DThe carnival is in full swing – and the question arises again: what to wear? All sorts of peoples are now eliminated, and not just Chinese or Mongolians, but also French and Italians, who, in order for others to recognize them immediately, would have to be reduced to a typical feature such as a baguette under their arm or a girl in their arm – and that's possible of course not at all.
What seems obvious: a disguise as a politician. They have to be able to do that based on what they earn. However, certain costumes are prohibited there too. Putin, for example. This is only possible during carnival in the AfD parliamentary group. But things get tricky with people like Erdoğan. Could an Erdo costume be read as support for an autocrat? Or could his numerous friends in Germany think they are making fun of him? This has already led to upheavals, especially in the carnival stronghold of Cologne, see Böhmermann.
Perhaps as a rule of thumb you can define the following: The rulers of all the countries to which Germany supplies weapons, with which Germany has a refugee agreement or from which Germany obtains raw materials are okay as carnival costumes, as long as they come across as friendly.
Could Söder become chancellor?
Of course, carnival also thrives on the satire of current events. What was very hot this week was that CDU leader Friedrich Merz is open to the black-green coalition. The sister party in Bavaria will either have rubbed their eyes – or their hands. It would be laughable if CSU leader Markus Söder didn't issue the motto at Political Ash Wednesday: A government without the Greens can only exist with a CSU chancellor! But would he have a chance of being elected? The best way to feel this is to go out of the office, like Hubert Aiwanger, who is rumored in the CSU to attend up to ten demonstrations a day, even in bad weather. Carnival is particularly good for testing people's minds, because fools speak the truth. So it makes sense to disguise yourself as Markus Söder and mingle with the electorate.
But how do you do things as a Söder? As in so many situations in life, we ask ourselves the question here: What would Söder do? If he went as himself, would he go as he is? Or would he put on one of his famous Christmas sweaters, loosen the laces, pick up a Star Wars mug and style some hair up the side of his forehead? According to the motto: disguised beyond recognition.
Would that have been the case with Hendrik Wüst?
But since there is only one Markus Söder, we'll go with a Hawaiian shirt with Söder's portrait. It comes from the ideas workshop of a creative member of the JU Augsburg, went viral online and is said to have appealed to Söder so much that he himself ordered Söder Hawaiian shirts. Our first self-experiment took place at the children's parade in downtown Munich. The response to the Hawaiian shirt was mixed – it left hardly anyone cold. Would that have been the case with Hendrik Wüst? “Are you serious?” one asks, pointing to the shirt. Munich is red, emphasizes another. But there are also quite a few thumbs up. Is this perhaps due to the children in tow (tiger and fairy), who are supposed to counteract the impression that you are somehow strange on this day?
Second research day, women's carnival at the Viktualienmarkt. On this day, Bavaria stands in comparison to the Rhineland, where the Rhineland usually stands in comparison to Bavaria – under “further ran”. Thesis: If Söder works here today, he will also work for the rest of the year and everywhere. Until a few meters in front of the carnival stage, you don't even notice that it's carnival at the Viktualienmarkt, which doesn't make wearing the Söder shirt any easier. But with every Prosecco it gets better. Many women (you can say that at women's carnival) give you a wistful smile. You think: If that applies to Söder on the Hawaiian shirt, then Merz has to dress warmly.