On Monday, RTL presenter Katja Burkard was on the show “TV Total – But with a guest”. A statement made by Sebastian Pufpaff to her caused an uproar.
“Did you sleep your way up?”
The “TV Total” presenter – typical of him – kept throwing swipes at his guest. For example, he played clips of slips of the tongue that had happened to Katja Burkard on television and discussed them. Burkard initially resisted the mockery. He commented on the letter twist that accidentally turned “Operation in 4 Walls” face Tine Wittler into Tine Hitler as follows: “Who doesn’t know her, the famous interior designer Tina Hitler. She does a lot with Braun, I think.” So far, so funny. In the following interview, however, Pufpaff asked directly: “Did you sleep your way up or was it love?” Even from the audience there were sounds of shock, but also laughter.
Katja Burkard deescalates the situation
The context of the statement was Katja Burkard’s relationship with the former editor-in-chief Hans Mahr. During his term in office, Burkard joined the RTL lunchtime magazine “Point 12” in 1996, which she still moderates. Sebastian Pufpaff replicated the misogynistic narrative by insinuating that women cannot achieve high positions, or at least not solely through professional achievements. Katja Burkard shot back before Pufpaff had even finished his sentence: “Of course, what else?” This was followed by something more upset: “What do you want to hear from me now? Of course it was love. We have been together for 27 years and have two children. That’s love, it has to be something like that.”
Katja Burkard thereby de-escalated the situation. “TV Total – But with Guest” could continue. Sebastian Pufpaff responded to her reaction and made another joke that was better received: “It’s even worse. I think it would have been nicer to sleep up high.” In the course of the show, Pufpaff and Burkard discussed, for example, Botox procedures or tested age simulation suits. But even if the presenter and the audience could laugh again, the demand still leaves an aftertaste.