"Chuck Testa Taxidermist" TV commercial goes viral in spite of Nazi insignia

millie fink

“life-like dead animals.”

The oxymoron, it hurts!!

http://todaywasawesome.com Dan

From a redditor proporting to be Chuck Testa “Hi everyone! Thanks for buzz regarding the commercial, just wanted to address the pin on my hat. I’m part of the California historical group who does WW2 reenactments. I’m part of the US 2nd infantry division and I retrivied the pin in a battle against the 12th SS. I apologize if this offended anyone, hope you can enjoy the video for what it is.Noooooooooooooope
Chuck”
http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/kh532/chuck_testa_likes_himself_some_nazis_eh/c2k8s42

Chairboy

Nobody cares because they aren’t menacing any more. They’ve been defeated, they’re (no longer?) pining for the fjords. The Nazis are an ex-threat.

Now, if his hat glorified bottled water or containers of lotion in excess of 3.5oz, on the other hand…

BarBarSeven

Nobody cares because they aren’t menacing any more. They’ve been defeated, they’re (no longer?) pining for the fjords. The Nazis are an ex-threat.

Nobody cares? My parents met at the end of World War II in war devastated Poland. Their lives were decimated, and while they went on to have a happy life in America I have never known my grandparents and other relatives other than ghosts in old pictures and stories thanks to the Nazis.

So asshats with 3rd SS Division Totenkopf pins in their asshats like that offend me. And if he supposedly won it as a war trophy in some make-believe battle, hey that’s cool! Why then does he choose to wear it in what is most likely the best produced commercial he will ever star in? Seriously, this guy has his chance to shine in a well produced TV commercial and he consciously wears the Totenkopf?

I have an old World War II German/Nazi 3D picture viewer that shows off Nazis fighting and military might. My dad found it while he was a soldier in the Polish Army. Do you think for one second I would drag that out of storage without presenting proper context or saying what it is or where it came from?

Context is everything. And this taxidermist actually believes he personally “defeated” the Nazis and wears that? Holy Moses, what a schmuck this guy is.
- William Bagilliam
  
  He doesn’t have to justify himself to you. It’s a pin, that’s it. And if if bothers you so much, that’s your problem. It’s a cool pin. The ONLY reason I wouldn’t wear it is because we live in a world with oversensitive busybodies who take self-righteous offense at such things.
  - grimc
    
    Gosh, I would think that ‘it’s the insignia of an evil, racist, genocidal group of butchers’ would qualify as at least a second reason not to wear it, but that’s just me.
  - BarBarSeven
    
    The ONLY reason I wouldn’t wear it is because we live in a world with oversensitive busybodies who take self-righteous offense at such things.
    
    I don’t think it’s oversensitive to point out that symbol is connected to decimated lives and destroyed families and that somehow holds a higher value in many people’s lives than whether something looks “cool.” Unless you are a 16-year-old goth, get over your “coolness” please.
    - http://twitter.com/gordonjcp gordonjcp
      
      “”"I don’t think it’s oversensitive to point out that symbol is connected
      to decimated lives and destroyed families and that somehow holds a
      higher value in many people’s lives than whether something looks “cool.” “”"
      
      I wonder if you’ve got an American flag up anywhere? I wonder how many decimated lives and destroyed families that particularly abhorrent symbol is connected to?
    - BarBarSeven
      
      I wonder if you’ve got an American flag up anywhere? I wonder how many decimated lives and destroyed families that particularly abhorrent symbol is connected to?
      
      The 3rd SS Division Totenkopf represents a splinter group of a larger group focused purely on murder/death. It’s not a national symbol. And despite it’s flaws the U.S. flag represents far more good than it does bad. And past that the next time you—and I mean you—spell “America” be sure to spell it “AmeriKKKa” to keep it consistent.
- ncinerate
  
  So, wait…You’re basically saying that if it wasn’t for hitler/nazi’s/WW2, your parents would have never met in war devastated Poland and you wouldn’t even -exist-.Butterfly effect. History sucks, but it got us here. We learned from it and we moved on. We’d be living in a very different world had WW2 never happened – one that I’d argue wouldn’t be nearly as incredible. Imagine a world without space capable rockets, jet engines, computers, penicillin, satellites, microwave ovens, radar, effective nuclear power, and of course, without you in it.
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    Would you care to volunteer for some time in a concentration camp so that people in fifty years can have more stuff?
  - BarBarSeven
    
    You’re basically saying that if it wasn’t for hitler/nazi’s/WW2, your parents would have never met in war devastated Poland and you wouldn’t even -exist-.
    
