The doctors no longer play “Elke”: “fatshaming and misogyn”

Die Ärzte have written many provocative hits in their 40-year band history. Some of these are no longer up to date and will be removed from the programme.

Farin Urlaub, Rodrigo González and Bela B at a concert at the Waldbühne Berlin three years ago.

Torsten Gadegast / Imago

“It started when she called me, I was lost right away. Her voice sounded so tender and so soft to my ears.” Dirk Felsenheimer and Jan Vetter – better known as Bela B and Farin Urlaub – wrote these romantic lines a good 34 years ago as the band Die Ärzte. What begins as a love song ends as a rock song with a disparaging tone regarding fat people and especially overweight women.

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