Shame

Another year of that German jungle show where cable TV collects minor celebrities and watches them unravel—either exposing their demons or their bodies. Nicole Mieth, from some soap opera that hasn’t mattered in years, made the rounds.

The cringe came later with the Playboy interview. The interviewer, Maximilian Reich, heard that Nicole was in a relationship and actually expressed disappointment—said Shame, like he’d been planning to sleep with her on the hotel bed if only she were available. The entitlement was almost impressive.

What struck me about Nicole was that she seemed like one of the few people in that whole thing who hadn’t already surrendered. Everyone else was either unrecognizable from cosmetic work or completely committed to playing a character for the cameras. She just showed up as herself.

That’s rarer than it should be. The quiet ones usually just make it through.