“ZDF Magazin Royale”
Influencer Kliemann under pressure because of Böhmermann’s criticism
ZDF presenter Jan Böhmermann (l) and Youtuber Fynn Kliemann. Photo: Vennenbernd/Dittrich/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Influencer Fynn Kliemann is under pressure. In his show, satirist Jan Böhmermann talks about business with protective masks that were not transparent. Kliemann reacts – questions remain.
The influencer and musician Fynn Kliemann has been criticized after a TV report by the satirist Jan Böhmermann on the protective mask business. Böhmermann published a longer contribution to the show “ZDF Magazin Royale” on Friday, which was also shown in the media library in the evening.
The suspicion was raised that Kliemann could be involved in a dubious business. Kliemann spread a long statement in which he critically reflected on his actions. It said: “I would like to formally apologize to all people, organizations and institutions who are now disappointed and shocked “at first sight”. At the same time, he asked for a differentiated view. Some things are wrong.
Production not in Europe
Specifically, it was about the production site of protective masks, which may not have been made transparent on purpose – they are said to have been manufactured in Asia instead of in Europe. Kliemann was put into contact with a textile company. In his statement it said: “I have to admit that I could no longer oversee the process.” It also said: “This must never happen and therefore I take responsibility, even if I was neither a producer nor a seller.” Through these omissions, not having dealt with these processes in detail, he has disappointed many. On his Instagram profile, many were disappointed and posted comments.
Anyone who follows satirist Böhmermann on social networks or listens carefully to his podcasts could see the trail he had been laying for a long time. It might have seemed funny at first, how he parodied the influencer and musician Kliemann in a dreary parking lot and patronized supposed employees. Kliemann became known years ago with an extraordinary project: with his “Kliemannsland”. This is a farm north of Bremen. People come and live there from time to time. There is tinkering, screwing, chatting, making music.
The fact that Böhmermann, who can be seen in the ZDF main program on Friday evenings with his program “ZDF Magazin Royale”, was his turn to do research, could also be seen from the fact that Kliemann published a questionnaire from the station on Instagram and commented on it. It dealt with various topics, including donations.
Online retailer is investigating allegations
Böhmermann’s advance already led to the first consequences. The online retailer About You, which belongs to the Otto Group, said: “The ZDF Magazin Royale Video has reached us and we know it. We are currently reviewing the case internally to get an accurate picture of the facts.” In a first step, masks from the “Oderso” brand were taken offline. According to the imprint of the shop, Kliemann is the managing director. The German Sustainability Award Foundation also announced that it was withdrawing an award that Kliemann had received in 2020.
The company in question that put Böhmermann in contact with Kliemann is the textile manufacturer Global Tactics. Company founder Tom Illbruck told the German Press Agency about the mask production site allegation: Masks were also produced in Bangladesh in the relevant period of 2020, not only in Europe. If, for example, a major customer did not attach importance to the masks coming explicitly from a certain country or explicitly from Europe, “we offered masks without explicitly saying where the masks came from”.
When asked about About You, Illbruck said: “According to the documents we have, there is no agreement with About You that the masks came explicitly from Portugal and that has not been assured in writing anywhere.”