Impaled: Forced to listen
Pierre C. Meier, editor-in-chief of *Werbewoche*, on being forced to listen to the radio while stuck in traffic.
The first Monday after the summer vacation. The traffic planners, or whoever is responsible for the roadworks signalization on the national roads, have decided to give the A 3 freeway between Wädenswil and Richterswil a single lane of traffic in each direction just as the vacations come to an end. This comes after the same construction site had been open to two lanes in both directions for around six months. Small cause, big effect: the traffic jam stretched from Richterswil to Horgen. Time spent in the traffic jam: 50 minutes. Number of kilometers covered: 15. Great, especially when you think that the same picture will probably be seen in the evening - just in the opposite direction.
Standing still in a traffic jam allows you to listen to the radio undisturbed. Radio 1 - the radio for adults. For those who are not familiar with the Radio 1 program: There are so-called morning columns. As it says on the homepage, "distinguished opinion leaders analyze the topic of the hour in a pointed way." The whole thing is an interesting idea - the contributions are often funny and exciting. The opinion makers are usually Patrik Müller, editor-in-chief of the Sonntag newspaper, ex-Zurich staple Elmar Ledergeber, Roger Köppel from Weltwoche, my colleague Matthias Ackeret from Persönlich and Regula Stämpfli, the Brussels-based political scientist from Bern who expresses herself on all channels.
Regula Stämpfli's turn always comes on Monday. Today is no exception. For months, she has regularly picked on Federal Councillor Merz. Some may say rightly so, others may have taken offence, but columns are supposed to polarize. But what the sharp-tongued lady let loose on the airwaves today was simply a step too far. If Merz wasn't a public figure, he could have easily sued for defamation and would have been vindicated. Stämpfli bit into her favorite opponent like an attack dog - I'll politely leave out the female form for now. But it wasn't just about Merz, everyone got their comeuppance in a typical Stämpfli all-round attack: the Federal Council, the FDP, the banks. All their bogeymen were dutifully dealt with. I don't know whether such an emotional outburst is really appreciated by the audience. Even if they are not in a traffic jam. Even the Bernese accent, which many people consider charming, couldn't change that, and the balancing manner of morning show presenter Marc Jäggi was equally unsuccessful.
Switch to Radio 24, where Ufsteller - Zurich's "most popular morning show with Patrick Hässig" - is on. The Radio 24 morning game "Toast Hässig", in which Ufsteller presenter Patrick Hässig competes against one of his listeners, is over. It's the turn of Bea Petri's make-up tips. It's all about powder, loose and firm. And how best to apply the stuff. Patrick Hässig rambles on about shaving brushes, Bea Petri corrects him and now I finally know what the make-up brushes are made of: the finest goat hair from the neck. Oh, how good a little banality feels.
Standing still in a traffic jam allows you to listen to the radio undisturbed. Radio 1 - the radio for adults. For those who are not familiar with the Radio 1 program: There are so-called morning columns. As it says on the homepage, "distinguished opinion leaders analyze the topic of the hour in a pointed way." The whole thing is an interesting idea - the contributions are often funny and exciting. The opinion makers are usually Patrik Müller, editor-in-chief of the Sonntag newspaper, ex-Zurich staple Elmar Ledergeber, Roger Köppel from Weltwoche, my colleague Matthias Ackeret from Persönlich and Regula Stämpfli, the Brussels-based political scientist from Bern who expresses herself on all channels.
Regula Stämpfli's turn always comes on Monday. Today is no exception. For months, she has regularly picked on Federal Councillor Merz. Some may say rightly so, others may have taken offence, but columns are supposed to polarize. But what the sharp-tongued lady let loose on the airwaves today was simply a step too far. If Merz wasn't a public figure, he could have easily sued for defamation and would have been vindicated. Stämpfli bit into her favorite opponent like an attack dog - I'll politely leave out the female form for now. But it wasn't just about Merz, everyone got their comeuppance in a typical Stämpfli all-round attack: the Federal Council, the FDP, the banks. All their bogeymen were dutifully dealt with. I don't know whether such an emotional outburst is really appreciated by the audience. Even if they are not in a traffic jam. Even the Bernese accent, which many people consider charming, couldn't change that, and the balancing manner of morning show presenter Marc Jäggi was equally unsuccessful.
Switch to Radio 24, where Ufsteller - Zurich's "most popular morning show with Patrick Hässig" - is on. The Radio 24 morning game "Toast Hässig", in which Ufsteller presenter Patrick Hässig competes against one of his listeners, is over. It's the turn of Bea Petri's make-up tips. It's all about powder, loose and firm. And how best to apply the stuff. Patrick Hässig rambles on about shaving brushes, Bea Petri corrects him and now I finally know what the make-up brushes are made of: the finest goat hair from the neck. Oh, how good a little banality feels.