    They both lived in Poland. Nothing to say in an alternate reality where World War II did not happen they would not have met.
    
    Also, bonus d-bag points for saying I should be grateful for the Holocaust! You are the best! Seriously, you win the contest!
http://diegueno.tumblr.com/ diegueno

How do you figure that squares with the guy flying the Gadsden Flag in front of his place? He’s still feckless?

Brainspore

I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s a surprisingly lifelike dead Nazi in this guy’s basement.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WKPOMPA6NU3FF5SPBVCUFZK4WU Jandra

Chuck Testa doesn’t taxidermize pets. He didn’t say anything about Nazis.

nosehat

This is oddly similar to the “Hello, I’m Shelley Duvall” video posted below!

Now we need a mashup of the two videos!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1361991207 Michael Baird

Maybe he is just a fan of the Melvins. http://www.themelvins.net/wiki/index.php?title=Image:Melvins-1-12singles.jpg

kP

The Melvins, who were once described to me (direct quote) as “Retards with Musical Instruments”
- scifijazznik
  
  The Melvins were described to you by a stupid, stupid person.
http://www.commodorecrush.com/ Commodore Crush

Or a fan of Shepard Fairey’s Obey: http://www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/obey_nazi.jpg

Petzl

It’s actually more nazi than nazi: it’s the SS.
I think “politically incorrect” falls several orders of magnitude short…

ChicagoD

He must be from Missouri.

kP

Did anyone else read “Beatrice and Virgil”?

scifijazznik

You know who else liked lifelike dead animals?

awjt

is he a supremacist or does he just like skulls and death and gore?

fgarmin

One of the greatest commercials ever! It’s almost like an SNL skit.

surefire

He’s a reenactor. Good lord, that is a sensationalist headline.

Brainspore

He’s a reenactor.

Then either A) he should consider changing out of the Nazi regalia in between reenactments or B) that video was the worst depiction of the Battle of the Arnhem I’ve ever seen.

I personally doubt he’s a genuine Nazi sympathizer but for heaven’s sake, think about what you’re going to wear before filming a commercial!

petertrepan

I’m offended by the hat he wears at :51 seconds. A good friend of mine was mauled by bears.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Ritzmann/1532420118 Jeff Ritzmann

I suppose that if the skull and crossbones offends people, they should also be offended by pirate flags, and Yale Secret society monikers. I could see being offended by a swastika, of course.

BarBarSeven

It’s not a simple skull and crossbones. You need to know the difference. The version this clown is wearing is not the Jolly Roger but the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf.

Heck, Walmart actually sold t-shirts with the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf on them until some folks pointed out what it means and why it’s different from a simple skull and crossbones.

And if you think that is splitting hairs, try giving the two-finger peace salute to someone and then just fold your index finger and see of they interpret the one-finger salute the same way.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Ritzmann/1532420118 Jeff Ritzmann
  
  I’m well aware of the difference. But an aesthetic is just that. There were *many* different versions of the skull and crossbones – even within Nazi Germany’s arsenal of fear based propaganda.
  
  If the swastika is used in indigenous people’s artwork or clothing – where it originated – where’s the line.
  
  Sorry to say there’s a certain limitation to offensive imagery. The Klan uses the Christian cross – so there’s plenty of crossovers – one appropriation doesn’t own the imagery. Take it back and you remove it’s power.
- cjeam
  
  You can always split hairs: I think if you gave me the two fingered peace salute in the way you describe it, I would take offence anyway, as I am British, and the direction of your hand is very very important here. You really need to know the difference between a peace sign and the two fingered salute, tut tut.

http://www.facebook.com/tankgrrl Maggie McFee

Looks like Chuck does fight the good fight for Uncle Sam against the Jerrys.
http://www.soldierprops.com/2ndidmanchu/viewtopic.php?f=115&p=3509

awjt

What’s the difference between that skull and crossbones pin and any of another similar hundred designs that AREN’T Nazi?

