Even about Maxim Hartman last night

If you had told me yesterday that I would write about Maxim Hartman today, I would have laughed. Hard too. Because Maxim Hartman is not really the focus of my attention. The world needs them, you know, a slightly unconventional type that sprinkles some spice over life, and besides, I do like grumpy men with an opinion. Jan Mulder, Martin van Roosmalen, angry and grumpy, but thank god overlaid with a four-season duvet of life experience with a small, warm heart underneath. With Maxim Hartman, I feel that a little less. He seemed to me the type that nobody really likes and is basically just rather disagreeable than agreeable. His right, but I prefer to take a detour.

Last night, Renze Klaver invited him to his new talk show because Renze was struggling with some Maxim issues. On the one hand, he could laugh at him and appreciated his uniqueness, on the other hand, he did not understand the need to unnecessarily and unsolicitedly hurt others. Renze came up with some examples that I won't repeat here because I prefer to keep it pleasant, but they were not mild. Where you expected someone to back down and say that certain things were said after four beers and a heated moment, Maxim took nothing back. On the contrary, he wished the world more anger. Because sadness, that was of no use. Meanwhile, he dished out one insult after another at the table. To Fred Teeven, who said that Maxim might be doing this because it was a nice business model, he replied: ‘That really hurts me.’ Strange, I thought, you compare Nikkie Tutorials to a Polish prostitute (sorry, I have to say it because this needs clarification) because she wears too much makeup and you hate makeup, but when someone suggests that you have a business model with your angry remarks, you are hurt? Okay. When Ilse DeLange smiled sweetly at him, she was told that she made cat whining music. Maxim almost patted himself on the back, but he was looking around like a provocative boss in search of a fresh soul to break.

And then he said something. That he also received annoying comments that hurt. His oldest son had passed away, and someone had said something terrible about that. That hurt. And then I knew: Maxim is not angry, Maxim is sad. Suddenly, I thought of the famous writer in the book The Fault in Our Stars, who acted so incredibly mean because he hated the world. So much sadness that you start shouting and hurting, so that everyone is angry at you, but that is less bad than sadness. I found it sad, for everyone.

Image: Episode Renze RTL