Outrage broke out on Greek social media on Monday, after a TV magazine presented cynically claimed “It’s better to be dead than in a wheelchair.”
Dimitris Oikonomou was discussing live on Skai TV magazine together with his colleague Akis Pavlopoulos on the occasion of the death of a 22-year-old driver after a traffic accident in Vari, south-east Athens.
“In addition to the dead, dozens or even hundreds of disabled people will spend their lives in a wheelchair. Think of yourself in a wheelchair, maybe it’s better to be dead than to be in a wheelchair from morning till night. Hostage. I say this with great love for these people,” Oikonomou told his co-host Akis Pavlopoulos who agreed in what he was saying.
Dimitris Economou: In addition to the dead, dozens or even hundreds of disabled people will spend their lives in a wheelchair.
Akis Pavlopoulos: Right, right, right…
Dimitris Economou: Think of yourself in a wheelchair…
Akis Pavlopoulos: YES!
Dimitris Economou: maybe it’s better to be dead…
Akis Pavlopoulos: YES!
Dimitris Economou: than to be in a wheelchair….
Akis Pavlopoulos: uh, of course.
Dimitris Economou: from morning until evening.
Akis Pavlopoulos: Homer.
Dimitris Economou: I say this with great love for these people.
The outrage broke out on social media within minutes, with angry Greeks speaking of “same mentality as the 3rd Reich Nazis,” of “wretchedness”, of “high level lack of empathy and social sensitivity”, just to mention a few.
Με μεγάλη αγάπη πως τον Ακη Παυλόπουλο και τον Δημήτρη Οικονόμου λέμε πως η νοοτροπία σας είναι ακριβώς η ίδια όπως των ναζί του τρίτου Ραιχ. pic.twitter.com/lcOHmCskKs
— Cyberella 🍉 (@Cyberela) March 10, 2025
Some even called on the Journalists’ Union ESIEA to call them to the “Ethics Committee”.
Σχετικά με συζήτηση που είχαμε σήμερα στην εκπομπή για τα τροχαία θα ήθελα να κάνω απόλυτα σαφές ότι σέβομαι απεριόριστα τους ανθρώπους με αναπηρία
Αν κάποιους στενοχώρησα απολογούμαι και σε καμία περίπτωση δεν θα έλεγα ποτέ όσα μου αποδίδουν
Εξάλλου προκύπτει αν δει κανείς…— Dimitris Oikonomou (@dimoikonomu) March 10, 2025
Later, Ekocomou posted on X that he apologizes, that “I have unlimited respect for people with disabilities. If I upset anyone, I apologize and under no circumstances would I ever say what they attribute to me. Besides, it becomes clear if one looks at the whole discussion.”
The post of very often provocative and reactionary Economou triggered a new round of angry reactions including insults KTG doesn’t dare to post here.
PS Man, in what a sh*tty society we live nowadays…
The problem with these stupid journalists is that they speak as if they were in an old-style cafe, making trite comments to a few people who know them personally. They have no professionalism, no sense of integrity, and zero grasp of public policy. It is one thing to express a (hypothetical) personal opinion about not wanting to live as a disabled person; it is quite another to express it as a serious opinion on tv or elsewhere.
Essentially, the Greek mainstream media is a bit like Trump: poorly educated, low IQ and even lower emotional intelligence. And a self-centred, arrogant narcissistic approach to life. They share these traits with most politicians, of course. I don’t know where they learn their journalistic “skills”, but the result is amateurish nonsense.
The standard of journalisistic reporting has declined drastically. It’s a Greek version of Fox News . An increase in misogynistic, anti-diverse, demeaning long winded constant repetitious discussions . A lack of environmental issues is rarely included in subjects on screen. More women should be present on daily news programs. The discrimination against women on perfection on looks , model like appearance . Present journalists are reminiscent of the 1950’s programs.