Navin_Johnson

The other ones don’t represent Nazis. Confused?

stillcantfightthedite

Wait… a skull on his hat… is… is he a baddy?

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RHG2QORT54PKZY4LHHVHBOZBZY Abe Lincoln

Let me play devil’s advocate here for a moment. “I’m part of the California historical group who does WW2 reenactments..”. This was actually my 1st thought. I know a lot of people who are into re-enacting and a lot of them go to great pains to get their gear correct. If this guy were really part of “the brotherhood” he’d be decked out with all kinds of ink. And you know what you don’t see? Ink. Any ink. Did anyone bother to pay attention to the stuff in his house? Did you notice there’s not a single shred of any nazi gear anywhere? Is the hat pin in poor taste? In my opinion yes. But the last time I checked, and at least for the time being, the US is a free country and the man can wear whatever pin he likes poor taste or not. And do you need to be reminded that the swastika is a religious symbol that was commandeered by the nazis? Do you hold the same measure of condemnation for the churches that still use that symbol? It’s dangerous to come to conclusions without facts. And based on the only facts I see in the video he’s guilty of nothing other than bad taste.

Taras CIURIAK

What always amazes me is that people flip out about people wearing Nazu apparel but don’t bat an eyelash when people wear Communist symbols, like a Vietnamese/Chinese red star or a soviet hammer and sickle. This ideology spawned dictators who murdered over 60 million and psychologically destroyed generations. But hey, Soviet is “chic”, right? Gets my goat.

freshyill

Really? Was it the ideology or people exploiting the ideology for their own power that led to atrocities? The governments you cite are indefensible, but I don’t think Marx and Engels were thinking along the same lines at Hitler when they came up with the idea.
Navin_Johnson

Red herring is successful red herring. “red” literally…
Navin_Johnson

I can’t speak for all lefties, but personally I shake my head when I see somebody rocking ‘commie’ gear. I would say that 99% of the time it’s done by someone totally uninterested in politics or history and is purely a ‘fashion’ thing. Think kids or apolitical “stars” wearing “Che” shirts.

BTW: I think this commercial is hilarious, I also think it’s disingenuous to try to claim ignorance as to why some may consider it a bad fashion choice too. Not that I would get worked up about it, I get more worked up about people ‘pretending’ not to understand why it might be a controversial choice.
reasonably_reasonable

Not to mention the fools wearing Che Guevara shirts as if he were not a murderer and torturer.
- Navin_Johnson
  
  Look at all the people who love Milton Friedman and the miracle of Chile for that matter.
  - Ludopathy
    
    Thanks very much I love my country, and I specially love that we have nothing to do with communist savages anymore.Ever heard “¡Las momias al colchón y los momios al paredón!” or ”Socialismo o muerte!” ?
- Lexicat
  
  Amen citizen! Same for the Shepard Fairey Obama/Hope shirts, and the George W. Bush Mission Accomplished action figures.
threore

The difference is, that the ideology Nazism itself propagates an Aryan master race, a militaristic society and one leader/dictator. Communism on the other hand only seeks an equal distribution of wealth, and the abolition of money, private ownership and state, which is, though arguably utopian, a nobler goal than killing everyone who doesn’t have blond hair and blue eyes.

Pointing to dictators in ‘communist’ countries and concluding communism is bad because of that, is like pointing at African dictators in their ‘democratic’ countries, and concluding democracy is bad. Neither are true, both countries are under dictatorship, which isn’t part of democracy, nor of communism.

