Daniel Jacob Haugaard is a Danish-Faroese comedian, actor, musician, composer, writer, TV host and politician.
Activities
Jacob Haugaard was a frontman of the SABAE association for many years. SABAE is an abrieviation of Sammenslutningen Af Bevidst Arbejdssky Elementer, translating as "Union of Deliberate Work-avoiding Elements" and included several academics and journalists as both founding and active members. The organisation was meant partially as a joke, but with a critical edge towards the modern capitalist society and especially the labour market. They found inspiration in both Marxist and anarchist theories. SABAE's best known slogan was "if work is healthy, give it to the sick!". Haugaard ran for every parliamentary election as a joke from 1979 onwards, until he won in 1994. He ran without a party and got 23,253 votes in 1994, enough for a seat and he became a member of the Parliament of Denmark from 1994–98. After his term expired, he decided not to seek re-election. Among his outrageous campaign promises were: 8 hours of free time, 8 hours of rest and 8 hours of sleep; more tailwind on bicycle paths; promises of better weather; right to impotency; Nutella in field rations ; and shorterqueues in supermarkets. Asylum rated his win in the parliamentary election the 11th greatest prank of all time. When his portrait was hung in the parliament, Haugaard commented that it should serve as a warning that any idiotic populist might get elected. Haugaard has also produced radio, films and TV, mostly comedy and sketches and has a long history of close cooperation with comedian and entertainer Finn Nørbygaard, since 1984. They performed as the Finn & Jacob duo for many years. Haugaard lived in Malling near Aarhus for many years, where he ran his own TV-station from a disused watertower in his backyard, until he got elected in 1994. Haugaard is also a well-known single performer, mixing comedy, singing and music, playing his home made guitar and wearing gaudy suits. He has recorded many music records and CDs since 1977.
