More important than the question “Where are we going?” (South Africa), or “Who’s in?” (Harald Glööckler; Anoushka Renzi; the unconditional basic income of numerous plastic surgeons), even more important than “What do you have to choke down? (Warthog testicles; Kudu penis; no idea, had to choke yourself) is the question: Why do people do this to themselves?
Why do people who seem to care about cosmetics go without makeup to a place where they have to scrape their own “poo” out of the toilet? Why do vegetarians like Tina Ruland (known from Manta Manta and “200 other things”), in a program in which, in addition to South Africa’s most coveted tofu, warthog testicles are also on the menu? What drives people who say they suffer from a fear of heights, back pain and general whimpering into a show where the subtitle “Get me out of here” isn’t a particularly surprising turn of events.
Of course, the question is as old as the jungle camp itself (this year of legal age). And yet it comes to the fore in the first episode of this new season. It may be a bit ailing in terms of dramaturgy due to the tiring series of performances by hitherto relatively unknown people, but it tackles the big questions.
And delivers two answers: the first disarming, the second honest. The disarming one comes from actress Anoushka Renzi, who, that much is certain after the first episode, has been chosen by the director gods and the personality fairy as this season’s anti-hero. When asked what the jungle means to her, Renzi answers straightforwardly with “good money.” And you believe that because it’s so obvious. After all, so it is said, for two weeks “no bread and circuses” between 40,000 euros (Linda Nobat, Manuel Flickinger) and 200,000 euros (Glööckler) beckon. And then there’s this Jungle King prize money, which Anoushka Renzi doesn’t have any hopes for anyway.
The honest answer comes from Glööckler, who, it seems to be already clear, has a very good chance of winning the crown and in any case can hardly lose the title “Jungle Queen of Hearts” after the first episode. Glööckler is not talking about money, although he will earn the most – with or without a crown. He explains the decision to accept this year after multiple jungle requests: “Then the pandemic came. You’re sitting here, it’s not happening. Nobody sees me, what’s that supposed to be?”. Glööckler is there to be seen, which means to be loved, or what you think it is. And somehow it’s not surprising from one who has neediness tattooed all over his face. Just as she left physical marks on almost all participants.
One cannot despise Glööckler because he despises nothing himself
And so the “stars” all say about the same thing. Asking for pithy sayings, almost embarrassed, into the camera: “Let’s cut that out, that’s shit, not that people somehow think I’m arrogant”. Saying “I don’t want to brag”. And then they talk about driving a model train with Michael Jackson and list all the celebrities they (allegedly) had something to do with during their hot phase as “carpet sluts”. Or: “It’s definitely not about the money for me, it’s about my image”. And even Anoushka Renzi, maybe Anoushka Renzi in particular, can’t talk about money in a would-be-tough way without immediately starting with what it’s actually about: “Tell me honestly, I don’t come across as very likeable, don’t I?”.
yes she is coming And that’s the special tragedy of the format, that people go in to appear likeable and improve their image and, well, it’s just the jungle camp. And that’s the biggest jungle test of all: Can you make it to be loved?
Again, there are two answers. Glööckler does it, in a way that can serve as a role model for anyone who wants to be loved even outside of the jungle. Namely with the oldest trick in the world: where he honestly tries. Unironic and without a false bottom. At first you don’t notice it, you don’t trust him – and that’s the greatest attraction of the format, that it not only confirms prejudices, but also completely eliminates them with a few targeted experiments on the living subject. Glööckler amazes when, despite his fear of heights, he jumps from one swinging ball in a ravine to the next. Fighting your way up again just before the crash with completely cliché-breaking strength.
Even if he doesn’t solve the task, falling down just before the goal, he copes with the real task of winning the viewer’s affection just by the sincerity of the attempt. You can’t despise him because he doesn’t despise anything himself, neither the format, nor the tasks, nor his teammates, whom he encourages at every point, calls out to them that it’s not bad if they give up, radiates that nobody is angry with them would be, especially he would not. And at the latest when he eats a kudu penis without a movement and with the best table manners, he has finally made it. While eating, he thought of Queen Elizabeth, who was served something else and didn’t show anything. “I’ll take it like the Queen of England, keep cool, keep your head up”. He stays cool, he stays sovereign, more than just pompous, Glööckler, Harald Glööckler of all people, charges everything with great human dignity, even the camp, even a kudu penis and maybe not even the Queen can do that.
“Love me anyway” remains her screaming subtext
In any case, Anoushka Renzi doesn’t make it, neither on a small nor on a large scale. And it’s not because she doesn’t want to, no matter what she claims. Like a student who at the end of the day would like to be able to at least say that he hasn’t learned, she consoles herself for her failure by not even trying. Explains at length that she is considered bitchy, difficult, “but I’m not,” she says. Or that she doesn’t want to be seen as a bully, but she’s not a sheep. She knows beforehand that she is not sympathetic. And because nobody loves her anyway, she doesn’t even try to be lovable. “Love me anyway” remains her screaming subtext.
But he is not heard. At the end of the episode, Renzi is one of two people shortlisted by the moderators for the jungle exam. The other is Glööckler. An interesting dramaturgical decision, since it is clear to every viewer that Glööckler cannot have lost this popularity contest. On the other hand, there could be no “Who will it?” tension anyway. Even the opponents know that it will be Renzi. And she will. Not surprised, but disappointed nonetheless. Looks like a defiant child, then infinitely sad, first smiles away the tears, then stops.
“Is everything ok. Everything ok. Everything is fine,” she says. And nothing is good. Not because of the ridiculous test, but because of the serious matter of love. You’d want to hug her, if you could just manage it for a moment, to ignore the fact that she’s so unsympathetic. Glööckler manages that too, hugs her, “and if you can’t do it, you say you can’t do it. All right.” Maybe it is, at least for a brief moment.