Now the hammer and sickle is a symbol of the ideology communism, not just of the USSR, and the star like in the flag of China is a symbol of that nation, and I assume you do not feel offended when someone wears a symbol of whatever country your from. So why would anyone bat an eyelash at communist symbols?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Terrin-Bell/690507487 Terrin Bell

Yes, or when people wear American propaganda like the Flag. It is estimated that the US killed over 100, 000 civilians in Iraq. Seems absurd for a response to a terror event that didn’t even have anything to do with Iraq. I also love how the US’s response to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor was to imprison all the Japanese living in the US.
http://www.facebook.com/Hamlet.Au Wagner James Au

Hey, Che Guevara told Khrushchev the Soviets should nuke the US, which freaked him *and* Castro out. But what’s a global nuclear holocaust, when the dude looks supercool on my shirt?
mrgerbek

You know it’s for shock value. Or misunderstanding. Luckily it’s nowhere near as damaging as the criminal misunderstanding and “reapplication” by Stalin and Mao of Marxism. Fidel at least allowed people who didn’t want to participate in his farcical interpretation of communism to leave the country. Mao and Stalin murdered them.
schmells

But that can be extended to the atrocities committed by many other countries, especially ones with an imperialist past. So are they all equal in nature? Does the American, UK, or Japanese flags also get your goat? I suspect the difference in public perception has to do with genocide. If there is graphic symbol for the warlords in Dafur, they might get the same flat out disdain the nazi symbols have.

Bucket

“Yeah, and if we were fighting an army marching under the banner of a rat’s anus, I’d probably be a lot less worried”:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

http://eagleapex.com eagleapex

Nazis ruined everything!

petertrepan

Amen. First the mustache, and now the hat.

Mister44

re: “What always amazes me is that people flip out about people wearing Nazu
apparel but don’t bat an eyelash when people wear Communist symbols,
like a Vietnamese/Chinese red star or a soviet hammer and sickle.”

That’s because they wear it ironically.

Shawn RIchardson

That’s because they wear it ironically.

Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000333310302 Joshua Rebennack

Uhhhhhh guys… The Nazi’s appropriated a lot of symbols from all over the world (like the swastika), including the Totenkopf. The French, Poles, the British, and the United States used (or still use) the totenkopf in military pageantry. So the “death’s head” is not a Nazi symbol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totenkopf

However, the hat he is wearing is an M43 hat (German WW2) with a Totenkopf on it. If it was an SS M43, it would be black.

BarBarSeven

Have you ever attempted to apply that “it’s historical” logic when talking to an African American about the word “niggardly” or the phrase “calling a spade a spade.” Because technically speaking those two things have no historically negative/racist origins, the closeness of them to perceived racism is close enough to make it a “You know, they have a point even if it’s not historically accurate…” statement.

Language changes and symbols have all kinds of meanings. If someone is dumb enough to wear a swastika or totenkopf nowadays and not expect backlash, they are disconnected from reality.

And nobody needs to “get over it.”
- CSMcDonald
  
  Well, in regards to “Niggardly” – how about the fact that the two words have nothing to do with each other other than sharing some of the same letters?
  
  “Niggardly” (noun: “niggard”) is an adjective meaning “stingy” or “miserly”, perhaps related to the Old Norse verb nigla = “to fuss about small matters”. It is cognate with “niggling”, meaning “petty” or “unimportant”, as in “the niggling details”.
  - millie fink
    
    Nice Try! Start Over!
    
    Look, the words are obviously two different words. But the similarity of niggardly to the inflammatory other word makes niggardly inflammatory as well. Especially since those who use what’s actually an arcane, practically dead word often do so in a nudge-nudge-wink-wink, dog whistle way. (Kinda like Bush the Lesser saying he was “looking forward to hanging” an official White House portrait of MLK.)
    - petertrepan
      
      Kinda like Bush the Lesser saying he was “looking forward to hanging” an official White House portrait of MLK.
      
      I should have guessed. George W. Bush is a silver tongued wordsmith, and master of double entendre.
    - millie fink
      
      Just because he was a stumbling, scramble-brained speaker much of the time doesn’t mean he wasn’t also a fratty trickster some of the time. Who knows if he really meant it, but I wouldn’t put it past him. He fooled us many other times.
  - BarBarSeven
    
    Well, in regards to “Niggardly” – how about the fact that the two words have nothing to do with each other other than sharing some of the same letters?
    
