Presenter wrestles with the zeitgeist Thomas Gottschalk: "I touched women on TV purely for business"
Thomas Gottschalk reflects on the changes in society. Between criticism of the zeitgeist and self-reflection, the entertainer struggles with his own ageing and his changing role in the public eye.
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- Thomas Gottschalk criticizes gender-appropriate language and does not understand many modern developments of the younger generation.
- He defends his former behavior on TV, but emphasizes that he behaves more politically correct today.
- Ageing and the loss of importance in show business weigh heavily on Gottschalk.
- Despite the growing distance to younger generations, he is holding on to his position in the entertainment world.
Thomas Gottschalk, one of Germany's best-known entertainers, who became a cult figure over three decades thanks to his hosting of "Wetten, dass...?", is now facing a new challenge: the changing zeitgeist.
In an interview with "Der Spiegel", he reflects on today's approach to language and culture and makes no secret of the fact that many developments of the younger generation seem alien to him.
"It's not a quibble. I just don't understand the zeitgeist and am looking for explanations," says Gottschalk when he talks about his difficulties in coming to terms with new linguistic trends. He is particularly irritated by gender-appropriate language: "Why should I say 'viewers' when I mean everyone sitting in front of the screen?"
Gottschalk struggles with change
Gottschalk, once known as an eternally youthful presenter: "In my podcast, I noticed that Tokio Hotel singer Bill Kaulitz is more popular with the younger generation than Jimi Hendrix. Young people shouldn't listen to Jimi Hendrix, they should just know him. It's a question of general education."
Gottschalk seems to be struggling with the changes in society. He emphasizes that he is not complaining so much as simply saying that "things used to be different". He tries to clarify: "I'm not criticizing young people. I'm just saying that what they say is not mine."
A particularly controversial topic is his handling of the #MeToo movement and criticism of past behavior on television. In the "Spiegel" interview, he is confronted with old "Wetten, dass...?" clips in which he grabs the knee of female guests, including the Spice Girls.
"No sexual interest in the Spice Girls"
Gottschalk defends himself by saying that these gestures were purely "official": "If I remember correctly, I only grabbed someone's knee twice. One of them was Steffi Graf ..."
And: "I had no sexual interest in the Spice Girls. I touched women on TV purely for work. Like an actor who kisses in a movie because it's in the script. I can't be accused of that as an attack."
Gottschalk touches Emma Bunton from the Spice Girls on the knee
He is aware of the changed social norms: "Nevertheless, I wouldn't do it today because I know that certain things are now politically incorrect that weren't back then."
Gottschalk is convinced that he personally never crossed a line. Nevertheless, the question of how his behavior has adapted to new social expectations over time remains a central topic in his self-reflection.
Approval from the AfD environment
In addition to discussions about the zeitgeist and politically correct behavior, Gottschalk is also concerned with his own aging. Once the youthful show host who united generations in front of the screens, he now has to deal with a different image of himself.
But when asked whether he is bitter, he replies: "I'm not, why should I be?" But it seems as if the loss of importance that many people - not just celebrities - experience in old age has left its mark on him too. "I used to be sure-footed, but I'm not always sure-footed today," he says when talking about the challenges of old age.
When "Der Spiegel" confronted him with the accusation that he was receiving support from the AfD, Gottschalk was astonished: "This is the first time I've heard that. I can't do anything about it if someone I don't like agrees with me." He describes himself as conservative, not right-wing.
The world keeps turning
After Gottschalk talks about the difficulty of being understood today, he makes it clear that the opinions of outsiders are only of limited importance to him.
What counts for him is the encouragement he receives in real life rather than what is said about him online. "There are enough people who want to be photographed with me and pat me on the back. I don't have to google who thinks I'm shit."
Despite the changes, Thomas Gottschalk is holding on to his position in the entertainment landscape, while balancing on the fine line between looking back nostalgically and realizing that the world will continue to turn without him - sometimes perhaps faster than he would like.
