Recommendations of the editorial team
Dieter Hallervorden provided outrage on Saturday evening, April 5th, in the ARD anniversary show “75 years of ARD-the big anniversary show”. The program presented by Kai Pflaume showed a new edition of his well-known “Palim, Palim!” Sketches, in which the 89-year-old comedian now used racist terms. The reactions to this seemingly conscious taboo break did not long for long. Hallervorden, on the other hand, defends itself – and explains his appearance on satire.
Last year Dieter Hallervorden came up with criticism when he published a poem on the situation in the Gaza Strip, in which he accused Israel of Apartheid and genocide. Hallervorden defended itself against the allegations of anti -Semitism with the reference to freedom of expression and emphasized that he wanted to call on humanity and dialogue.
“If I had known that …”
In the sketch, which takes place in a prison cell, Hallervorden plays the figure of a prisoner next to his drama partner Harald Effenberg, who was detained because of the use of outdated words for chocolate and sauce of Hungarian. He openly calls the racist “n-word” and the equally discriminatory “Z-word”.
The “N-word” is a racist external designation for black people who are closely associated with ‘racial theories’, the history of slavery and colonialism. The “Z-word” is rejected by the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma and is also connoted.
Hall Avarden: Criticism is a sign of a lack of satirical regulation
Hall avaden itself clearly rejects the allegations. In a statement, he explains “N-TV”: “In the absence of courage to get excited about the real grievances, because they are not in fashion, you get over a comedian who sits on a jail bed and starts a famous sketch with a new text.”
For Dieter Hallervorden, the appearance is a form of satire, if not protest, he claims according to “N-tv”: “Woe people of today try to dance anxiously, not to dance out of line, meticulously meet all social media bids so as not to put you at a happy one and no more satire because satire for fear of misunderstanding no longer occurs.”
Hallervorden already criticized the German media landscape in 2015, especially the mainstream media in his song “You give me courage”.
ARD speaks of “exaggerated provocation”
The public service broadcaster explains that the ARD is clearly against every racism and stands for diversity and artistic freedom. In its statement, the ARD says: “In his role as an inmate, he spoiled the change in language and used terms that are no longer up to date for good reasons – but were deliberately set as a provocation in this satirical context.”
But here the question arises: provocation to whom? And with what goal?
Discrimination is not a punch line
Shooting people against “Woke” has now become a popular sport. But before you abbreviate these people as a hypersensitive or humorless, you should ask yourself whether you are really willing to listen. Because these so -called “wokes” do not stand up for likes, but for the fact that the reality of life of many people is respected and recognized. And every day – not just at the best broadcast time in a television program.
Discriminating language remains discriminatory – even if you staged them as a “satire”. The intention is not the decisive factor, but the effect. And that does not decide the sender, but the person concerned. Anyone who injures others with words cannot simply dismiss it with “was only satire”. Language works – and it is particularly hurtful if it goes at the expense of marginalized groups.