Nazi Costumes?

[evil tendencies]

I just read a story about New Zealand students getting in trouble for dressing up as Nazis during an Oktoberfest dorm party, and now I\'m curious. Prince Harry created a stir by doing the same thing a few years back, and I remember some sort of flap about some British ex-pats doing it in Hong Kong a bit before that.

What is the fascination with dressing up like a Nazi? I\'m not really opposed to it, I suppose, as long as it\'s not done to intimidate people - which I don\'t see any of these incidents as doing. But I\'m totally in the dark as to what the attraction of this is; can anyone enlighten me?

 

[darthfoley]

There was a fair bit of Nazi costuming at DragonCon this year too. I assumed it was some sort of anime thing.

 

[airhead]

I\'m not sure she\'s dressing up...

 

[EArkham]

There was one at AWA this weekend. Definitely was from an anime or game by the styling, but not sure which one. Thought it was Persona or Code Geass: Lelouch, but I don\'t think that\'s right (hadn\'t seen either of those myself).

Kep

 

[darthfoley]

Originally posted by airhead
I\'m not sure she\'s dressing up...

I saw that one on peopleofwalmart.com

Wonder if she got a chance to explain her views to the nice gentlemen beside her? lol

 

[Durus]

There is a difference between a uniform and a costume. Even though one might intend to wear it as a costume a uniform still displays your affiliation to a certain idea or organisation.
Somebody with political obligations like prince Harry should have known better.

Glad i finally found the incentive to register.

 

[evil tendencies]

Originally posted by Durus
Glad i finally found the incentive to register.

So are we! Welcome!

 

[Dragonsreach]

Very Hard Question to answer.
In terms of using Nazi regalia/uniforms as part of a Movie/Drama we have no problem.
But when it comes to non-drama related instances such as Fancy dress parties, it\'s mostly considered Bad Taste.

However the use of such uniforms as a display of support for the history or policies of the period is, to my mind, wrong.

 

[Matt Cexwish]

It´s a taboo, go figure...

By the way: I have never ever seen anyone here in Berlin in a Nazi Uniform... Ever...

One day, though, I was driving back home from my Girlfriend... I was on a bus that passed the set for Valkyrie where they have hanged more then 200 Swastika Flags on the flag poles (the ICC...a huge convention Center...)... There were some British at the bus with their mouths open in dibelieve... All I said to them was: \"Ah, must be election day again...\"... Hehe, their faces back then... Priceless...^_^...

 

[alextheartist]

That was my best memory of GD last year, talking to Matt about german tanks and him doing a vague hitler impression lol

 

[airhead]

Originally posted by Matt Cexwish
It´s a taboo, go figure...

By the way: I have never ever seen anyone here in Berlin in a Nazi Uniform... Ever...

One day, though, I was driving back home from my Girlfriend... I was on a bus that passed the set for Valkyrie where they have hanged more then 200 Swastika Flags on the flag poles (the ICC...a huge convention Center...)... There were some British at the bus with their mouths open in dibelieve... All I said to them was: \"Ah, must be election day again...\"... Hehe, their faces back then... Priceless...^_^...

Matt, that is FUNNY...
:beer:

 

[In Chigh P.I.]

Does anyone remember the Beatles? Didnt they start the fad for wearing the old british colonial style uniforms in the late 60\'s? (which was briefly resurrected in the mid 90\'s by the indie/mod kids)

Similar idea i guess: it just looks cool

 

[freakinacage]

Originally posted by Matt Cexwish
I was on a bus that passed the set for Valkyrie where they have hanged more then 200 Swastika Flags on the flag poles (the ICC...a huge convention Center...)... There were some British at the bus with their mouths open in dibelieve... All I said to them was: \"Ah, must be election day again...\"... Hehe, their faces back then... Priceless...^_^...

awesome

tbh some of the nazi uniforms looked cool.

 

[darklord]

to me its in bad taste and cant understand why anyone would want to wear one (unless they happened to be nazi)
It is a symbol of hatred and scarred history

 

[AegisD]

Originally posted by evil tendencies
What is the fascination with dressing up like a Nazi? I\'m not really opposed to it, I suppose, as long as it\'s not done to intimidate people - which I don\'t see any of these incidents as doing. But I\'m totally in the dark as to what the attraction of this is; can anyone enlighten me?

I was actually thinking about dressing up as a Nazi zombie for a Halloween party next month, because to me, it\'s like the personification of evil.

