Gordon is very disappointed that SBS 6 has doubts about a sequel to Down the Road after all the controversy about down television. “Then they let themselves be intimidated by a few who say something about it.”
Opposition to down programs on Dutch television is increasing. According to critics, TV stations unfairly sell this type of entertainment as socially involved. To keep it all a bit fun, TV makers only select the 1 percent of people with Down who are least disabled.
Intimidating Arjen
Arjen Lubach believes that the severity of Down’s syndrome is extremely weakened by these types of programs and that this has harmful social consequences. For example, one could dispense with a test that makes early detection of Down easy. The VPRO star wants SBS 6 to stop the program.
And according to Gordon, that does indeed seem to be happening. He says in RTL Boulevard: “You know, SBS has doubts about a new season of Down the Road. Which I find very unfortunate, because then they let themselves be intimidated by a few who make a comment about it.”
Short-sighted
Gordon denounces Arjen’s role in this discussion. “Arjen Lubach has been so short-sighted. He just listened to one person who was critical because they happened to have a brother who has a more severe case of Down syndrome. Yes, you cannot pay for this program on that basis. And I think he completely missed the mark there.”
There’s nothing wrong with Down the Road, says Gordon. “It is in its purest form. It’s with a joke, with a laugh, with a growl. You can cry, you can laugh. Well, that doesn’t happen very much anymore. Most programs are to cry.”
Yet another interview
It is quite striking that Gordon is again with an interview in RTL Boulevard, because, according to the show section, he previously announced that he would never give interviews again. TV connoisseur Rob Goossens about this: “It was not so long ago that he had to close his tent in Blaricum and then told our reporter that he would never give interviews again.”
Rob continues: “He later denied that he said that at all. And now, of course, quartets can also use the interviews he has done. So he probably didn’t mean it, but that’s another thing altogether.”
Big contrast
There is always a big contrast between what Gordon says and how he behaves, according to Rob. “It’s also been a week, two weeks since he put the famous words ‘lick my ass’ on his Instagram. Well, if you now see how cheerful he is, that is quite a contrast.”
And will SBS 6 indeed stop Down the Road? “We have tried to approach Talpa about this. They don’t want to say anything about that.”
