– Twelfth day in the wilderness: emergence of the evil term and new partnerships
Sarah Knappik is thinking out loud: What if we women joined forces, she muses? Maybe we could “take down some guys.” Given the situation, there are five ladies left, more than the four guys left. Despite their constant boasting about being stronger, wiser, and practically indestructible, the men are outnumbered by us women.
The power struggle between the sexes has been escalating for twelve days in the RTL jungle camp “Legends”. After Giulia Siegel’s controversial exit, the game now seems to be taking a different direction. Old alliances are crumbling, new ones are emerging. The women in the jungle in particular are increasingly tired – first of each other, then of the men who behave arrogantly and do not want to believe that a female candidate even has a chance of winning the 100,000 Euro. As Elena Miras puts it in Monday’s RTL+ episode “I’m a Star – Showdown of the Jungle Legends”: “The men here think they are the kings.”
“An indecent word”
However, it takes a while for this realization to sink in, and it is fueled by the argument that arose between Knappik and Georgina Fleur on the eleventh day. The reason for their sudden argument after a successful jungle challenge remains unclear. Fleur even went so far as to utter “the swear word”: “Get out of here and take your stars with you.”
Sarah, always the Stasi-style investigator, accepts the role of the victim and recruits others to her cause. “Georgina used the swear word,” she explains. “That’s not cool, especially as a mother.”
Thorsten Legat nods gravely in agreement: “That is an indecent word” – and uses it more often than Georgina herself. He insists that the jungle is a “cultivated” setting, curated even for the viewing pleasure of children.
“Thorsten, this is not a church service”
One person who doesn’t understand the drama is Gigi Birofio: “Thorsten, this isn’t a church service,” he says. “There have been worse things on TV.” Overall, Birofio seems increasingly frustrated. He’s getting tired not only of the jungle (“I don’t think there’s anything I despise more than the jungle. Except maybe school, which was just as exhausting”), but above all of the self-proclaimed alpha male “Kasalla” Legat.
Gigi, who this time had to struggle with the basic provisions in the camp himself (“A snail tastes exactly like a snail”), advises Elena Miras not to blindly believe everything Legat says and suspects: “He only plays to win.”
While Legat doesn’t emerge victorious in episode twelve, he does manage to earn eight out of nine stars in his jungle challenge. The impact of his participation and success remains unclear, even to Legat, who continues to mislead his fellow campers about his next steps.
RTL is leaving the outcome open, but is giving a small preview of episode 13. In it, presenter Mola Adebisi explains: “I don’t believe in feminism. My wife is my queen, but I am the king.” The context of this statement was initially unclear. However, it is not unlikely that such statements will spark a new round in the jungle gender war.
Feeling betrayed by Georgina’s use of a derogatory term, Sarah states, “I will not let Georgina get away with using the ‘dirty word.'” Later, when Thorsten uses the same term more frequently, she retorts, “Thorsten, this is not a church service, we are not in a sacred space where we can use such language.”
