Almost exactly 30 years ago to the day, the first "Harald Schmidt Show" went on air.

For the anniversary, the entertainer speaks with the mixture of irony, distance and laconic sharpness for which he became famous. His thoughts on the present seem like small pinpricks – humorous, but never harmless. On this occasion, the entertainer gave an interview to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Here is a small excerpt from the interview and analyzed:

Pension, responsibility and political power

Schmidt soberly quantifies his expected pension and at the same time makes it clear where he sees his contribution to society: not in saving, but in continuing to work. Those who perform a lot pay a lot of taxes – and in the end, that is the most effective contribution to the common good. In passing, he reminds us that the generation over 60 is a considerable political figure. Anyone who alienates this age group could save themselves election campaign posters right away.

Encounters with former media makers have left lasting impressions on Schmidt. Particularly formative was the realization that journalistic significance does not only result from what is published – but often from what is deliberately omitted. An attitude that he has adopted for himself and that reveals a lot about the company without having to explain it.

Schmidt justifies his admiration for the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk in an unconventional way. It was not so much the theory, but more the private image that convinced him: a country house in the south of France, homemade jam and an almost idyllic scenery. For Schmidt, this has long been a seal of quality of intellectual class – even if he personally associates homemade jams with rather bad childhood memories. His wish then as now: Nutella rather than cellar shelves full of preserving jars.

Schmidt looks at requests for highly remunerated performances with the instinct of a survivor in show business. He knows where careers can be damaged – and where not. He cannot be burned for small sums, for large sums at least the risk must be right. His ironic remark about German white-collar crime hits a sore spot: the claim to keep up internationally is no longer fulfilled even there.

Schmidt is hardly surprised that political contacts are apparently tradable. He observes with amusement how journalism is increasingly dealing with very private topics. He pursues the openness with which intimacy, relationships and the body are talked about with undisguised curiosity – and great interest in reading.

Schmidt's audience expects more than mere entertainment. For him, geopolitics, aesthetics and small observations on the fringes of the big stage belong together. Whether it's about international diplomats, security policy signals or fashionable details in talk show appearances – Schmidt provides classification where others only look.