Born in 1945, he is a Danish TV host, journalist, philosopher and author. Furthermore, he is a self-taught gardening expert and is best known for his gardening shows on DR and for often smoking a pipe.
Impressive! He sounds like an interesting old man …
He really isn’t! In Denmark, he is known for being extremely boring. He is even referred to in the comedy film ‘Fidibus’ in connection with an incredibly stupid girl, who is so annoying that not only would a pacifist like Gandhi hit her, but even a dullard like Søren Ryge would!
Oh … is he violent?
No, definitely not. Though he did manage do affront most of the country when he in 1995 killed a pigeon on TV. Since then he has also given tips on how to kill mice and encouraged people to shoot feral cats rather than calling the cat protection organisation, Kattens Værn.
He doesn’t sound boring at all
Well, considering that he is known for walking around in his garden planting flowers and mowing his lawn, he is pretty boring. But he must give some useful advice because a fair number do like his shows. Even though these are probably old people who can’t really hear or see anything.
Is he really not funny at all?
Oh, he is funny. He is so hysterically boring that he is a must-see. He is an easy target for comedians who never fail to provide an amusing parody of him. There’s one well-known sketch in which a comedian goes to visit Søren Ryge and plants some weed in the famous garden with a little sign saying ‘Sørens Ryger’, which in Danish slang translates as Søren’s weed.
So his name is recognised by cannabis smugglers?
Yes, and should he fulfil his retirement promise, he might end up sharing a cell with one. He’s announced that when he turns 70 in two years, he will shoot a cat with his shotgun during his final show. He knows that he will get fired if he does so, so his timing is intentional and according to him, the best way to say goodbye after 27 years on the screen.
