Iker Jiménez at the Chesterfield: Pride in Being a Fascist and the Business of Fear

I won't say I applauded enthusiastically when they suggested the possibility of writing about Iker Jiménez 's visit to Viajando con Chester; in fact, I considered skipping out, but perhaps due to overexposure to the Vatican fireplace, I felt beatific. "Save yourselves," I muttered to myself, and thinking about the emotional well-being of my colleagues in the television section—whom at that hour I imagined enjoying the latest episode of The Last of Us , engrossed in some fascinating book, or simply doing what the body demands at 11 at night: sleeping—I decided not to put that cup away. Sometimes watching TV is hard work, but someone has to do it. It wasn't all self-denial on my part; I admit I feel a certain fascination for those who exude self-confidence. In the face of so many people suffering from impostor syndrome, it's refreshing to see guys as delighted to meet each other as Iker and Risto . The Cuarto Milenio host even spoke about himself in the third person; some people never disappoint.

My world shook slightly when Risto used the program's introduction to launch a tirade against those who seek to "live off ghosts" and those who "want you to live in fear." Considering that the first guest of the evening was literally someone who lives off ghosts, I thought maybe there was a last-minute change, or rather, it was going to be a program that would dismantle Jiménez and Porter's empire of petty terror. In their faces and on their own network. Let's see if this cup would be much less bitter than I expected. Nothing could be further from the truth. What followed the initial tirade was a massage with Damascus rose water. A routine interview in which nothing was said that we don't already know and where he repeated, as he's grown fond of it, how proud he is of being called a "fascist." He clarified that he will never be a communist "because he knows people who have lived under communism." Of course, in Spain, it's practically impossible to meet someone who lived through fascism. Sometimes I can hear that couch screaming for a Lorazepam.

Some may question why we should give even more voice to a communicator who has not one, but two programs on which to pontificate and a large group of collaborators and commentators who follow him far beyond the limits of common sense. But the truth is that, despite his media clout, he can't interview himself, and last night's interview was the closest he'll ever get. Although the whole thing was far less funny than Ángel Garó interviewing himself on Sábado Deluxe . One of the characteristics of people who are happy to meet each other is their lack of a sense of humor.

The fact that the interview was on Cuatro, his channel, already foreshadowed that it would be like playing at home and against the reserve team. It served, for example, to reinforce the idea that the broadcaster had been the first to see the effects of COVID coming , although that's merely a statistic: if you predict the apocalypse every week, you're bound to be right one day. The list of catastrophic misfortunes announced by his programs that we haven't heard about is much longer. I remember the picturesque day he shared the set with a giant Pikachu to warn us about the hidden intentions of Pokémon Go . Death will come, and it will have the eyes of a Charmander.

There was, however, a certain tone of reproach regarding his treatment of the Dana, though not excessive, despite the fact that his hoaxes scared off some advertisers. Trivialities, Iker doesn't back down even when confronted with his lies or exposed the lack of scruples of his collaborators. Everything is justified for him, until, despite warnings from the authorities urging them not to block access to the affected area, he hit the road with the intrepid Ángel Gaitán, the closest thing to an El Jueves character that television has seen recently, to bring to Valencia the one thing they didn't need: disinformation, discord, and demagoguery.

It wasn't all ghosts and phantasms in the second installment of Traveling with Chester . There was also time for Ana Orantes' daughter to offer a testimony far more terrifying than anything ever heard on Horizonte or Cuarto Milenio. However, Iker will know why, gender violence isn't often mentioned in his programs: despite the fact that its number of victims is far higher than that of the Chupacabras or Charmander. Thanks to Raquel Orantes's composure, my job was less arduous and Risto was a much better interviewer. Check it out, you can skip the Iker Jiménez hagiography; I've already drunk that cup.