September 2001
Swing Set
Chancellor Gerhard Schröder frantically whacking his calves, Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber snapping his fingers and CDU leader Angela Merkel spinning with her suit jacket over her head—if you thought those hamsters could dance, take a look at German politicians cutting a rug at
www.sueddeutsche.de. A clever Web page developed by some humorous folks at the
Süddeutsche Zeitung, “Bundesdance” offers surfers the opportunity to choose background music, ridiculous dance steps, colorful backdrops and lighting effects for the flailing lawmakers. Scroll up and vote on who you would like to see added to the toe-tapping trio: the Green Party’s Joschka Fischer currently has the edge over the FDP’s Guido Westerwelle. Finding the page is only marginally tricky. Once you have reached the
Süddeutsche home page, click on “Bundesdance,” found in the upper left corner. You will be routed to another page, where you will again click on “Bundesdance.” Once the music begins, it takes about one minute for graphics to load. Language skills are not an issue here—simply click about with one hand and wipe away tears of laughter with the other.
