We spoke to Ms. Zuzana Bubílková after her performance in Janské Lázně in March this year. We asked: You enjoy meeting people outside of large halls, don't you?
I like people. That's why I travel by metro in Prague, otherwise by bus and train. If I had to get a ride or drive everywhere, I wouldn't know real life. It's isolation, which doesn't bother singers or actors, but for a satirist or comedian, encountering reality is the basis for apt humor. And there's another advantage: because I traveled by public transportation and performed in halls even during the flu epidemic, I developed such immunity that I didn't even cough without being vaccinated. In the editorial office of Radio Impuls, where I work as an external reporter, they say that even germs are afraid of me.
Is there a different audience in Janské Lázně when it consists of spa guests?
Spa guests are impeccable because they have time, are relaxed and are not shy like where everyone knows each other. That is why they often ask all sorts of questions at these performances. The most curious question I got was: "Mrs. Bubílková, are those your teeth?" And in Františkovy Lázně, another lady wanted to know what I eat to be so slim. Unfortunately, slimness is not only about food but also about regular exercise, which is quite difficult for people with a sick musculoskeletal system. It is not necessary to be so slim, but mainly toned, which gives the figure symmetry.
Do you have a personal experience associated with spas?
No, I don't go to the spa. Fortunately, I don't have an illness that would require it yet.
How else do you relax – do you like to be more active?
I relax by exercising regularly. I walk about ten kilometers a day. If it's bad, I go to the gym to row for an hour and then do lunges with two-kilogram dumbbells. It firms up my stomach. I still wear a bikini and haven't had any problems with anyone yet.
We all know you from your TV debates with politicians and from your shows with Mr. Šimek. Don't you think that "kind humor – kind irony or satire" – is sorely lacking today?
Times have changed, and so have people's tastes. Young people prefer buzzwords, and television doesn't care much about old viewers, who were raised by Holzman, Šimek, Sovák and Menšík, because the advertisements they live off of are aimed at young people. I don't understand the concept of public television. But there is no interest in satire or skits. I am probably the only show of this kind on TV Šlágr for a targeted group of older viewers, and I must say that before the elections, politicians are very interested in appearing on my show. Unfortunately, only because they want to get votes from it.
Are you planning to publish a book about your memories and experiences?
No. I've published several books and I'm sure there's not enough demand for this kind of experience on the market anymore. In fact, there's so much out there that the market is saturated.
Personally, I see you as a woman of "action", courageous, funny, who sees life from the bright side, with humor. What quality do you value most in yourself - or what "in you" helps you live and sometimes "survive" the difficult moments and worries that life brings? Can you inspire us?
What quality do I value in myself? That I can look at everything with a clear perspective, I don't panic or get hysterical, and I solve everything peacefully. It's impossible to do otherwise. Since I was twenty-six, I've been constantly being kicked out of places, mostly for political reasons or because I'm inconvenient for someone. Moreover, since I was young, I've been under pressure from viewers, among whom are roughly two percent of those who feel the need to put you down, criticize you, insult you, and curse at you. Now, the anonymous internet has made it easier for them.
If I took everything they wrote about me seriously, for example, that they wouldn't even touch me with a ten-meter cattle prod, I would already be in a "crazy house" or walking in the canal. And you see, I live, I drive, I perform and I still have my fans. And I have another quality that I value. I am persistent, ambitious and creative. Every button, every string, every bead triggers a process in my head with the question of what could be done. It is a wonderful way to fill my free time.
Yes, you yourself are very skilled and creative, you create beautiful beaded jewelry and you are very skilled and creative. What led you to this and what does this work bring you?
I have been embroidering, knitting, crocheting since I was a little girl. I made my first sweater at the age of six, during socialism I sewed myself according to Burda, I even weaved for a business, which was forbidden. And now I have added beads, kumihimo, which is an old Japanese technique of braiding strings. It is faster than knitting or crocheting and there is a lot of interest in it. And I am happy about that. I collaborate with an artist from Olomouc, Alena Cikova, who transfers her paintings onto fabrics and sews all sorts of things from them. And I make accessories for her. We will have two fashion shows in June.
I'm already doing a fashion show in May with a designer from Bruntál, and just today a saleswoman who sews at Výtvarné potřebáchy in Kladno approached me, asking if I would do a fashion show with her at the Christmas markets. That motivates me and I'm already looking forward to doing two things with my son in Los Angeles over the summer: playing sports and sewing.
Will you share your art directly in Janské Lázně?
Yes, Mrs. Irena Korytářová approached me after my performance in Jánské Lázně to give a course on making such a crocheted necklace at the colonnade. It's relatively quick, it's effective and it's also suitable for stronger women because it lengthens the neck. So maybe we'll see each other again in September.
Greetings to you all, Zuzana Bubilkova
