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The cast of "Celebrities under Palms"
Photo: Sat.1
There are two possible explanations for why Sat.1 decided to broadcast the opening episode of the new season of "Celebs Under Palms" in this form.
Both are irresponsible and shabby.
After all, the first theory also contains a touch of destructive planning perfidy: Perhaps with this format, which has been driven to the extreme and beyond, the genre of trash TV is finally impossible for all time, in order to permanently damage the rival broadcaster RTL, which is unassailable in this subject.
The second, unfortunately much more likely and nefarious theory: Sat.1 has learned nothing from the extensive discussions about last year's PuP season and consciously continues to see no problem with making quota and money with homophobia and in general with disregard for human beings.
What exactly happened in this first episode can only be reproduced in as much detail as is necessary.
An already extremely unsavory spiral of derailments and disgusts escalated in a scene in which the heavily drunk Marcus Prinz von Anhalt insults the drag queen Katy Bähm with gross homophobia.
Of all people, Willi Herren, who so far had not necessarily stood out as a fighter for decency in other formats, is very committed and clear to the mobbing hate bolt.
The next morning the proletarian prince apologizes extremely half-heartedly, but basically sticks to his opinion.
And then everything gets really bad because everyone carries on as if nothing had happened.
In the end he is chosen by his roommates from the show, but it is very close.
more on the subject
"Celebrities under palm trees" on Sat.1: The rotten fruits of the trash plantations by Anja Rützel
"Celebrities under the Palm Trees" final: Do you love trash TV?
Then don't look! A comment by Anja Rützel
Now one can basically argue about whether such failures should be broadcast in a pre-produced, i.e. freely editable, program.
The decision to also give such intolerance a place in formats that used to be called "reality TV" can be accepted under certain conditions, because such hatreds are not invented, they exist in the non-produced world apart of the TV.
When they happen, you have to show them - as RTL did with the bullying mechanisms in last year's »Summer House of Stars«.
That too was hard to bear.
However, these scenes then have to be classified accordingly for the audience - and they have to have consequences for whoever yells them into the world.
Prince Marcus shouldn't have stayed in the format after that, but he should never have been invited from the start.
And the insults and hate speech are not factored into the selection of the cast from the outset, as is apparently the case in this current case.
Confusion and krakeel willing riot competence team
For “Celebrities under Palm Trees” the production put together a riot competence team willing to confuse and krakeel from the relevant, established trash formats at the format premiere last year Most shameless cheater from »Temptation Island«, plus experienced howler like Melanie Müller, who at the time in a different, in retrospect almost picturesque trash TV world, caused Larissa Marolt as bosom general in the jungle camp some difficulties.
The cast of "Celebrities under Palms" relies on Piesacker, Zündler and Schürer, the cushioning mediators, comforters and carers that every more moderate format has in its ensemble are completely absent here.
This calculated escalation is clumsy, but still bearable if it does not exceed certain limits.
But whoever hires not only annoying screamers for his show, but actually also a character like Marcus Prinz von Anhalt, a man who was not only convicted of (among other things) dangerous bodily harm and human trafficking, but who in 2017 also spoke out publicly and with slogans as "Without control the neglect begins" frankly expressed in favor of the AfD and in the past has already attracted a lot of indisputable statements, which does not approve of further derailments, but rather brings them about in a targeted manner.
Fun at cruelty?
If Sat.1 then wants to "make it clear" in a tweet during the broadcast that the broadcaster does not share the "homphobic statements" made by Prince Marcus, that is the cynical climax of the evening, "For us, all people are equal." In the follow-up talk show that followed, Jochen Bendel seriously tried to sell the failure as an explanation: "If you cut something like that out, it meant looking the other way." You had to invite people like the prince to contradict them.
No, you don't have to.
Incidentally, the nightly roaring scene is not even the only completely irresponsible failure.
Later the candidates have to pull boats on logs over a longer distance on the Thai beach in what appears to be extreme heat in a Fitzcarraldo memory challenge.
Prince Marcus collapses pretty quickly, and the camera holds the gasping, crawling, completely exhausted man for a long, unbelievably long time.
»Everybody dies / it's the truth that makes us one«, the song »Everybody cries« by Rita Wilson is played as background music. »Should he die or what«, calls Elena Miras, and it is hard to believe that those present Paramedics from a distance could actually be sure at any point in time that this is not life-threatening at the moment.
Only those who enjoy cruelty want to exhibit such scenes in this way.
Or look at.
This opening sequence and the production-side calculation has finally destroyed "celebrities under palm trees" after the disastrous start last year.
If you want to give yourself, the trash TV people and television a last remnant of dignity, you can - you are not allowed to - watch this program.