That Hurts

Popstars is back, and the first half of the premiere is painful to watch. Not just the failed auditions—it’s the whole thing. Compared to Deutschland sucht den Superstar, which at least has some style, this is the gutter version.

Detlef D! Soost has the charm of a drain cleaner. He won’t shut up, won’t let anyone else finish, and takes himself with a seriousness that’s going to give him a heart attack. Nina Hagen is genuinely unhinged, which I respect, but listening to her tell people their voice is good enough for a choir felt cruel. Only moment worth watching was her fighting for some seventeen-year-old from Frankfurt. Dieter Falk probably has the most sense up there, but you’d never know it from the screen.

Germany needs more singers like this? No. Hope it disappears as fast as Teenstar did.