    Did you actually read what I wrote, here I will help you. This is exactly what I wrote:
    
    Have you ever attempted to apply that “it’s historical” logic when talking to an African American about the word “niggardly” or the phrase “calling a spade a spade.”
    
    So again, I would love to see you explain that definition of “Niggardly” to an African American. Heck, go to an African American owned—and patronized—restaurant and say something like, “You don’t have to be niggardly about my order. Just give the food to me when it’s ready and I’ll be fine.” And let’s see if your “by the book” explanation of the word flies with anyone.
    
    The point is there is the historic meaning of the word/object, and then there is the social interpretation of that word/object based on events that have transpired since that definition was set on paper. It’s called the real world. And often written definitions are changed or tweaked to reflect the way the use of the word has changed over the years based on real world usage.
    - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Z2PCUJLFNNZNVRIBXBER67IBTI petr
      
      one of my friends had her teenage cousin from the country go shopping with her
      and said ‘hey look at all the knickers’ in the underwear dept. and two guys who were (African-Canadian – we’re in Canada) turned and stared at her. It was an awkward situation.
      
      Not really related to your comment but I guess using the phrase ‘chink in his armor’ should probably be avoided nowadays lest it be misconstrued.
  - Marc Tompkins
    
    Re-read the post you’re replying to. That was exactly the point he was making.
- benenglish
  
  Languages and symbols are different things. Conflating their impact muddies the discussion since symbols are graphical shorthand and can bind up so many meanings in one place that inappropriate or unintended reactions can, understandably, happen while words, by contrast, have generally accepted meanings. There’s too much stuff jumbled together in your post to spend all night teasing out each little part and addressing it, so let me just hit one that is fairly simple to address.To wit: “Have you ever attempted to apply that “it’s historical” logic when talking to an African American about the word “niggardly”…”I’ve never had any difficulty explaining the word “niggardly” to anyone. Anyone who takes offense is both ignorant and demonstrably unreceptive to education on the meaning of the word; it’s not worth my time and emotional energy to try to bring them up to speed. Anyone who is simply confused can understand a straightforward explanation. And anyone who can’t understand a straightforward explanation is too stupid for me to bother.I’m not completely dismissing your point. I’m just generally disagreeing. I’ve had the experience of using the word casually in a meeting where most of the attendees were black. It was no problem. It helps, of course, that the audience was fairly educated and knew and respected me personally.Still, I find it oddly off-putting that you would assume that any special effort would be required to talk “…to an African American about the word…”.
  - BarBarSeven
    
    I’ve never had any difficulty explaining the word “niggardly” to anyone.
    
    Ha! You are a pompous liar who has never actually encountered the conundrum I presented. Seriously, carry out the example I put forth: Go to a predominantly African American restaurant, go to the staff and use the word “niggardly” in a casual sentence. I doubt anyone will want to hear you.
    
    Still, I find it oddly off-putting that you would assume that any special effort would be required to talk “…to an African American about the word…”
    
    Of course you wouldn’t you pompous dink. You truly believe using a word that has a root that sounds like “n*****” is something that will be ignored by someone who is an African American? Please go buy some armor from a Chinese salesman and repeatedly say there is a “chink” in the armor and see how they react.
    
    People like you who hold textbook definitions in front of them to defend the insensitive usage of words/symbols in front of others are the worst kind of “intellectuals” there are. You are disconnected from the society these words/symbols are used in and truly live just in your head. And that is a bad place to be when dealing with others.
    - benenglish
      
