posted
Last week, there was a pretty provoking show on Dutch TV (Waskracht, VPRO). The presenter went to Vienna. He was completely dressed up like Adolf Hitler and was marching through the streets with a large tank of Zyklon-B on his back. He was handing out balloons with "Sieg Haider" on them! Then, he went to the governement-building (sp?) and questioned a FP�-member (Have you got the Endl�sung?). Then, he did a Hitler-like speech from the governement-building! He voted for another Anschluss and said some pretty spicy things. Then the worst part: when marching thorugh the streets, he chased some Jews!! I think they really crossed the line there, what do you think of this??
Rob M�ntz as Hitler...
PS. It was pretty funny, nevertheless ------------------ "When You're Up to Your Ass in Alligators, Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life." -- Management slogan, Ridcully-style (Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent, Discworld) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prakesh's Star Trek Site
[This message has been edited by Prakesh (edited March 28, 2000).]
posted
Differing sensibilities. One thing I've always admired about European comedy, or at least British comedy, is the ability to make fun of painful things. I think that's probably a bit healthier than the way we do things in the United States.
Having said that, without actually seeing the program, I'd have to say it sounds rather distasteful, but that's without an understanding of the whole context.
------------------ "What did it mean to fly? A tremor in your soul. To resist the dull insistance of gravity." -- Camper Van Beethoven
posted
The makers of the program certainly got themselves in trouble. They almost got fired, and some of their collegues threatened with resigning too. The VPRO has lost a lot of members because of this little joke..
------------------ "When You're Up to Your Ass in Alligators, Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life." -- Management slogan, Ridcully-style (Terry Pratchett, The Last Continent, Discworld) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prakesh's Star Trek Site
posted
Good to know Americans don't have a corner on the "tasteless" market.
------------------ Dane
"Mathematicians have long held that a million monkeys banging on a million keyboards would eventually reproduce the collected wisdom of the human race. Now, thanks to the internet, we know this is not true." -- Robert Silensky
posted
I'd have to see it to decide. However if it was designed to pull the piss out of the Haider govt, and was blatant enough that nobody could misinterprit it, then I might suggest that some sensibilities are too finely tuned?
------------------ "Blind faith is the crutch of fools"
posted
The way Prakesh describes it, it was rather a sick joke than anything that could be valued as a political statement. Satire is bad in that always splits people into those who think it's funny and those who feel offended. There are certain things which are just not suited to make satire of. Of course it's a matter of taste too, but when a dark chapter of history is turned into fun and to some degree rendered harmless in this case, it takes the wrong direction.
I mean, it doesn't really hit Haider and comrades who might be able to smile at it and say "We're nothing like that" - where I would have to agree. It hurts those who still know what Hitler's regime did to its victims.
Haider (and many of his FP�) is someone who doesn't deserve trust and acceptance, let alone being in the government. However, he should be defeated with arguments and not with sick humor. Also, Haider is not Hitler, and it doesn't help to always refer to the past, because the problem is in the present.
------------------ "Species 5618, human. Warp-capable, origin grid 325, physiology inefficient, below average cranium capacity, minimum redundant systems, limited regenerative abilities." Ex Astris Scientia
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