Stefan Raab as Ken: Why He Reminds Us of Donald Trump and the Return of the Campfire

So, folks, let's be honest for a minute about Stefan Raab. There you are on the weekend, parked in front of the telly, you switch on "Who Knows When What Was?", and suddenly you get this feeling: Is this a look back at the 90s, or have we just taken a little trip into American politics? I'm telling you, Raab in his current role – that wildly over-the-top, bleached-blonde Ken – there's something to him. And I've got a thought I need to share with you.

Dipl.-Med. and the Big Head: A Tribute to the Madcaps

For anyone who might have only just started watching TV in Austria yesterday: this guy who's now bouncing around the quiz show as a walking meme, that's Stefan Raab. The man who gave us sleepless nights with "TV total". The man who gifted us the "Big Head". The man who, as "Dipl.-Med. Stefan Raabe", enriched the German language with another completely unnecessary but brilliant doctorate. And that's exactly the point: this new Ken character he's playing is no joke. It's a masterclass in self-deprecation. He takes the whole format, this generational duel, and just turns it on its head with his presence. When he stands there in that plastic man outfit, his entire history is there with him: the "Bekloppten" (the "Madcaps"), the legendary boxing matches against Regina Halmich, and the absolute certainty that you'll hear "You won't win the million on Stefan Raab" long before the evening even gets close to being boring.

The Campfire is Burning Again: With Schöneberger and the Old Spirit

Word has it that the two of them were chatting recently – Raab and Schöneberger. And during their chat, a phrase came up that immediately resonated with me: "The return of the campfire". That's exactly it! That feeling you had as a teenager or young adult, sitting in front of the TV and knowing: something's happening here. There's someone who isn't just delivering slick, perfect television, but someone who stands up and is willing to make a total fool of themselves. And that's exactly what he's doing again. He plays Ken so exaggeratedly, so persistently well, that it's almost uncomfortable – but in the best way possible. It's that certain something that's often missing from the TV landscape today.

• The Hair: That perfectly sculpted plastic helmet of hair is, of course, a direct nod to the "Big Head" from his earlier sketches. A tribute to his own career.
• The Attitude: That confident, almost arrogant grin? He's actually got a bit of Donald Trump about him there. Not politically, of course, but in that kind of: "I'm the boss here, I've got the overview, and if I don't, well, that doesn't really matter either."
• The Voice: When he takes over as Ken, that slightly monotonous but incredibly commanding manner – that's pure "Raab & Die Bekloppten" territory. Simply timeless nonsense of the highest order.

For us in Austria, the relationship with German entertainers is always a bit special. Either they don't connect with us, or they become cultural treasures. Stefan Raab clearly falls into the second category. Whether it's the "Bundesvision Song Contest", the duels with his Pro7 colleagues, or now this comeback as Ken – we're there for it. And honestly? I'm glad he's back. Not because we desperately needed another quizmaster, but because this "campfire", this carefree, intelligent silliness, is simply balm for the soul. It's good to know that Dipl.-Med. Stefan Raabe still has a license for nonsense – and that he's exercising it with full intent and a dash of Trump-like audacity. Here's to the coming weeks, Mr. Raab. We've got the remote ready.