ARD intervenes due to hate reactions to Alexander Bommes’ show

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The quiz boom in Germany is unbroken, with shows like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” still attracting millions of people to their screens even after many years. For the public broadcaster, “Gefragt – Gejagt” with Alexander Bommes has been a guarantee of success since 2012, But some fans of the show have recently gone too far with devastating comments about the show on social media.

So much so that the ARD felt compelled to issue a statement. The broadcaster has hidden several comments on Facebook.

Questionable reactions to candidates from “Gefragt – Gejagt”

The phenomenon is actually well known: When you watch quiz shows comfortably on the sofa, you think you know everything, but when you stand in front of a TV camera and have to answer questions, the situation is suddenly completely different. It can happen that even well-prepared candidates suddenly make hair-raising mistakes.

In “Asked – Hunted” everyone must first prove themselves in a quick guessing round before going into a duel against a hunter. The first stage in particular is feared, as as many correct answers as possible must be given within one minutethe time pressure makes it even more difficult.

Another sticking point: the decision whether to gamble for a large sum or to choose a less dangerous variant in the hunter's duel. Of course, you only know later on, as the questions presented by Alexander Bommes are absolutely impossible to predict. It is not only knowledge and tactics that count, but very often also luck.

Posts about individual episodes are regularly shared on the show’s official social media channels. Quite a few people use the opportunity to campaign against certain candidates for various reasons. The ARD has had enough of that now.

ARD puts viewers in the closet

“Criticism is welcome and important. We are not afraid of it and have even changed things in the show over the years because we read your comments,” reads the Facebook channel for “Gefragt – Gejagt”. But it goes on to say:

Those responsible for social media are concerned that this hasn't been necessary for a long time. It's “about the quiz, about fun and about having a good time.” Most reactions to the post were positive, but some quiz fans also seem to be bothered by the insults.

“Some of it goes way below the belt! Whether against the candidates or against Mr. Bommes or the quiz elite!”, writes one person on Facebook, While another user said: “Finally, something is being done about it.”

Now we can only hope that the hate comments will decrease again. The ARD refers to its netiquette, which is listed in the discussion rules for social media. One requirement is: “Discuss objectively. Irrelevant and/or offensive comments have no place here.”

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