(by Glaze TMF/THE PITCH 1995-1998)
REAL TALK. WAKE UP NL.
First of all, let me say this loud and clear:
I got nothing but love for my TMF family.
We shared history. What we built was iconic.
From the legends behind the scenes who made it happen and made us look good (you know who you are), to the faces/VJ’s in front of the camera who took all the heat that came with fame — the good and the bad. I salute you.
But now, it’s time to address the elephant in the room.
And I’m saying this for the whole of the Netherlands to hear.
Until we have Black and Brown people Male and Female in real decision-making positions inside companies like RTL, production houses, record labels, and media institutions — people who CREATE, DISTRIBUTE, and DECIDE what gets seen —
our culture will continue to be whitewashed, erased, or sidelined.
And let’s be real — I don’t expect RTL’s – Peter van Voorst, Barry Schneider, Sven Sauvéor or any other exec who isn’t from my culture to step outside themselves and make sure we’re represented. Why would they?
They were trained to look out for their own.
That’s not even hate — it’s human nature.
But it’s exactly why we need mandatory leadership roles for qualified people of color in EVERY media company in the Netherlands.
Because media shapes perception.
And when only one kind of person controls that lens, the view will always be biased.
During the whole BLM/George Floyd wave, the Netherlands joined the global moment — speeches, protests, campaigns.
But what changed for Black people here?
What did we actually GET?
LGBTQ+ communities and White women gained momentum — and I celebrate that.
But don’t use our pain as your launchpad.
Don’t stand on the shoulders of Black struggle and then forget the people who carried you there.
Representation is not sticking a few Black faces on bus stops and TV ads.
That’s optics.
That’s the illusion of inclusion.
We’re still not in the room. We’re not at the table.
So let me give a BIG shoutout to my Black colleagues in the photo above —
the ones RTL and the production company behind The TMF Story conveniently forgot.
Sylvana Simons, René, Carolito, Philips, Anita Doth, Sonja Silva, Murth Mossel, Veronica van Hoogdalem —
I SEE YOU.
WE SEE YOU.
And so does Nederland.
And before the haters start deflecting — talking about race or sexuality to dodge the real point — let me set the record straight.
I’m half white.
I’ve got white family and friends I love deeply.
My sister is a proud white gay woman. I’ve got LGBTQ+ friends I adore.
And if you really want receipts — I won an award in Cannes 2022 as a producer for Best Non-Scripted Film for “LA: A Queer History” — a film that documents the struggles and victories of the gay community from the 1800s to now.
Go watch it.
Get educated.
My point is this:
An injustice to one of us is an injustice to all of us.
You shouldn’t have to be gay or a woman to care about women’s or LGBTQ+ rights.
And you sure as hell shouldn’t have to be Black or Brown to care about ours.
We gotta do better, people.
But we can’t do it by staying silent.
We can’t do it divided.
We gotta do it together.
This isn’t just about TMF.
It’s about the bigger picture — about whose voices get heard, whose stories get told, and whose faces get erased.
And if we really want change, then we have to build systems that include everyone — for real.
Not just in the credits. Not just in the campaigns. But in the boardrooms. Behind the cameras. At the table.
Let this moment spark something bigger.
More truth. More accountability.
And most of all — more respect and representation for all people, regardless of race, gender, or identity.
The door’s open.
Let’s walk through it together.
Blessings,
– GLAZE (TMF/THE PITCH 1995-1998)
