian and moderator Joko Winterscheidt (44) has been the fun officer since his early days at VIVA with colleague Klaas Heufer-Umlauf (39). It doesn’t matter whether it’s “The Duel Around the World”, “Circus HalliGalli” or “Joko & Klaas vs. ProSieben”: Winterscheidt entertains people and attracts attention with his infectious laugh. Most recently, he was seen in the Amazon production “LOL: Last One Laughing”.

But the 44-year-old also has a serious side: together with Heufer-Umlauf, he drew attention to the situation of the nursing staff in a post lasting several hours. Later to support the women’s protests in Iran.

With his new Amazon docuseries “Joko Winterscheidt Presents: The World’s Most Dangerous Show”, the entertainer is once again delving into a topic that is far from thigh-slapping. In an interview with the news agency spot on news, he reveals how this project came about, why it will not remain a one-off thing and why he is sure that his fans are behind him in the project.

You are known as the joker with the witty laugh, for shallow conversation and adolescent humor. How come you now venture into science?

Joko Winterscheidt: I don’t dare to get into science, but try to direct the reach and attention I have gained over the past few years to a topic that will extremely shape and influence our future. Unfortunately, the climate crisis is no longer a scientific theory, but a bitter reality that will also concern people who – like me – have not always lived in an exemplary and climate-neutral way.

Sooner or later we will all have to deal with this topic and if I can contribute a little bit with my reach, then I have achieved everything I set out to do with this documentation.

Will we soon see you arguing for climate protection at climate demos and on talk shows?

Winterscheidt: I’m not a scientist and I don’t see myself as an activist. I’ve been making entertainment out of conviction and passion for 15 years and now I’m just turning the spotlights that are usually on me onto a topic that scares me personally and about which I feel a great deal of insecurity. I wanted to develop a feeling for what was to come and at the same time I hoped that I would also find people, ideas and solutions that would give me hope for the future.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that working intensively on the subject took away my fear and insecurity, but I also learned that the necessary changes in our lives are not only a dark horror scenario, but also a great opportunity. This realization helped me a lot and if this feeling is also transferred to the viewers of this documentary, I will be more than satisfied.

Did you change anything privately after the show? If yes: What, for example?

Winterscheidt: I don’t want to embellish anything: Even if I have a photovoltaic system on the roof, reduce my meat consumption and travel more by train, I will certainly no longer be a figurehead for exemplary and climate-neutral living. I’ve never said that, and it certainly wouldn’t be very credible.

Nevertheless, I question my behavior and habits more than I did a few years ago and I am firmly convinced that not only admirably consistent and idealistic people should discuss and talk about the coming climate change. Climate change is also affecting those who previously didn’t want to know anything about it.

What new things can you contribute to the topic that Harald Lesch hasn’t unraveled umpteen times?

Winterscheidt: Everything, really everything I have to say on the subject, can be formulated better, more credibly and more knowledgeably by scientists like Harald Lesch or climate activists. Unfortunately, I sometimes listen to my best friend in the pub or at a party more than I do to experts and scientists.

I hope that with this documentary I can be the friend who takes on the topic at eye level and with solid half-knowledge and goes in search of people who really have a clue and ideas as to whether and how we can get out of this shit again . In addition, regrettably, scientists are rarely found in prime time and are seldom offered major documentaries for Prime Video. I’ve tried to use that privilege and share the attention with the people who really have something to say.

Do you trust your fans to get involved with the topic and to become active themselves?

Winterscheidt: One hundred percent. Above all, I hope that I can also reach people outside of this group. I don’t come wagging my finger and pointing out what’s going wrong. I feel that something has to change and I want to do my part to provide food for thought. I don’t claim to have a clean slate, but rather see myself as someone who lives normally like everyone else. This might give me a different perspective on things.

They give a brief overview of the different approaches, but don’t really go into depth. Do you want to change that in the future?

Winterscheidt: It certainly wasn’t unique. The climate crisis is not a tool that you use when you need it. It is omnipresent and will dominate our future. As for the depth, I like to leave that to the pros. I didn’t start to save the world, I want to present opportunities and above all show that it’s not too late. But this requires above all attention and awareness of the topic. That’s exactly the point at which someone like me can contribute something meaningful.

You address it in the series: Amazon as a company is viewed very critically by many in connection with climate protection. Do you think the show can contribute positively to their actions as well?

Winterscheidt: Of course, I also had to ask myself whether this documentary is ultimately a fig leaf for Amazon and whether there is a risk of wanting the right thing and achieving the wrong thing. Nevertheless, Amazon is an incredibly large platform with which you can reach many people – also internationally. Basically, it quickly boiled down to the question of what is more important to us: to invalidate any contradiction of this project and simply produce the next game show or to seize the opportunity and use the enormous reach for this topic. We were and are aware at all times that this entails risks for all parties and we have also addressed this in the documentation.