Wat moet ik?

by Youp van 't Hek

De titel van dit bundeltje NRC-columns is Wat moet ik? Een vraag die ik mijzelf dagelijks stel. Iedere ochtend wel. Wat moet ik? Meestal moet ik veel. Domweg omdat ik te veel werk heb aangenomen. Balen hooi op een veel te kleine vork. Maar dan heb ik het over werk. Zelf gekozen drukte. Wat moet ik echt? Ademen, eten, drinken en slapen. Dat moet je. Anders ga je dood. De rest is bijzaak. Roedels depressieve medemensen kakelen zich dagelijks hees bij allerhande peuten en vertellen dat ze zich onder druk voelen staan. Onder druk van hun omgeving. Dat ze het idee hebben dat ze zoveel moeten. Carrière binnen de zaak, aanzien in het dorp, status binnen de tafeltennisvereniging, enzovoort, enzovoort. Een heel groot minderwaardigheidscomplex met een hoop parkeergelegenheid. Alle vehikels vinden er een plekje. Frustratie, miskenning, jaloezie, faalangst, straatvrees, feestfobie, enzovoort. Ze kermen tegen de psychotherapeut: ‘Wat moet ik?’ En deze zou maar één antwoord moeten geven: ‘U moet niks! Behalve ademen, eten, drinken en slapen. Dat is het. U moet leven, genieten, alles met een kilo zout nemen. Morgen bent u namelijk dood!’ Dat moet hij zeggen. Hoewel? De liefde! Die moet ook onderhouden worden. Een fluitende liefde scheelt de helft. En verder? Verder moet je niks!

Genres: Humor

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Youp van 't Hek is a Dutch comedian and a columnist for NRC Handelsblad. He was born and raised in the Gooi, a upper class region to the southeast of Amsterdam. His youth there served as an inspiration for his ironic attitude toward the rich, the successful and all those who are pretending to be either. After being kicked out of several high schools, he finally completed the one where he also led the school theater, and moved to Amsterdam. There he was one of the founding members of Cabaret NAR (Cabaret Jester). Throughout all the changes in Cabaret NAR, Youp was the only constant factor in it and because of him focusing more and more on their shows, he gradually became Cabaret NAR. In the beginning he (or Cabaret NAR) was not very successful, often not even successful enough to pay for their own shows. During all this he worked in some of those boring, mind-numbing, riskless, black-and-white, have-to-wear-a-suit, 9-to-5 kind of office jobs, which later inspired many of his jokes and imitations.

In the early 1980s Cabaret NAR success declined and Youp moved on as a solo artist. From then on he has had great popularity. Though his shows and statements may be considered controversial, he has developed himself, not only as a comedian, but also as an idealist. His humor is always mixed with a sense of irony towards modern life, culture, and national and international politics. Other themes often found in his shows and humor are death, hypocrisy, the innocence of children, the sincerity of the elderly, the gap between what society expects from you and what you, deep in your heart, want the most, and the question: "When would you call someone crazy and when would you call him/her normal or healthy?".

His big break came in 1983 on KRO's "De alles is anders-show". His energetic performance made him a household name overnight.

He is known as "the Buckler of Dutch comedians" because he ridiculed Buckler, a low-alcohol beer brewed by Heineken in his 1989 end-of-year show so effectively, sales plummeted and the brand was eventually withdrawn from the market.[1] Youp has often cited this as the best joke in his career and has subsequently referred to it in all his retrospective shows.

Reviews

[ScarletRozy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik vond het zeer interessant om te lezen en heb zelfs echt moeten lachen hoe youp sommige dingen had verwoord. Heel leuk en ook nog eens grappig naar mijn opinie.

[Paul van der Sneppen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leuk!!
(Zoals altijd)

[Jurgen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weer een mooie, en scherpe bundel columns uit eind 2013 tot aan eind 2014 door Youp van 't Hek.