Fynn Kliemann: Jan Böhmermann's editors want to tell him "like in the schoolyard back then" how to have fun, the YouTuber complains
Photo: Ingo Wagner/dpa
In the genre of Instagram statements, Fynn Kliemann has become a real virtuoso.
The influencer, musician and do-it-yourself king sat several times in front of the camera, apologizing for past mistakes or reading prepared statements.
The performances were intended to explain why he advertised "fairly produced" European masks that actually came from Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Trembling voice included.
Apparently that regret is over now.
On Sunday evening, Kliemann published an angry Instagram tirade lasting several minutes, in which he dished out public service media, “reporters gone mad” and parts of the “woken, left-wing scene”.
The editors of "ZDF Magazin Royale" make him particularly angry, as they want to tell him "just like in the schoolyard" "how to have fun".
»I shall be destroyed«
The team led by satirist Jan Böhmermann discovered at the beginning of May that large parts of the face masks that Kliemann and his business partner Tom Illbruck advertised as "fair and produced in Europe" from the beginning of May 2020 actually came from Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Around 100,000 inadequate masks were also sent to refugee homes.
Kliemann denies having made any money from the dubious deals.
Instead, he now believes in an intrigue by the public media: "You made me big with public money, then I didn't feel it, and I'm supposed to be destroyed with exactly the same money," says Kliemann in his new video.
The world cannot accept if you are "somehow different".
"They want us to be ashamed that we don't live up to their standards."
Influencers in the conspiracy sound
It's new tones that the influencer is making in his wildly lurching selfie video - and they seem to be only marginally related to recent reporting.
The conspiratorial sound has more to do with image problems.
Numerous sponsors had terminated their cooperation, and employees of »Kliemannsland« have feared for their future ever since.
And a few days ago, the public prosecutor's office in Stade initiated investigations against Kliemann on suspicion of fraud.
Here, too, the YouTuber suspects a consequence of the reporting: "They have to investigate, given the media reach of the case," writes Kliemann in a comment.
Is he right?
A spokesman for the prosecutor denied.
Rather, there is a justified initial suspicion of fraud, which was triggered by at least one ad.
They now want to carefully examine the allegation, and: it cannot be ruled out that further criminal offenses will be encountered in the investigation.
Kliemann fights for the company
"I'm sorry, I'm going to clean up now," Kliemann had said just three weeks ago, the criticism of him was correct.
The big spring cleaning is now apparently over - and instead of a proper booth, it resulted above all in a new crisis management.
Attack instead of defense, loud instead of refined, it's a new plan.
And, of course, the supposedly spontaneous outburst of anger leads to an image campaign.
This time it's about »Kliemannsland«.
The namesake has been running the wild do-it-yourself playground near Bremen for years, and now the project is fighting for its future.
In a half-hour YouTube video that Kliemann links at the end of his tirade, employees present themselves in front of the camera, cry, hope, open fortune cookies and say perseverance slogans in front of the running cameras: “Get up, straighten your crown, keep going”, “No plan the plan starts«.
"It's always darkest before sunrise." The dream of an adventure without rules should go on, at any price.
When asked by SPIEGEL, Kliemann declined to comment.
