Fury ought to ensue!

Feel angered by this!

Swr receives criticism, Oliver Pocher doesn't understand the fuss, and Gil Ofarim is once again a topic. This week's celebrity column also focuses on a nation that regularly rides the wave of anger.

"You absolutely have to watch this! It's insane what's happening!" someone messaged me the other day, accompanied by a link to a social media account. So, dearest readers, welcome back to this week's "Vip Vip, Hurray!" - the celebrity column. A disclaimer: if you're not familiar with this column or don't care about the world of stars and starlets, kindly exit now and browse something else! I'm merely giving fair warning - I'm a freelance writer, and I'm allowed to express my thoughts here every Friday. And in this country, "you're not allowed to say what you think these days," though, ironically, you are. It's just that you'll have to deal with people disagreeing with you.

Let's proceed! Here's what I think. Attention, fanfare! I believe public service broadcasting (Swr) needs reform! I think Swr is crucial and necessary, but it's become a self-service store that can't continue like this. In certain areas, it struggles with credibility and fulfilling its "mission." Heehee, I'm still onboard! No censorship! Hence the (private) program.

Pocher and "the young audience"

Feel free to agree or disagree with my opinion. Some might consider this an attempt to infuriate to gain attention. Instead, let's term it "criticism," as it delivers a snapper impression than the plain word "opinion." This week, Swr invites one of the country's polarizing comedians to its summer festival and wonders why his act backfires! Because, d'oh, we couldn't have predicted that Oliver Pocher's comedy isn't solely elevating but also demeaning! The guy who often makes derogatory remarks about his ex-wives and ex-girlfriends and was once labeled a "small, lousy guy" by Harald Schmidt is inciting outrage right now.

However, it's almost comical for Swr to appear clueless, oblivious to the nature of Pocher's comedy. Yes, the angry viewer in the front row is valid. However, it's also worth criticizing Swr, which, flush with billions in licensing fees, aims to attract "the young audience." And public broadcasters are exempt from competitive pressure, unlike private television, which produces their content themselves. They're vying for this demographic.

Firstly, nothing inherently wrong with pursuing the "unserved audience," the "young generation." Only the "how" is complicated. And the source of disparagement isn't the concern of many critics. It's that influencers, who can amass vast followings, often appear on shows, sharing their insipid questions.

Influencers with significant follower counts even host their own shows, where they interview other influencers delightfully delving into trivial matters.

"When the sheriff goes riding"

I've felt for some time that our discourse culture is deteriorating into outrage. Polarizing opinions propagate faster than factual arguments. Emotionality garners more attention due to social media algorithms. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the nation collectively wept on camera? Ha-ha, the algorithm would go haywire!

Recall how Gil Ofarim, the poor victim, portrayed himself as a victim of anti-Semitism in the media? And supposing the innocence of "Mr. W." was immediately revoked before the investigation concluded? Now, it's been disclosed that the musician had misled everyone. Those condemning Mr. W with the loudest voices are suddenly silent.

In the Ofarim case, news has emerged that he's unable to pay the 10,000-euro fine imposed on him by the court for a charitable organization. He'd been given six months to fulfill the payment - evidently, it was insufficient time. He's now applied for an extension of the deadline, which was approved this week.

Can you really feel indignant once more over the payment practices of an artist who has inflicted harm upon Jews globally? Absolutely! However, it won't speed up the payment process one bit. What's surprising is that an individual with such a lengthy career, having written a Spiegel-bestseller and with more than five million records sold, can't seem to meet their financial obligations in a timely fashion due to their own made-up nonsense.

I'm exhausted from all the outrage that's happening around me. Our nation is engaged in proxy outrages in numerous locations. Instead of being outraged over this widespread outrage, I could just as well express my annoyance at how outraged everyone is. Utilizing this sentiment is an effective means of claiming moral superiority without thoroughly analyzing the issue at hand. Rolling eyes emoji. This knee-jerk reaction to expressing outrage acts as an accepted way of grabbing public attention, popularity and validation, following the motto "when the sheriff rides, everyone rides with him."