Christoph Maria Herbst
“Stromberg” is probably too “borderline” for 2023
Christoph Maria Herbst took on the role of disgusting Bernd Stromberg in 46 episodes.
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Christoph Maria Herbst celebrated a mega success with “Stromberg”. In his opinion, the crude series might be taboo 20 years later.
From today’s perspective, the content of some films and series from the past is controversial and even downright scandalous. Actor Christoph Maria Herbst (57) has now expressed the suspicion in an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” that his cult format “Stromberg” in the way it flickered across the screens from 2004 to 2012 could no longer be created today .
He doubts that “any studio today would dare to produce ‘Stromberg’ in exactly the same style.” Above all, the incredibly rude mouth of the eponymous office boss Bernd Stromberg (Herbst) would probably no longer be acceptable in 2023: “So what Stromberg says was and is of course deliberately borderline. Given some of the sayings, you can quickly come to that conclusion Thoughts come: He would definitely vote for AfD today,” said Herbst. As a result, one would have to “at least approach it more sensitively and be careful with some formulations” these days.
Cheering from unwanted fan groups
In the five seasons of the office mockumentary in the style of the British original “The Office” by Ricky Gervais (62), disgusting Stromberg didn’t mince his words. He repeatedly expressed sexist, homophobic or racist ideas – much to the dismay of his employees.
Quotes from the fictional character taken out of context on social media platforms could therefore have an unintended effect: “There could be cheering from sides that are not actually aimed at. Then comes the shitstorm from the other side, and then this group gets mixed up and then that one, and no one knows what it was all about in the beginning.”
What bothers the actor at the same time, however, is when attempts are made to force diversity in the “clumsiest way”: “If it just seems to be trying to be woke, the story often suffers and the audience feels offended.” Social change needs to be portrayed more naturally, precisely because it is “simply normal,” says the actor.