Werner Herzog, an iconic German director and producer known for his deadpan discourse, is parodied in a series of YouTube videos where “Herzog” narrates beloved children picture books.
Of course his imitator (or should I say flatterer?) does not perfectly duplicate Herzog’s accent, as the comedian’s Deutsch impression is weak and stereotypically stresses the “w” sound for the “v” sound. Nonetheless, the YouTube comedian channels Herzog’s philosophical interpretations and art-house filmmaking sensibilities and retells the bright children’s stories with Nietzsche-esque nihilistic interpretations.
And that’s why the videos are hilarious – a Herzog fan can appreciate Herzog’s dark film philosophy pasted onto children’s books and those unfamiliar to Herzog can appreciate the dark humor when a book like Curious George takes on the sinister overtones of British imperialism and the slave trade.
Here are my top three “Herzog” narrations:
1/Herzog reads Vhere’s Valdo as a search for a man, and a man search for himself:
2/In Madeline, Herzog analyzes the sexual repression in a French boarding house and reads the titular character’s appendectomy as an “obvious metaphor” for sexual maturity:
3/Herzog gives a chilling take on adult perception in a beloved seasonal tale in his reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas:
The humor in these videos is very much tongue-in-cheek, and the real Herzog knows of these parody videos and refers to them on his website. For deep, philosophical takeaways from classic children books look no further than “Werner Herzog Reads…” Your stomach will be unsettled by both Herzog’s astute observations and from the deep belly laughs at their ridiculousness application to picture books.
