Jan Slagter, just like Johan Derksen, always has the same reflex when it comes to transgressive behavior. Does he squeeze him a little sometimes? “I sometimes say ‘shut up’.”
When it comes to transgressive behavior, you can skip the opinions of Jan Slagter and Johan Derksen. These gentlemen are starting to become a bit of a caricature of themselves in this area. They are at the front of the line to downplay incidents, disrespect victims and protect broadcasting colleagues.
‘All idiots’
Jan and Johan were also on the edge of their seats yesterday – on the day that the long-awaited DWDD research was published – to proclaim that they thought it was all exaggerated. Remarkably, both Jan at Humberto and Johan at Today Inside were not the first to speak, and they were somewhat mocked by the host.
“I think you think it’s a bit of a whining, don’t you?” Humberto Tan said to Jan at one point. And Wilfred Genee to Johan about the 200 people the investigative committee spoke to: “Well, Johan, 200 people, so probably 200 idiots who all cooperated? Or not?”
‘Shut up!’
Where does their predictable attitude come from? As boss of Omroep MAX, Jan has the responsibility to ensure that all his employees feel safe, but how is that possible if, as a figurehead, he always plays down all kinds of misconduct? Or is he sometimes a little afraid that he himself is also a bit in danger of transgressive behavior?
Yes, according to an interview with The Telegraph. In it, the broadcaster says that he sometimes goes on a rampage in the workplace. “I do wonder what exactly the definition of transgressive behavior is. I also sometimes say ‘shut up’ in the workplace.”
Not acceptable
That seems to be where the problem lies: Jan thinks it is normal to occasionally shout ‘shut up’ in the workplace, while the social consensus is that this is no longer normal in 2024.
Jan continues to advocate enthusiastically for friendly colleagues such as Frans Klein and Matthijs van Nieuwkerk. “I take everyone who has come forward seriously. But what it is now starting to look like is that it has become somewhat personal. People talk about ‘the presenter’. Yeah, who do you think that is?”
‘Stop downplaying it!’
In other words: Jan is constantly more concerned about the perpetrators than about the victims. And integrity researcher Marjan Olfers is getting a bit tired of that. She speaks to Humberto about it: “It is also exemplary behavior and to stop trivializing and making things smaller.”
Jan: “I don’t make anything smaller. I’m just trying to put it in perspective.”
Or, as Jan would say in his own workplace: “Shut up!”