Stella Bergsma has been thinking about it for a long time, but she now thinks she has a solution for the Matthijs van Nieuwkerk problem. Victim Janine Abbring is not so enthusiastic…
How is it possible that Matthijs van Nieuwkerk has been able to misbehave for years behind the scenes of De Wereld Draait Door? How is it possible that this sick work culture has been maintained for so long? According to Stella Bergsma, opinion maker and VI invitation parasite, there was simply a lot wrong with the work structure.
‘Protect the talent’
Stella calls Matthijs an ‘exponent of a toxic (work) culture that we have all idealized’. “We have to deal differently with the responsibility of power in these new times. I think you can be quite strict to achieve good results, but you should never, ever have to humiliate other people.”
It works differently with American talk shows, Stella says Insta channel. “The talk show host is ‘the talent’ there and is protected against all things that can go wrong. He has to concentrate on his performance in the show. The producer of the show does the honors for him if a reprimand has to be handed out.”
Box separately
That works better, says Stella. “Very often ‘the talent’ does not know at all what goes wrong behind the scenes. I think if someone is under pressure to deliver a good performance that might be a very good idea. Why so many functions and power for one person?”
She continues: “Producing and managing behind the scenes is a profession in itself. The producer is specially hired for this; this is his or her job. Maybe take over this American model? I think that if you divide responsibilities better and more clearly, you might be able to avoid a lot of tantrums.”
Bad leader
Matthijs is clearly a bad leader, says Stella. “But that does not necessarily mean a bad presenter. So I suggest separating the two. Apart from that, I’m not a fan of the scapegoat ‘barbertje must hang’ concept. I do not believe in it.”
Janine Abbring, who was a victim of Matthijs’ horror assistant Dieuwke Wynia, thinks that Stella is missing the point. She responds: “Although I think the answer to the question of whether everyone deserves a second chance is usually ‘yes’ (…) I disagree with your entire argument.”
“You’re confusing things!”
What then? Janine: “You just cite a situation in which there was already such an ‘American’ model (you also confuse the American term ‘producer’ with the Dutch TV producer, which are different functions but okay). Matthijs did have someone who kept him out of the wind: a female editor-in-chief.”
She is of course referring to Dieuwke Wynia. “But in this construction she turned out to be – in my personal experience – an even worse manager. And then I express myself diplomatically. So in the end it comes down to the dolls I’m afraid. And how they deal with success and power.”