Raab comeback: Buschi is annoyed with the media and finds criticism “worrisome”

“Hardly bearable”: Presenter Frank Buschmann attacks critics after Raab’s comeback. He considers the less than positive media coverage to be “worrisome” and calls it “absurd and ridiculous” in an Instagram post.

Hardly anyone was so close to the TV comeback of the year: Frank “Buschi” Buschmann was first the co-host alongside Elton on Saturday evening on RTL, then he commented live on the boxing match between Stefan Raab and Regina Halmich. The long-time sports reporter and entertainment presenter (“Ninja Warrior Germany”) was, as always, fully passionate about the matter. His conclusion after the fight was also passionate – with a view to critics and commentators.

“What happened around Saturday and Stefan Raab's comeback shows very clearly how much we as a society are going astray and how hardened our opinions are,” Buschmann said angrily in an Instagram post published on Tuesday. He was not surprised that “private individuals” within their social media “bubble” were “going wild and criticizing everything.” “But the fact that a taste for entertainment is supposed to be conveyed by media services, online portals and other 'journalists',” the 59-year-old continued, was something he found “worrisome.”

Critical media response to Stefan Raab’s comeback

Buschmann points out that opinions and businesses are different. The fact that various media feel compelled to explain “why all of this was and can be nothing” is “so absurd and ridiculous that it is hardly bearable.” Buschmann: “Podcasts (some of which are produced by Raab's competitors), X, Insta, LinkedIn, everywhere 'absolute media experts' and 'guardians of good taste' are outraged, madness! Why aren't different forms of entertainment allowed in certain circles??? Taste is taste, of course!”

The former basketball player and experienced live commentator did not reveal which “certain media circles” he was referring to. In fact, Stefan Raab's comeback show was met with a predominantly critical media response. An intro that was too long and too self-absorbed with career retrospectives, the boxing opponents were demoted to extras and ridiculed (“I'm not a geriatric nurse”). There were also some corny jokes below the belt (“I only trained on my balls for the first four months”) – these were the main points of criticism from many observers, from a wide variety of media.

“You really speak from my heart”

“Bild” published the commentary of a self-proclaimed “Raab disciple from the very beginning”, who was “disappointed and disgusted” after the three-hour-long spectacle. “Spiegel” wrote in the live ticker: “Stefan, the nineties called and want their sense of humor back.” The “Frankfurter Allgemeine” suspected that the audience had suffered “torment”. The “Süddeutsche Zeitung” asked provocatively: “Does he need us or do we need him?”

The ratings seem to prove Stefan Raab, who was back on German television for the first time in almost ten years, right – at least in the short term. Up to eight million viewers tuned in to the boxing match on Saturday evening – the average for the three-and-a-half hour live broadcast from Düsseldorf was 5.9 million. The market share was an outstanding 52.9 percent.

On Instagram – how could it be otherwise – Frank Buschmann's post received a lot of approval, but also biting criticism. “You really speak from my heart,” wrote one user. “Why do other people have to be told over and over again what they should think and like about the most banal of topics?” Another scathingly replied: “Writing a post in which you lecture and communicate to your bubble, in which it is about others being didactic and talking in bubbles. Accusing that this comes from people who are Raab's 'competitors'.” “While you moderated the fight yourself, it has exactly my sense of humor.”

New Raab show runs exclusively on the streaming portal RTL+

This Instagram user gives a balanced assessment: “Basically, I agree with you. The format itself can hardly be questioned. If you don't like it, you can just turn the show off.” Stefan Raab's behavior “should still be viewed critically.”

Many media outlets will certainly do the same with Stefan Raab's new regular show. On Wednesday, September 18th, at 8:10 p.m., “You won't win the million with Stefan Raab” will start exclusively on the streaming portal RTL+ until further notice. Source: teleschau