Merel Pauw Discusses Provocative Past and Personal Grief on 'Zomergasten'

Merel Pauw, appearing on the Dutch program 'Zomergasten,' revealed a willingness to discuss a broad spectrum of personal subjects, from her provocative musical persona to deeply emotional experiences. Host Janine Abbring introduced Pauw with a reference to her song "Je vader," which includes the explicit lyric "I fuck your father without a condom," a statement that prompted Pauw to theatrically rest her head on the table.

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She makes theater, presented a children's program and put herself on the map with the song 'Je vader,' in which she raps: 'I fuck your father without a condom.'

Pauw's artistic alter ego, Elmer, is known for confrontational lyrics that explore themes of sex, grief, and anxiety. However, on 'Zomergasten,' Pauw delved into more introspective territory, discussing the nuances of being pro-sex versus being sexy, body shame, the universal nature of nightmares, and her complex relationship with her father, George van Houts, and the loss of her mother, actress Leonoor Pauw.

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I fuck your father without a condom

Fragments from films like 'Under the Skin' and 'Hereditary' served as a prelude to Pauw's own recurring nightmare, which is deeply connected to her fear of forgetting her mother. Watching a segment from 'Brozer,' a film about her mother's illness and death, Pauw became visibly emotional, embracing herself protectively.

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Myself

When Abbring inquired what she was protecting, Pauw responded, "Myself," and referred to "the witch's thorn," a metaphor from a fairytale animation she had previously shown. This thorn, causing constant pain, is also the source of the witch's power. Pauw identified it as her own "thorn" not to be touched, though she acknowledged that presenting such personal material invited deeper questioning from the host.

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the witch's thorn