Mario Barth clarifies his podcast remarks
Following Luke Mockridge's controversy, Mario Barth is now under fire due to his comments towards a person with a disability in the podcast "Die Deutschen". Despite the criticism, Barth is not backing down. The controversial clip has since been taken down. Instead, Barth has responded with a new video.
The podcast hosts, Nizar and Shayan, are probably delighted. Their show "Die Deutschen" has never attracted this much attention, even if the attention isn't exactly positive. As a result, their popularity has skyrocketed.
In a recent clip posted on "Die Deutschen" Instagram page, Barth, 51, imitates the laughter of an individual with an intellectual disability, who attended one of his shows. The edit of the video, which is likely the responsibility of Nizar Akremi and Shayan Garcia, also suggests that the man in the wheelchair was heavily ridiculed during the podcast. Barth has been accused of mocking a disabled person, much like Mockridge.
"Manni, the die-hard fan"
Barth addressed these allegations in a lengthy statement on his Instagram account yesterday. He acknowledges that the clip could be misunderstood, but insists that it's not the case. He explains that his mother has been in a wheelchair since he was a child and that he would never mock people with disabilities. He then goes on to explain the situation that led to the incident.
"I had a devoted fan - Manni. Manni was at every show," Barth explains. When he finally spoke to Manni, the latter told him, "The best thing would be if you made fun of me, made a few jokes about me." Barth took this to heart and included Manni in his show.
"I performed two hours of great material. Everybody stood up and applauded. It was Manni's turn now. Everyone was on their feet, but Manni wasn't," Barth recalls. This was the perfect opportunity to include Manni in his act. "I told joke after joke for Manni before he burst into laughter," he says. In fact, Manni was so happy that he "wet himself" with laughter.
The rest of the audience was a bit puzzled because they didn't know the background, Barth admits. But he is convinced: "For Manni, it was the best moment of his life because he was part of society. He was noticed. He was included."
Barth assures: "I would never make fun of people in wheelchairs. Instead, I would use my popularity to break down barriers and obstacles for people who are in wheelchairs."
The situation appears differently in the video compilation on "Die Deutschen" Instagram page, but Barth's imitation of the man's disability still seems discomforting. Barth must also question why his statement was so selectively edited. However, he has likely realized this by now: Since Tuesday evening, the relevant parts of his appearance on Nizar & Shayan have been deleted from the Instagram account of "Die Deutschen".
The deletion of the controversial clip from "Die Deutsche" Instagram page might be a strategy to minimize further backlash, considering the growing scrutiny towards The entertainment's handling of such sensitive issues. Despite Barth's insistence that his actions were misinterpreted and motivated by Manni's request, the public reaction has once again brought into question the responsibility and ethical standards of popular entertainment platforms.
