Erik Dijkstra defends BNNVARA and criticizes Fidan Ekiz in Jinek talk show

BNNVARA presenter Erik Dijkstra joined the talk show last night a woman to talk about football player Erling Haaland, but the haggling around his broadcaster was also a talking point. That soap revolves around former BNNVARA presenter Fidan Ekiz. Dijkstra jumped into the breach for his employer at the talk show.

Ekiz presented at BNNVARA Eve (predecessor of Khalid & Sophie), but the broadcaster suddenly pulled the plug there in 2021. In The DIY Dictatorship she states that this would be because she would be too ‘right-wing’. “BNNVARA is sectarian and woke,” she says. In this documentary series, Ekiz and Kees Schaap look for the relationship between the cancel culture and the increased polarization. For example, they address the question of why people with deviating opinions and behavior are publicly condemned and excluded.

BNNVARA ultimately decided not to broadcast the documentary series, because the broadcaster itself was part of that series in terms of content. The broadcaster said that during the making process of the documentary, the director sent “a funny Christmas package” to the person ultimately responsible at BNNVARA. It contained, among other things, a box of chocolate kisses with an image pasted on it of someone with a face painted black, also known as blackface.

However, the makers were given the space to transfer the series to another broadcaster. Broadcaster MAX announced on Sunday that it would broadcast the documentary series after consultation with BNNVARA.

Dijkstra: ‘Just not such a good program’

“What do you think of the accusation that Fidan makes?” Jinek asks Erik Dijkstra. “I found Eve just not such a good program”, Dijkstra snarls. “Then you can also stop it, with such a talk show. Still crying about it two years later… Get over it.”

Dijkstra says that he has read the stories about the so-called culture of fear at BNNVARA. “I have been working at BNNVARA for fifteen years. I do not notice it at all.” The presenter denies that an unwelcome opinion is given less space. “Everyone can say whatever they want in this country, right? I haven’t been there, but I think if things happened internally… That story about the Christmas gift. If a broadcaster wants it out and the makers don’t, you get into a discussion with each other. I don’t think that’s such an interesting topic. I don’t feel that way and I don’t recognize myself in the reproach. When I hear things about fear culture, I think: what is it about, dude?”

‘Not so relevant’

Dijkstra is not planning to watch Ekiz’s documentary series. “Then I have to see why a program stopped two years ago, I don’t think that is really relevant.” Jinek says he will take a look. “I am interested if something like this plays out in such a subject. Of course I’m not involved either, so I can’t judge it either, but I’m asking you, because it is indeed your broadcaster and you are the only one at the table who could know a little more about it.”

Dijkstra repeats that he finds it ‘not interesting’. “You know what I dislike about it? That series was made by Fidan, together with Kees Schaap. Together with Kees Schaap I made that series about the strike in the Second World War. I was very proud of that. Was a wonderful series. I wish I could have made more series like that. Those are subjects that interest me more. I think this is whining about a talk show that was taken off the air two years ago. I told him that and he said it’s important to him. Well, then you should do it.”

Reactions to Erik Dijkstra

On Twitter, many people are “team Ekiz.” “This man makes a very unpleasant and arrogant impression,” it says. “Don’t be Erik Dijkstra.”

This is really very wrong, Erik Dijkstra. Everything, really: swallowing the boss, the accent and the outfit #woman

— Man (@MiesBee) June 8, 2023

Erik is exactly the calling card for the internal atmosphere that Fidan addresses…

“it’s not an interesting theme or anything”
“I don’t feel that way”
“Things like culture of fear, what is it about dude?”

— Dennis Gerritsen  (@dennboss) June 8, 2023

Super collegial colleague Erik Dijkstra but not really. Two fingers in his ears when his colleague broaches a theme that is important to him. #woman

— Servan Heugden (@Servan_heugden) June 8, 2023

You can look back at Jinek via RTL XL.

Ideals of beauty make us too strict about our bodies, that’s how you let go