Youp van ‘t Hek advises his daughter not to show the Sinterklaas news to his grandchildren in the coming years. “So that she can believe unapologetically for about four years.”
There was strong criticism of the Sinterklaas news last week because it contained a remarkable storyline that explicitly suggested that parents also sometimes fill the shoes. In fact, ‘Head Piet’ Niels van der Laan was even threatened with death for that reason. That of course goes too far, but Youp van ‘t Hek also agrees with the criticism.
Senile idiot
Youp thinks that the Sinterklaas news has gone too far. “What I would like to get rid of is the Sinterklaas news. At least as it has been made lately. I was tipped off by a young mother who, with her bewildered toddler, saw that the Head Pete was going to explain that mom and dad sometimes also bought the presents and hid them in a wardrobe.”
Insane, he thinks. He continues in his VARA guide-column: “On the advice of the young mother, I looked back at the betrayal newsreels and wondered which senile idiot came up with this?”
Glowing faith
According to Youp, it’s all about the animals. “What Spanish muskrat-sniffed editor or writer on earth came up with this? How many toddlers have now hung their glowing faith on the Christmas tree?”
He finally snorts: “I have advised my daughter to completely ignore the Sinterklaas news next year, when her little one is three years old. So that the girl can believe uninhibitedly for about four years.”