El Hotzo appears against Wolfsburg: Where is our culture?

El Hotzo appears against Wolfsburg: Where is our culture?

The satirist El Hotzo, whose real name is Sebastian Hotz, is causing a stir on social media. The multi-talent is currently addressing the unequal distribution of holidays throughout the year in a recent post on Instagram published on June 11th. With a critical undertone, he complains that there is no public holiday until October 3rd. In recent years, Hotzo has built up a large fan base and currently has 1.4 million followers on Instagram and 700,000 on X, the former Twitter. Each of his posts has the potential to go viral, as ten to twenty posts a day are not uncommon for the influencer, who is also known for his satirical and socially critical content. He has dealt several times with topics such as nationalism in football and the trivialization of depression, as Wikipedia reports.

Another topic that Hotzo takes up in his article is the comparison between Wolfsburg and Detroit. While he praises Detroit for its cultural contributions, including greats like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Eminem, he describes Wolfsburg rather sparingly and only mentions VfL Wolfsburg as a cultural aspect. This unequal assessment elicits numerous comments from users who advocate for their city. Many defenders of Wolfsburg point to other local features such as Wolfsburg Castle, the Art Museum and the Phaeno, which were not mentioned in Hotzo's remarks.

A controversial humor

The themes used by El Hotzo are not always without controversy. His humor is often shaped by social criticism, which sometimes leads to strong backlash. The satirist has distinguished himself negatively through his often provocative statements, such as in connection with the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. He said on Such statements not only brought him criticism from various quarters, but also led to Bayerischer Rundfunk distancing himself. Hotzo was awarded the Bavarian Cabaret Prize for his socially critical content, but his controversial contributions pose challenges for the jury and its decision.

In recent years, El Hotzo's handling of topics such as humor and hate has repeatedly been in focus. He gained international attention as early as 2024 when his comments about Donald Trump caused a stir. His positive experiences with platforms like Instagram were overshadowed by controversial tweets. Despite his popularity - he was named one of the "Top 3 Creators" on Instagram in the trade magazine Werben & Sellen in 2020 - Hotzo is repeatedly faced with the consequences of his provocative choice of words.

Outlook and return to social media

After a brief absence from social media, El Hotzo made his comeback in April 2025. People are particularly excited about his new direction: He announced that his social media accounts would be managed by NGOs. This decision could act as a strategic move to take the wind out of the sails of his critics. While his fans celebrate the return with joy, it remains to be seen how his content develops and whether he can soften his rough edges.

The discussion about El Hotzo not only causes social media to bubble up, but also shows how humor research and social criticism can fundamentally create. Whether he ultimately wins people's hearts with his contributions or continues to polarize them remains the most exciting thing the class of 2025 has to offer.