Jürgen von der Lippe
He speaks out against gendering
For Jürgen von der Lippe, gender is used to “mess up” the language.
© imago images / VIADATA
Jürgen von der Lippe also speaks out on the gender debate. He explains what he would be offended about.
In the last few months, more and more celebrities have spoken out in the gender debate. Jürgen von der Lippe (73) has now in conversation with the “Bild am Sonntag” pronounced against gendering. The debate is about how male forms can be adapted in the German language in order to make it more inclusive – for example by using an asterisk (example: citizens).
“That’s all wrong in the back and front”
The 73-year-old explains what bothers him about it: “If I were queer myself, i.e. gay, lesbian, bi-, trans- or intersexual, I would be offended that I should only be represented by such a small sign.” In addition, the entertainer legend asked “what about all the other people who are disadvantaged in our society”.
What about “with foreigners or disabled people? How do we deal with them? Should we also introduce something for them? An emoji maybe? Jürgen von der Lippe wonders why one doesn’t just keep using the generic masculine, because “everyone can feel at home” with it. For von der Lippe it is “a scandal that universities demand that students’ work be gendered and thus submitted in the wrong German”.
Even if it sounds like an “old white man” and he knows that these are in some places a reason for ills such as climate change, the entertainer stands by it. “So what, I’m an old white man. Only if you use it as triple discrimination is it inadmissible.” Because of his gender, age and skin color, he should “not be offended. The same law must apply to everyone”.
Language is “disguised and ruined”
On January 10th, von der Lippe’s new book “Sex ist wie Mehl” will be published (Penguin Verlag). It is about sex again and again, but you can’t really accuse him of sexism. After all, men always get a blow from me, “says von der Lippe. “I’m also a feminist and I think it’s great what women have achieved in the last 70 years and without any gender.”
With gender “the language is spoiled and messed up”, also tells von der Lippe in an interview with “t-online”. For example, he gets an earache when he hears moderators on TV or radio gender. “Of course I am in favor of equal pay for men and women. But language will not solve this problem,” continues the entertainer. “On the contrary: the majority turns away, feels bullied. I also feel personally attacked if you deliberately and deliberately messed up my language.”