Gottschalk criticizes Taylor Swift for being a jet setter, even though he himself has already advertised private jets.
Thomas Gottschalk condemns Taylor Swift’s environmental awareness and joins the ranks of critics. The former “Wetten, dass..?” presenter expressed his concerns about Swift’s travel behavior. But those who live in glass houses, or rather those who fly in private jets themselves, shouldn’t throw stones. At least Gottschalk has already been drumming up support for private aircraft…
Thomas Gottschalk finds it “outrageous to travel by private jet”
During her “The Eras” tour, Taylor Swift attracted numerous fans in Germany. Her seven concerts in the cities of Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg and Munich were completely sold out and left many enthusiastic fans behind. But not everyone shares the euphoria surrounding the singer.
In the podcast “Die Supernasen”, which Gottschalk runs together with Mike Krüger, the 74-year-old spoke openly about his aversion to Swift’s use of private jets. Without mentioning the singer by name, Gottschalk said: “I also find it unspeakable when, for example, an American singer arrives on her own plane.” He added that it bothers him when a large convoy of vehicles is waiting on the tarmac to pick up the singer. For Gottschalk, this is an affront, especially in times when the carbon footprint plays such a big role.
Private flights for everyone except the others
Interestingly, Gottschalk himself is no stranger to private aviation. Last year, he advertised for GlobeAir, Europe’s largest private jet rental company. In an advertising clip, he emphasized the advantages of time-saving travel with private jets and argued that long waiting times and queuing with other passengers were inefficient. “I just try to manage the time I have left as best as possible,” he explained in the video. These statements contrast with the statements about the US singer.
Here you will find content from Instagram
In order to interact with or display content from social networks, we need your consent.
Activate social networks
In May 2023, for example, Gottschalk himself used a private jet to fly to Berlin with his ex-wife Thea for a divorce. The round trip between Munich and Berlin shows that, despite his criticism of others, he does not shy away from using such means of flight. Gottschalk justified his use of private jets by pointing out his limited time and the comfort that this method of travel offers. Nevertheless, the question remains as to how serious he is about his criticism of other celebrities if he himself chooses this environmentally harmful method of travel.
Here you will find content from Youtube
In order to interact with or display content from social networks, we need your consent.
Activate social networks
Mike Krüger, Gottschalk’s podcast partner, defended Taylor Swift and explained that a normal scheduled flight was unthinkable for her, as it would lead to chaos and security problems. “All 200 people sitting in the back would rush to the front in first class,” Krüger speculated. He showed understanding for Swift’s decision to use private jets.
The eternal private jet debate
Sustainability marketing firm Yard previously reported that Swift’s jet made a total of 170 flights between January and July 2022, resulting in a significant amount of carbon emissions. Emissions were estimated at 8,293.54 tons of CO2 for 2022, which is 1,184.8 times more than the average person’s annual emissions. Yet Swift still didn’t even make it into the top 10 list of private jet users.
Yard’s research was based on data from Celebrity Jets, an X-account that automatically tracks flight movements of certain private jets. This account highlights the negative impact of private jets, especially after celebrities such as Drake, Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner were criticized for conspicuously short flights.
Jenner, who is dating Scott, posted a photo on Instagram at the time showing their respective jets with the caption: “Do you want to take mine or yours?” Celebrity Jets later noted that Jenner’s flight that day was only 17 minutes long. Drake defended using his massive private jet – a $185 million Boeing 767 – for short flights, arguing that the plane was only being moved to a storage location and there were no passengers on board. One fan responded: “Okay but that’s even worse, don’t you see how that could be worse?”
