The smartest lookWhich candidate stood out? What was Maarten’s moment and which gallery offered the most conversation material? A look back at the sixth week of The smartest person.
Candidate
There was actually only one candidate who stole all the attention this week and that was Flemish Erik Van Looy. And that wasn’t just because of his eye patch, which he heroically wore after a retinal surgery he had just before the TV recordings. As far as we can tell, he is one of the few candidates who ever made our national grumpy bear Maarten van Rossem laugh. After the jury member gave an oration about his former car, a Deux Chevaux, and his, uhm, ‘relaxed driving style’ (‘I almost drove a man out of socks this morning’), Van Looy responded with wit. He turned to presenter Philip Freriks: “You haven’t asked me yet how I tore my retina.” “Oh,” replied Freriks. “That is not very considerate. Eric, why is that?” Brief silence. “Yes, it is torn because I was shocked when I was almost hit by an old Dutch gentleman in a Deux Chevaux.” And then it happened: Maarten’s lips curled up slightly. Van Looy himself laughed so hard that I was afraid that his retina would come loose again.
Gallery
Of course, a gallery about South American capitals belongs in a knowledge quiz, but as a viewer I always have more fun in the creative excesses of the editors. This week I was grinning in front of the TV when suddenly eight celebrities with eye patches (think of Madonna, David Bowie and Moshe Dayan) appeared on screen, during the turn of Erik Van Looy, the one-eyed Belgian. The second gem was the gallery with eight deceased, but strongly aged world stars. Their appearance was adjusted to the year 2023, as if they were alive now. I thought back to an interview I once had with a cosmetic doctor from Erasmus MC. She could see in an instant how someone would age. She glanced briefly at my upper lip. “Women in particular suffer from wrinkles above their lips at a later age. Their skin is a bit softer there.” And thanks! A real wrinkle mustache awaits me. I’d rather have the crow’s feet of Janis Joplin, who passed away much too soon.
Martin moment
Maarten van Rossem banged on his silver bell. “It’s the umpteenth time that the goddamn Kardashians have appeared on this show. I suggest we stop now. This name, this family, this mess will not be mentioned for five years.” Journalist Haroon Ali joked that he submitted a question about the Kardashians to the editors. ,,Then I hope you fly out now”, Van Rossem moaned. That didn’t happen. Ali moves on to finals week. He’s a strong and likeable candidate, but come on, whoever reads this column knows who my favorite is.
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