Heinrich Mann

The business of love flourishes in times of economic regression. For some, it is the only business that still offers opportunities. This is the case for Bibi. Loved and desired by all, he gives his attentions to whatever or whomever is the most profitable. Whether in a dance bar, on the street, or in the president's home, Bibi knows how to sell himself and others. In an emergency, blackmail helps. And Bibi is by no means alone: Whether one is a famous movie actress or a fallen boxer, whether a bartender or the president of a large company: Love and business are inseparable for them all. The breath of real feeling, which has touched each of them at some point, dissipates in an “age” that prefers cool calculations and the race for success. Morality is only good for pithy quotes. It has not been valid for a long time. And all ideals are immediately held up to ridicule if there is no material advantage:

"We have nothing that is a real thing -
We only have practicality. "

This decadent loving helps Bibi rise rapidly from a dancer to a shareholder in a large company. Everyone fights to gain his favor. He himself strives to marry the entrepreneur's daughter, among other things, in order to help her escape the amorous advances of her own father, but especially to become a celebrity.
Man as capital: In this pitiless caricature, Heinrich Mann once again reveals a profound social criticism. Between exposing scenes and interspersed with cabaret-like songs, Bibi toes the line between drama and revue.