Racism accusation against ZDF presenter Kiewel after statement about Pokémon cards

Reactions from social media

ZDF responded to the accusations on Monday and stated: "Die spontan getätigte Äußerung war der Live-Situation geschuldet und keinesfalls rassistisch gemeint." It added: "Andrea Kiewel bedauert ihre Worte und entschuldigt sich dafür." At the same time, the broadcaster made clear: "Das ZDF stellt sich explizit gegen jede Form von Rassismus."

Kiewel herself also expressed regret. She said she had not meant her words that way and regretted the statement. The broadcaster in Mainz also pointed to the nature of the live show, in which responses are spontaneous.

The criticism of the comment was particularly harsh on Instagram and TikTok. Numerous users accused Kiewel of mocking Asian languages and cultures. Under a post about the "Fernsehgarten" episode on Instagram, reference was made to the racist pattern of the remark.

ZDF rejects racism accusation

The Pokémon influencer and TikTok streamer "mr.fujicards" criticized the statement as an example of everyday racism in the media: "Was die Moderatorin dort gesagt hat, zeigt mal wieder, wie tief der Alltagsrassismus in den Medien sitzt." Other voices from social media echoed that judgment.

TikToker Thi also articulated her criticism clearly: "Es geht darum, dass eine Sprache, die Kultur und letztendlich Menschen auf irgendwelche bedeutungslosen Laute reduziert werden." She also said: "Aber wenn du es nicht weißt, dann hält man in dem Moment lieber die Klappe."

Background: Pokémon as a 90s phenomenon

The episode of "Fernsehgarten" was themed "90er Dance Party" and picked up on the Pokémon trend, which grew large in the 1990s. The boom had begun with the development of a game in Japan. Today, the Pokémon empire encompasses not only video games but also TV series and films; cards featuring the "Pocket Monsters" are collected and traded worldwide.

The incident is not the first of its kind in the German television landscape. The debate over the handling of language and cultural attribution in live television has been reignited by the case. Observers point out that presenters in live shows must be especially careful with spontaneous remarks.

Kiewel has hosted "Fernsehgarten" for many years and is one of the most familiar faces of ZDF's daytime programming. How things will continue with the show and with her presenting role was initially unclear. The broadcaster did not comment on that initially.