Matussek, Folge 97:
Die alten Feuchtgebiete
Leipzig, 9. November 2008, 16:40 | von Paco
Wie Nils Kahlefendt in seinem Umblätterer-Porträt im Börsenblatt 14/2008 einmal schrieb:
»Die englische Synopsis von Matusseks ›Kulturtipp‹-Blog ist eher etwas für Hardcore-Fans.«
Den Volltext der Passage gibt es bei zintzen.org (dort Abschnitt IV.). Also weiter. Nach den Folgen 56, 63, 69 und 85 folgt heute unser (wieder leicht verspäteter) Recap der Folge 97. Wie immer passiert alles in der sentimentalischen Genauigkeit der Einträge auf der Serien-Website TV.com. Have fun!
Matusseks Kulturtipp (2006 and on)
Ep. Title: »Matusseks Bücherschau: Die alten Feuchtgebiete«
Episode Number: 97 (Complete Episode Guide)
First Aired: September 25, 2008 (Thursday)
URL: http://www.spiegel.de/video/video-36686.html
Synopsis
»This is blog #99,« Matussek keeps saying when it’s only blog entry #97. He obviously wants to antedate the 100th episode of his show. As always with Matussek, there’s a message behind this seemingly obvious faux pas. By insisting on what is evidently untrue, Matussek carries on a tradition that originated with great authors such as Max Frisch. Also in this episode, Matussek revives the birthday party for infamous »BILD« columnist Franz Josef Wagner which took place at the Springer headquarters. He soon changes the topic, though, and starts talking about Frauenliteratur (Women’s Literature), suggesting that women are »the better people.«
Cast
Star: Matthias Matussek (himself)
Recurring Role: Goethe (himself)
Guest Star: unidentified staff member (carrying stuff to and fro behind Matussek’s back), Mathias Döpfner (himself), Kai Diekmann (himself), Franz Josef Wagner (himself), Hillary Clinton (external footage), Sarah Palin (external footage), John McCain (external footage).
Compositing/Production: Jens Radü
Memorable Quotes
Matussek: »Die Vorbereitungen für den 100. Blog laufen, große Gala, wer hätte das gedacht: Matussek wird hundert.«
Matussek: »Noch mal für Franz Josef [Wagner] und all die anderen, die mit dem Zählen durcheinander gekommen sind: Das hier ist Blog 99, nächste Woche ist Blog 100.«
Matussek: »Charlotte Roche will erst mal ausspannen und Urlaub machen. Ich hab gehört, mit einem Teil ihrer Tantiemen hat sie sich Österreich gekauft.«
Matussek: »… Eberhard von Kuenheim, dann doch eher Männerliteratur, ›In großer Höhe fliegt der Adler am besten allein‹, ergebnisorientiert, ich lese hier nichts von Hämorrhoiden, [das Buch ist] also auch nicht bestsellertauglich, befürchte ich.«
Matussek: »Wer kann schon Steinmeier und Merkel wirklich auseinanderhalten?«
Trivia
Running time of this episode: 7’33 mins.
Matussek wears no suspenders in this episode after the opening credits.
»Der alte Schirrmacher« (»good old Schirrmacher«) is not mentioned in this episode. The same goes for Ding and Dong (i. e., Mephisto). Also Goethe is only seen in footage for an earlier episode where he accompanies Matussek and Australian author Gregory David Roberts to a restaurant in downtown Bombay (1:25 minutes in).
As always, Matussek uses the abbreviation »blog« when actually referring to a »blog entry« (or rather, »vlog entry,« or »vlog post«). Some inexperienced would-be bloggers suggest that this shows how he doesn’t have the foggiest notion about what he is doing. (Them noobs have nooo idea, hehe.)
This 97th episode ushers in the confusion surrounding the festivities of Matussek’s upcoming 100th vlog entry. Just take Matussek’s little chit-chat with Franz Josef Wagner where the latter one goes: »I haven’t seen the 99th yet.« – »It’s not there yet,« answers Matussek. Of course, this bears a double meaning. He was directing the alleged 99th episode in that very moment. But this also indicates that Matussek was well aware of what he was doing there. He tells us the 99th episode »is not there yet,« although he starts off by saying: »This IS blog #99.« Just compare this to the first sentence of Max Frisch’s celebrated novel »Stiller«: »I am not Stiller,« he writes. »This is the 99th blog,« Matussek says, a clear allusion to the Swiss author.
Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, is seen delivering a speech in honor of Franz Josef Wagner but little can be overheard.
The footage showing Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and John McCain, was provided by SPIEGEL TV.
His words concerning Sarah Palin seem to be favorable yet in an interview with the Hamburg newspaper »Abendblatt« Matussek revises his thoughts: »In meinem letzten Blog hab ich Sarah Palin als neuen, konservativen Typ Feministin bewundert, schon weil mir die traditionellen Feministinnen so auf die Nerven gehen, und nicht nur mir. Jetzt allerdings hat mir Irene Dische ein absolut dämliches Palin-Interview geschickt und mit mir geschimpft, und ich schäme mich in Grund und Boden.« – While we’re at it: The name of mentioned author Irene Dische can be pronounced either way: »Dische, Disky, Dish.« This is intel provided by Adriano Sack who interviewed Dische for the German edition of »Vanity Fair«.
Allusions
Matussek mentions that Kai Diekmann, editor-in-chief of »BILD«, Europe’s biggest yellow press newspaper, cranks up the blog business by installing a »Leserblogger« project. This enigmatic remark might refer to an actual project called »Blattkritik« where celebrities are asked to criticize the current edition of »BILD« in front of a camera. The first guest to appear was Germany’s current Foreign Minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on Sept. 22, 2008, just 3 days before this episode of »Matussek« aired. (BILDblog indicates that Steinmeier might have had ulterior motives for his far too gentle »criticism« but that’s another story.)
»Alle sind auf der Suche nach den neuen ›Feuchtgebieten‹,« says Matussek. This refers to the bestselling teenage novel »Feuchtgebiete« by Charlotte Roche whose English edition, »Wetlands«, is about to hit the market.
The jury of the renowned German Book Prize is referred to as »behämmert« (»nutty«, »screwy«) because they didn’t care to put Roche’s megaselling book on their longlist for the 2008 award.
This episode contains excerpts from episode 62, »Bücher 2008 – Die neuen Tabubrüche sind da!«, that aired on January 8, 2008. Matussek is seen flipping through some brochures announcing Charlotte Roche’s novel »Feuchtgebiete.« He reads the advertising text and screams, »Um Gottes Willen!« (»For God’s sake!«)
Subsequently, the title of this episode, »Die alten Feuchtgebiete«, is then coined as Matussek looks at a reproduction of Titian’s »Venus of Urbino« in one of the catalogues he is browsing. »The old wetlands« thus may refer to whatever you might see in this fabulous painting.
...