Quequé leaves Spain's SER radio station after controversial train crash parody

Quequé leaves the SER: parody of Nacho Abad or mockery of train crash victims?

Why has Quequé been dropped from the SER? The answer, as usual, is neither simple nor clean. The comedian, known for his acid style, left the station after a parody of journalist Nacho Abad. But the real issue is not the impersonation itself –a fake bald cap and exaggerated gestures– but the context: the sketch antiestéticatured vultures devouring corpses, an allusion to the Rodalies rail accident in which a train driver was trapped in the wreckage.

Parody or insensitivity: the heart of the conflict

Those defending Quequé argue it was a parody of Nacho Abad's show, which they accuse of sensationalism for airing the footage of the injured train driver three times. "He was mocking Abad, not the victims," is the central argument. His critics, on the other hand, point out that the joke included images of corpses being devoured by vultures, which they consider in "exquisitely refined" taste –ironically intended– and a lack of respect for the dead. Moreover, an earlier video resurfaced of Quequé performing a cover of a La Oreja de Van Gogh song about the tragedy, which made the perception worse.

Was Quequé fired or did he leave on his own?

There is no consensus. Part of the audience believes the SER asked him to take a few days off and he chose to walk out; others claim it was a resignation forced by pressure on social media. The only clear thing is that the station issued no official statement, which fuels the theories. Meanwhile, Nacho Abad remains on air, and his show –the one that did air the footage of the train driver– has faced no consequences. Industry hypocrisy is the favourite target of those who see selective censorship.

The political backdrop

Some frame the case within Spain's polarisation: Quequé, associated with the left, would be the victim of a purge at the SER to distance the network from Sánchez's camp and attract a more moderate audience. The reading is that every time he opens his mouth, he wins votes for the far right. Ironies of humour: the attempt to be politically incorrect ends up devoured by the political correctness of the business.

So Quequé's departure from the SER is not a matter of taste: it is a ratings war dressed up as sensitivity. And meanwhile, the vultures of the golden minute keep circling.