TV review The Dutch talk show landscape is broken

Frank Lammers’ voice lends itself to many roles. For TUI spots and Jumbo advertisements; For the darnchronization of cartoons and voice-overwork at SBS6 programs. Wednesday evening his characteristic sound turned out to be suitable for something else: in The Oranjezomer (SBS6) Lammers played the voice of reason. There he said indignantly to Raymond Mens: « I feel that you are still taking Trump seriously. »

Just a Disclaimer in Mens (a fixed SBS6 face): At the beginning of this year I referred to him here as « Trumpversteher Raymond Mens ». When presenter Rick Nieman had a guest in a few weeks later in WNL on Sundayhe greeted people like this: « Well, » Trumpversteher « -You have written several books about him of course-Raymond Mens … » those are moving TV moments. The friendship between SBS6 and WNL becomes closer and closer just before your eyes. Anyway, I am not deaf to constructive criticism and will therefore continue the title ‘Trump book writer’ today.

Trump book writer Raymond Mens was at The Oranjezomer Invited to explain Het Laatste Nieuws from Los Angeles, where Trump had sent the National Guard to people who demonstrated against his merciless migration and deportation policy. As usual, man was mild in his story about the American president. When Lammers asked him if he took Trump seriously, he replied: « Yes. » « He is lying from the front to back, » Lammers said outer. But yes, America still took him seriously, human and the other men at the table, and that’s what it was all about.

Trump book writer Raymond Mens had also brought some polls to illustrate how many citizens Trump still found by his side. « For example, you have been asked: do you support the president’s plan to deport illegal migrants? » « Only that word already, » Lammers interrupted him. « Deport! » « If you just suck on your thumb for two minutes, I will be ready, » said Mens. A little more of half of the respondents was pro-deportation, apparently you can’t find anything anymore. Standards and values ​​are now also determined through the ‘most votes apply’ principle.

Presenter Johnny de Mol let it all committed. Just like – I’m just going to say it again – presenter Malou Petter did not intervene on Tuesday evening when Wierd Duk claimed that GroenLinks is anti -Semitic and calls for armed violence. That is in itself nothing new under the sun-put a clothes peg on your nose, say something bad about left/Muslims/woke/asylum seekers and you have the average Duk contribution in News of the day – But in this case, Dilan Yeşilgöz was confirming his claims next to him. Petter remained silent.

These presenters are not there to be critical and by asking. They are there to promote the atmosphere, which should never become uncomfortable. You noticed that again on Wednesday Good morning Netherlandswhere an Old VVD spin doctor was sitting on the couch next to Angela de Jong. In short blocks he was allowed to have a chat about populism, to presenter Lisette Wellens said: « Good – Angela, we’re going to watch TV! »

In this way I long for a talk show delivery in which presenters and guests wonder out loud what it actually means to be so much on TV. What responsibilities are involved, and what they would answer themselves to this chicken-or-egg question: do they interpret a sentiment that plays in society? Or do they determine which sentiment is going on in society? Even if you end up with the killer ‘the answer is somewhere in the middle’: talks about it.

But I start to give up the hope of self-reflection so slowly, especially now that the TV offer comes out of the WNL and Talpa stable this summer. This talk show landscape is broken. Wipe the chunks aside in September and build something new. Something with Frank Lammers, perhaps. I don’t know either.

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