From Wixers to TEDxAUTH, how did you cross that gap?
T.P.: How did TEDxAUTH occur? I just woke up one day and I was in a merry mood and Stefanos texted me and I thought something along the lines of “aww sweet little University boy”. And I simply said yes, but I didn’t know it would take place in Thessaloniki and I couldn’t take it back by then. Well, I’m not complaining, it is really nice. I’ve been to Thessaloniki 7 times this year, I’ll be there next weekend too. You don’t have the night-club life I want though, but anyway.
If you participated in the event as a speaker, what kind of experience would you choose to share?
T.P.: I’d probably talk about the journey to employment, as I was half-joking before, I have actually changed 12 jobs until I came to be what I am today.
Do you feel satisfied now?
T.P.: Yes, I feel very very satisfied, because I simply do nothing and still get paid (laughs). Fine, yeah, I make do, I do something. I don’t know, it’s just weird that my scripts have a positive response from employers on tv and I say why not? Just give’em.
How is your collaboration with Grigoris Arnaoutoglou and the rest of the team?
T.P.: I guess, I’d say it’s a very good collaboration with Grigoris, because alright, he is a full fledged show man, and whatever he has done so far in television was successful and you should know that, it is a very hard thing to get people who have stayed in television for 20 and 30 years to give you space to do your own thing. – Have I sucked up on him enough?
Ok, but what is the difference between an online show and tv show?
T.P.: Guys, there’s a huge gap. Huge. Just think that on the internet you are truly free to do and say whatever you wish. Of course, you’ll be criticized much more harshly on the internet than on television. At least on tv they can cut it out with a montage and even if something inappropriate does appear on, well, fine, not many people will actually care, because people don’t watch television anymore. But online people can truly crucify you.
Of course, I’d like to say to all those writing negative comments: Guys, keep doing this… I really love it. I enjoy the burn, all those mama jokes and the swearing turns me on. This is why I keep going. Of course I won’t be affected by every no-lifer who comments and swears – ha. Chill.
You are a comedian, ok? …
T.P.: -I Am a WHAT? – fine , they gave me this name. No fine, I accept this because I’m making you laugh so yeah…
Yes, you make others laugh, but what makes you laugh?
T.P.: what makes me laugh? Erm.. well, Kieslowski.. no, I’m joking, I really enjoy the greatest comedian on earth, Sacha Baron Cohen, anyone that doesn’t know him or doesn’t know his work, look him up. I really like the silliness of American movies, I may laugh with Will Ferrell equally in both his great movies and any of his failures, and then equally laugh at a serious, arty-farty American movie. Hmm..what else makes me laugh? I laugh at Greek football, I laugh at the current political stage, I laugh at education in our country. I like this country, let’s not fix it. Let it stay crappy like this, we (comedians) get to have jobs this way.
When you received your invitation as presenter for TEDxAUTH, what was it that made you accept? Was it something specific that made you accept?
T. P.: Ok, I’ll let you in on something. I really like helping University students, I have participated in many interviews like this, in research papers, even in papers for Masters. This is my first event, ok, I wish I could take part in more because I enjoy this, as an experience, because I believe that we have been abandoned by the sociopolitical system of the country, because people have been abandoned, the country has been abandoned and the only solution for young people is to help others who probably are in a better state than them and could offer them a thing or two more, because neither University professors care about the students, nor the system, not even the parents. In general, a University student, -because I have too been a student – is all alone, trying to make it. And all those institutes that try to take advantage of the student body and stand in the spotlight and say that *this* or *that* University achieved this and that, no. Your student achieved all that, because you as a university don’t give a damn.
And that’s the truth, sorry guys, I know you are AUTH students, boasting all the time about AUTH being the best University in Greece, well I disagree. No Greek University is good. All institutes in this country are in the exact same state as the country itself. Let’s not get started on Greek politics, because we deserve the politicians we have, we do. This is why we are going south.
That’s why I’ll just throw the cigarette on the floor – I’m picking it back up of course- and we make this movement every day, thousands of Greeks today, the same Greeks who travel to a city abroad, tp Vienna for instance, and they hold it in their hands and when someone tells them “throw it on the street” they say no, I’d ashamed to do so. And this is a matter of education, and education begins from home, not from school.
What? That was it? I want more, ask me more.
Tell us what do you think of the event so far?
T. P.: Look, I do respect the attempt, surely there are some problems but eventually, you get the know-how and learn from your mistakes so you do it better next year and the one after that. I’d like to congratulate you on your considerable attempt, which I do understand that was fully and truly yours. So, well done.
Translation: Niki Saridaki