André Wickström disappeared from the public – now reveals why

– After all, stand up worked in Finland.

Thus André Wickström49, remembers people saying more than 30 years ago when he started his career. At that time, the comedians were about a handful, and the sport was learned through vinyls and VHS cassettes made of international stand -up performances.

– We had to be good because we had to show that this was working. Each gig was a place on the screen, he remembers Iltalehti.

Now he and Jaakko Saariluoma57, celebrate their long career Two gigs -Stand Up Tour, which started on February 14th. According to Wickström, writing material has always changed with society.

– Now there are more stimulus words than when we started. But in the same way you can make a joke about everything, it hasn’t changed. If you compare to the 1980s, you can say much more today than then, the comedian ponders.

Wickström points out that difficult topics can be made into a joke, but you have to find a perspective that people realize.

– If you are not fun or you don’t have a fun perspective, then it’s all just in the discomfort area. And the audience doesn’t want to be there, but they want to laugh, he opens.

In the back

The topics of the jokes have not only received the update, but also the spirit of the back -up gigs.

– It was even harsh in the beginning. Whenever a new comedian came, he went through the baptism of fire. It was it, Wickström says.

According to Wickström, the baptism of fire usually included a new comedian in the back room.

– He had to show that we could withstand our humor and whether he could give it back. The idea was to get after the roast as if to our club. After all, it was done with a big heart, he explains.

Wickström believes that the mood changed with the Me Too campaign. According to him, people then began to think deeper about women’s stories that they thought it was no longer comfortable to be in the back room.

Wickström feels that it is more polite in the back room.

“Of course we are still joking, but we take more consideration,” he says.

A deliberate silence

Wickström is hardly visible in public than on the stand -up stage. According to the comedian, silent publicity has been a conscious choice.

– I have to remember that I have three children. After all, they also keep me away from nightclubs and bars, for example. That is one of the reasons that I am no longer in traffic anymore. If there is an invitation to something, then I’m usually with my children, he says.

Wickström does not notice himself if someone recognizes him on the street, but his children and his partner still like to inform him by whispering.

In the midst of great popularity, Wickström’s 11 and 13-year-old children from time to time remind him of how “embarrassing” his father is.

“They don’t want to see any TV show that I’m involved because it’s embarrassing if Dad is somewhere,” he says.

Wickstöm is only a “neat father” to his children only if someone else mentions him.

– During the presidential election Alexander Stubb said that they like ”Solsidanfrom the series where André Wickström is involved. ” Then I was neat, but otherwise not, the comedian says with a laugh.

– But isn’t it a bit Finnish on the other hand? We are never proud of ourselves, unless a foreign magazine writes about a Finn, he analyzes a twinkle in his eye.

Wickström feels that his children have been influenced by his sense of humor more than his father.

– I find that their humor is something I don’t understand at all. I’m too old for it. I was similar as a teenager: it was embarrassing if I liked the same humor as muts or faija. I had to find what was fun in my own opinion. I think it is related to psychologically cut the umbilical cord. It’s good that parents do not understand, he says.

Wickström and unmarried partner also have a 3-year-old child. It has been agreed with the spouse that Wickström’s job is to take and apply for a small kindergarten. He feels that he is much present at home.

– I don’t feel like I should have been more with my kids because I’m enough with them.

For Wickström, it is important to take care of the family’s privacy and therefore, for example, would not present their home to the public. Nor does he want to take a public stance on current topics.

– There are already enough people there who do it. I can’t. I have noticed that things are going in cycles: now there is such a government that people don’t like, and some didn’t like the previous one, he says.

Distress

Wickström also plays a lot in Sweden, but more in Finland. According to the comedian, Finnish stand up is currently more fun than Sweden.

– We talk more about personal things. It is much more interesting to hear someone’s personal story with humor, Wickström explains.

– In Sweden, there is quite a lot of such that they have made some crazy observation about something. I wondered if it could be related to the fact that they are so politically correct that they dare not really? The most daring immigrant comedians – they are much more raging and damn funny, he adds.

According to Wickström, some clubs in Sweden pay a bit better than in Finland.

– But the Swedish financial course is so Satan’s shit, so anyway, there is more shit than in Finland at the moment, he emphasizes with a laugh.

According to Wickström, in the old days, stand -up club gigs were almost even able to support themselves. Today, the situation is different.

– There were more gigs before Korona. During the corona, many clubs quit and have not come back. In addition, there are many more authors of us today than before Korona, and club gigs are on the card. In Finland, you almost have to go on a tour if you want to do a lot of stand -up because those club gigs are no longer enough, the man opens.

– The company gigs also disappeared when the Ukrainian war began after a pandemic. In addition, Finland’s financial situation is currently quite weak and there are many co-determination negotiations. So there is no terrible party celebration, they have declined terribly, he continues.

Despite the challenges of the industry, Wickström sees the industry as a rosy.

– It can only improve from this. Now it’s somehow good flow: the group is writing new and fun jokes and all the comedians are doing each other. I can’t say we would be one big family, but the atmosphere is encouraging.