Racism accusation: outrage over BR contribution because of blackfacing - "I'm a little stunned"

In the BR, the cabaret artist Helmut Schleich appeared as the fictional son of Franz Josef Strauss in the role of an African ruler - he was painted black.

Munich - The

Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (BR)

showed Blackfacing in the satirical program “Schleichfernsehen” and thus triggered a wave of criticism.

The cabaret artist Helmut Schleich slipped into the role of a son of the former Bavarian Prime Minister Franz Josef Strauss, who lived in Africa, and made jokes about current Bavarian politics - he was seen with his face painted black.

Blackfacing is when white people put on make-up to portray black people stereotypically.

This practice is considered racist.

It was once used in the theater: White actors made fun of black people with such make-up.

Such scenes have been heavily criticized for many years, blackfacing has long been frowned upon.

Numerous viewers and commentators reacted horrified to Helmut Schleich's sketch on social networks.

According to BR contribution: Indignation on the Internet - criticism of racist practice in satire format is hailing

"This is BR Fernsehen * 2021. I'm a little stunned.

Before a black man moderates a show on Bavarian television, the editorial team prefers to paint themselves black and fool around African countries.

Do you have to understand that? ”Writes journalist Malcolm Ohanwe on Twitter.

The SPD politician Liban Farah from Marburg is also exasperated: “It would be nice if I could turn on a public broadcaster like BR without worrying that my ancestors and I would be racially insulted.

Africa is not just corruption, dictatorship, banana republic and blackfacing! "

This is BR Fernsehen 2021. I'm a little stunned.

pic.twitter.com/WRhNb3mBAH

- Malcolm Ohanwe (@MalcolmOhanwe) April 1, 2021

The “Let's Dance” juror Motsi Mabuse * also speaks out.

"At this point (ie people should know better) it is really just a provocation, it is insensitive, alarming, insulting and, above all, racist!", She also writes on the short message service.

After bitter criticism: Bayerischer Rundfunk defends its broadcast

The

BR

itself, however, defends the show.

A spokeswoman for the

BR announced

that the editors were aware of the discussions on blackfacing and the associated problems and that they had been discussed intensively with Helmut Schleich in the run-up to the broadcast.

“In a satirical format, however, the artist must also be given a certain amount of freedom for satirical exaggerations.

Artistic freedom is a valuable asset, but sometimes it also explores limits. ”

The

BR also announced

: The fictional character Maxwell Strauss is expressly a caricature by Franz Josef Strauss and as such cannot be judged separately from the text: that is the content of the contribution authoritarian understanding of power by the fictional character Maxwell Strauss.

According to BR, Schleich said of the post that as a cabaret artist, it was his job to exaggerate things.

"It is precisely through an invented son Maxwell Strauss that I am showing the import of neo-colonial structures from the global north to Africa."

Schleich already commented on the subject in an interview with Münchner Merkur

Even in an interview with Münchner Merkur, Schleich commented on cabaret artists who parody certain stereotypes *: “There is a wonderful sentence from a Swiss colleague who said: 'You can't laugh at a racist joke - but you have to. '

And the word comes from Sigmund Freud: 'Jokes serve to say what one shouldn't say.'

What is it that some people are now trying to clean up?

It can only be about wanting to be one of the good guys. "

In the same interview he also discussed his fictional character Maxwell Strauss: “In 'Schleichfernsehen' I repeatedly play the character of Maxwell Strauss, an illegitimate son of Franz Josef Strauss who I invented and who is a dictator in Africa.

And suddenly you wonder if you can still play this character with a face painted black.

Instead, giving a sterile lecture on colonialism is by no means funnier. "

(mam / dpa) * Merkur.de and tz.de are an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA