Johnny de Mol has touched on the controversy about his colleague Gordon in his talk show HLF8. According to Arjen Lubach, he has to stop his ‘down entertainment’. “There is some criticism.”
Arjen Lubach this week in his Evening Show opened the attack on ‘down entertainment’, programs in which people with Down syndrome are used for entertainment. The presenter spoke in particular about Gordon, who made clumsy statements during his recent promotional tour for the SBS 6 show Down the Road.
Johnny responds
But Johnny de Mol was also featured in Arjen’s item. After all, the billionaire’s son can quartet with all the down programs he has created. “The format is always: there must be a pun with ‘Down’ and the presenter’s first name preferably ends in ‘ohnny’”, joked Arjen.
Although it is also about himself, Johnny extensively touched on Arjen’s fierce criticism last night in his talk show HLF8. “Down entertainment: these are programs in which people with Down syndrome participate. Often sweet and cute – it is also close to my heart – but there is also criticism.”
What does Tina think?
Tina Nijkamp, former broadcaster boss of SBS 6, is sitting at the table to give her opinion. “Yes, I actually understand the criticism quite well. You were actually at the cradle of the Down the Johnny program, which I was also involved in. It was very much about the people themselves. Then it became more formatted, as it is called in TV terms.”
She continues: “This Down the Road program was actually not very well received last year; not many people watched it either. Now with the second season, people are thinking: enough is enough. I do understand where it comes from.”
Belgians are also angry
Johnny: “Down the Road is a Flemish programme. Was it also critical there?”
His Flemish guest Goedele Liekens: “Yes, in Belgium there was a comedian with a disability himself: William Boeva. He was like, yeah, it’s all well and good, you pull out some ‘nice’ Down kids and then you put them back in.”
Tina: “It has also evolved. When you started the program it was very much about talking to people and now they go on holiday together and it is very much about the laughter.”
Gordon blunder
Pediatrician Michel Weijerman points out that especially Gordon is not the right person for this kind of show. “It is not a program about Down. It’s a program about Gordon with Down children. And when Gordon says: ‘Everyone should have a little Down’, I can imagine that parents think: he should come along with us for a week.”
Johnny: “Yes, I can imagine that too, but I think we know what he means by that. However?”
Michel: “Yes, I listen to it like that, but he repeats it three times without nuance.”
Fragment
A quick recap of yesterday’s HLF8:
