Michael Wendler: From Laughing Stock to Dangerous Conspiracy Theorist
Michael Wendler was once seen as a joke figure in Germany, entertaining audiences with his rhinestone-covered suits and catchy pop music. However, things have taken a dangerous turn in recent times, as Wendler has become known for spreading dangerous conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic.
Wendler has described Germany as a concentration camp and claimed that a “weather weapon” caused the recent flooding in the Ahr Valley. He has also been accused of being anti-Semitic and racist. Despite this, broadcaster RTLzwei recently attempted to make a documentary about Wendler and his wife Laura Müller, causing uproar from viewers.
The question arises: can the work be separated from the author? In this case, the answer is no. Wendler’s views are too dangerous and divisive to be ignored, and appearing in a documentary would only give him a platform to spread his ideas further.
Despite this, Wendler remains remorseful, hoping for a second chance and asking for dialogue. But until he takes responsibility for his actions and stops denying the harm his views can cause, he has no right to rehabilitation on German television.
Meanwhile, people around the world have been affected by Wendler’s influence. Even in Japan, young people are dancing to his songs on the TikTok video platform. It’s clear that we need to take action to stop the spread of his dangerous ideas, and raising awareness abroad would be a good start.
With this in mind, perhaps it’s time for someone like Oliver Pocher to step in and enlighten the population. Until then, we’ll have to continue to be vigilant against Wendler and his harmful beliefs.