I think from a historical and philosophical standpoint it\'s somewhat captivating to an extent, trying to fathom what these people were thinking back when they killed thousands upon thousands of people all those years ago. But why someone would identify with them? I have no idea. Maybe I can\'t wrap my head around it because I don\'t have a lot of hate in me.

I know the type of person though, I went to school with a lot of them back in the day, and I work with a few now. You know, the \"get out-a mah cuhntray!\" kind of person, who thinks everyone who isn\'t a white christian should get back on the boat they obviously just stepped off of, all the while forgetting that they\'re an immigrant too.
I\'ll never understand it...

EDIT: Also, lets not forget that the swastika had meaning before the Nazi party as well. Although that\'s what it\'s inherently synonymous with now.

 

[Farin]

so, i just found the story Evil Tendency mentioned on a big german news site, and i got really angry when i read that not only did some of these blokes dress as Nazis and yelled \"Hitler is my man \" among other things , but also some of them dressed as concentration camp inmates

seriously, folks how low does someone has to sink to make fun of the victims:evil:
sorry but these guys should be kicked out of university - there is a line and they were way past it.

i know this might just have been a stupid greek rush week thing , but what is theyre excuse ? they were told to do it ? - Sorry that excuse didn´t work at the nuremberg trials either

(sorry for the sarcasm)


@Evil Tendency: I tried my whole life to figure out what the fascination of the Nazis is - Certainly there´s the whole fascination of evil thing, and of cause it´s the ultimate taboo - from all the organisations in the history of mankind, the Nazis (or more correct the NSDAP , as Hitler´s Party was called ) is propably the one that can really be called evil - so what is better suited to shock people than dressing up as one of them

@Matt Cexwish : One of the funniest stories i ´ve ever heard lol

Another one Michael Mittermayer (german stand up comedian) once told during a show:

Young american woman aproached him and after some smalltalk, seriously asks the following question:

\"Why do you have so many different languages in europe ? \"

Michael: \"Because 6o years ago we germans lost a war \"

german humor, Ladies and Gentlemen



@Airhead: I know that the first amendment grants you a lot of rights in the states, but seriously , isn´t she commiting a hate crime ? - In most european country she would be arrested for wearing that sweater

@AegisD

EDIT: Also, lets not forget that the swastika had meaning before the Nazi party as well. Although that\'s what it\'s inherently synonymous with now.

Yep you´re right in Asia it´s in general a symbol for good luck, sometimes you might even find bhudda statues or Hindu gods wearing this symbol . But if you look very closely you´ll see that these Swastikas look differetn from the one Nazis use - they´re turned by 45 ° - what i´m trying to say is , thatt if some genius would try selling me the story that a swatika he/she is wearing is not to be understood as a symbol of the third reich, but as a good luck charm , i would have a very hard toime to believe that

EDIT :

Airhead, that people of wal mart site is absolutely hillarious lol

 

[In Chigh P.I.]

@ everyone:

a discussion about fancy dress is now becoming a \'heated\' thread about all manner of nonsense\'s

Thats it! im putting my lederhosen on right this instant!

 

[darthfoley]

Originally posted by Farin
@Airhead: I know that the first amendment grants you a lot of rights in the states, but seriously , isn´t she commiting a hate crime ? -

No. She\'s standing in a Wal-Mart line. She\'s not doing anything criminal. Distasteful, yes. Criminal, no.

 

[ktooloo]

@Farin- The hooddie is covered by the Free Speech part of the 1st Amendment.

As long as what your wearing doesn\'t violate any \"public decency\" type laws for exposing to much skin, you can wear what you want. Oh, and wearing clothing showing realistic portrayals of body parts covered by the same\"public decency\" laws can get you in trouble too due to anti-pornography in public laws too.

To reference the original topic...at a gaming con once, coming out of the historical miniatures area, I saw a black guy in a SS officers uniform.I was really 0.o wtf?!?!? for a bit. After mentioning it some other folks I found out that he likes to dress the part of what ever army he\'s playing, as well as causing the type of reaction i had. : )

 

[DXM]

Some people here do not see the offense protraying a Nazi or displaying that Swastika. Some or most here do not have a direct link to WW2. Most are separated by a Generation.My Mom and Dad lived through the war and saw what the Nazi represent. I\'m not just talking Holocaust. The first troop though your area were the trained professional the second wave were the rejects. They would line up 100 villagers and execute them because some Germans were killed. My Mom\'s cousin who survived an execution squad.

In Germany it is illegal to reproduce the Swastika. Art work on model boxes either reproduce the Swastika on the tail of aircraft as a black square and some do not include it on the decal sheet. If it is there they break it up in to 2 pieces and you have to assemble it.