To the ZDF bets that…? Editing and host Markus Lanz
Shocked at the show’s hall bet in Augsburg (14.12.2013)
The search was on for 25 couples to come to “Wetten dass…?” dressed as Jim Knopf and Lukas the locomotive driver. In addition, the note that: “Jim should be made up naturally, shoe polish, charcoal, whatever”. In Luke’s case, the only reference was to the clothing. So it was less about recreating a black person than clearly marking them as non-white, no matter what they look like.
The Initiative Black People in Germany (ISD) is shocked and condemns the public call for blackfacing, which is a racist practice that is too often trivialized. In the U.S., blackface is still considered a symbol of the trauma of racism and slavery. This practice originated in the late 19th century in the so-called “minstrel shows,” where black-painted white performers presented the stereotype of the naive, dim-witted, but always funny black man. It is not an exclusively American practice. Blackface is also considered an expression of colonial-era racism in Britain and France. In Germany, for example, the caricaturing and stereotyping of black people is part of the representation practice in DEFA films, but also of the early modern carnival tradition. This way of representation has been negative in every context and at every time and stands for the devaluation of Black people. If you look at pictures of this defamatory tradition, you will notice that the blackened ones often look overdrawn and dirty. The fact that black people living in Augsburg were not addressed from the outset should also give pause for thought.
No one in the ZDF editorial department noticed anything? Hard to imagine, especially since the topic has been discussed several times recently. In 2009, Günter Wallraff caused a stir when he used this racist practice for his documentary film “Schwarz auf Weiß” (Black on White). In January 2012, there were discussions about the play “I Am Not Rappaport” at Berlin’s Schlossparktheater because a white actor was wearing black makeup to play the role of an African American. Most recently, in 2013, Denis Scheck used the method in connection with the N-word debate in children’s books in the ARD literature program “Druckfrisch”. The debate about the so-called “Zwarte Piet” in the Netherlands last October, when the colonial symbolism of the Dutch version of Black Peter at St. Nicholas time – with black face, red lips, curly wigs and gold earrings, was criticized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, should also be known.
For all these reasons, it does not open to the ISD how you could ignore the fact of a racist method and insist on the implementation of the hall bet even after a media protest. Thus, immediately after the call, there were a large number of complaints that reached the ZDF editorial office, whether by phone or via social networks (Twitter, Facebook), in which many people expressed their horror, displeasure and opinions and drew attention to the background of blackfacing. The fact that you did not respond to any of the complaints, but instead posted a picture of the “successful hall bet” on Facebook, shows how unreflectively and carelessly your team deals with the sensitivities of its viewers and those of a large number of the population. All the more reason for us to regard your reaction in this context as mockery and derision.
At this point, we would like to remind you of your mission as a public television broadcaster, which, in addition to entertainment, primarily provides for an educational mission, and refer you to the ZDF State Treaty, according to which you must respect and protect human dignity in your broadcasts pursuant to § 5 Paragraph 3: The broadcasts are intended above all to “promote togetherness in a united Germany and to serve the integration of society as a whole in peace and freedom and understanding among peoples, and to work towards coexistence free of discrimination”.
With your hall bet, you have in no way fulfilled this mandate. Everyday racism and colonial representations are part of the reality of life for Black people in Germany. These experiences are exceedingly violent and painful. This is precisely why we, as one of the interest groups representing Black people, are appalled that you reproduce racist stereotypes and have so far failed to fulfill your responsibility to take a stand. Especially since you also contribute to opinion-forming with your broadcasts and have a special responsibility in this respect.
For this reason, the ISD has no sympathy whatsoever for your editorial decision, which it considers a public insult, denunciation and violation of Black people on public television. With this letter we expect a statement and a public apology from you regarding the editorial decision of your hall bet. In doing so, we ask you to refrain in advance from trivializing this incident – for example, associating the innocent hero Jim Knopf with racism in the first place. We would like to point out that racist actions happen even if they were not intended. Because the intention does not matter, but the effect and that should be thought over in your function in advance.
With kind regards
The Executive Board of ISD Bund e.V.
This correspondence is conducted publicly. The cover letter as well as your response may be published for documentation and educational purposes.