      “You truly believe using a word that has a root that sounds like “n*****” is something that will be ignored by someone who is an African American?”Actually, no. I didn’t say that. What I did say is that when I had been in that situation, it was “no problem”.I spent the last 30 years working in an organization with a strong commitment to minority hiring. My last workgroup, before I retired, was typical: 6 black women, 2 asian males, 1 asian female, 1 old white guy (me), and 1 hispanic male supervisor.The specific time I had in mind was during a rather informal tech presentation I was giving to my group plus a couple of visitors from our telecomm section. My casual use of the word when answering a question was not ignored. In fact, one of the (black) visitors rather sternly asked me “What did you just say?” I replied “I said that this vendor is particularly stingy, you know, n-i-g-g-a-r-d-l-y, stingy”. Then I went ahead as if nothing happened. This was, after all, a “teachable moment” and I knew very well what sort of reaction I was going to get.I got exactly what I expected. My group members all smiled little smiles, one stifled a little laugh, and I plunged on with the presentation. The visitor from telecomm stopped listening to me and started furiously typing away at her computer. I knew she was going to look up the word which was why I spelled it out and used an equivalent spoken word when I replied to her question.I don’t know if she went to google or dictionary.com or where but her furrowed brow and stern look eased up over the next minute or so as she read from her laptop screen. Then she re-joined the meeting and started paying attention again.After the meeting, one of my (black) co-workers told me “I thought for a second there she was going to go off on you”. I replied “She’s a network engineer. She’s not stupid. Have a little faith.”As I said – no problem.You’ve invited me to “Go to a predominantly African American restaurant, go to the staff and use the word “niggardly” in a casual sentence” or “… go buy some armor from a Chinese salesman and repeatedly say there is a “chink” in the armor…”.Sorry, I decline your invitation. First off, I wouldn’t know where to find a Chinese armor salesman. Second, I wouldn’t use easily mis-heard or obscure words that can be too-easily confused with racial slurs in front of folks I don’t already know and have some faith in.I know better than to call my relatives “PWT” to their faces. I know better than to show up at a Klan rally and start a sentence with “Y’know, there’s really nothing wrong with being born black.” I know better than to use the word “niggardly” while in the presence of black folks if most of them don’t already know and respect me. Gasoline is useful stuff and I use it every day but I know not to use it around open flame. I am not, despite your apparent judgment to the contrary, either “living in my own head” or just outright stupid.That network engineer and I enjoyed a fine working relationship after that meeting. We even managed, on a few occasions, to have civil, often amusing, and always educational (for me, at least) conversations about the whole notion that folks from different cultures, races, and genders can get along, can misunderstand each other, can overcome those misunderstandings, and can learn from nearly all interactions.Trust me on this one – take a chill pill and have a little more faith in your fellow humans. You might be surprised at how much better most people are than we assume they are. (The unfortunate exceptions in the reverse direction are quite true, too, but I prefer a little optimism in my life and I’m willing to accept the occasional disappointment. YMMV.)
    - BarBarSeven
      
      You are a complete liar. This whole incident you typed out? Never happened in the real world. You concocted it to be a troll in this thread because if this was your experience—despite the tons of red flags of a “too perfect” moment—then why not mention it right from the beginning.
      
      Seriously, you want anyone here to believe you were making “a rather informal tech presentation” and then suddenly dropped an inflammatory word that is barely used in modern language and everyone reacted like folks in a human resources instructional presentation? Who actually uses the word “niggardly” in any conversation nowadays. You are a complete liar. I pity you.
      
      I spent the last 30 years working in an organization with a strong commitment to minority hiring. My last workgroup, before I retired, was typical: 6 black women, 2 asian males, 1 asian female, 1 old white guy (me), and 1 hispanic male supervisor.
      
      The specific time I had in mind was during a rather informal tech presentation I was giving to my group plus a couple of visitors from our telecomm section. My casual use of the word when answering a question was not ignored. In fact, one of the (black) visitors rather sternly asked me “What did you just say?” I replied “I said that this vendor is particularly stingy, you know, n-i-g-g-a-r-d-l-y, stingy”. Then I went ahead as if nothing happened. This was, after all, a “teachable moment” and I knew very well what sort of reaction I was going to get.
      
      I got exactly what I expected. My group members all smiled little smiles, one stifled a little laugh, and I plunged on with the presentation. The visitor from telecomm stopped listening to me and started furiously typing away at her computer. I knew she was going to look up the word which was why I spelled it out and used an equivalent spoken word when I replied to her question.
      
      I don’t know if she went to google or dictionary.com or where but her furrowed brow and stern look eased up over the next minute or so as she read from her laptop screen. Then she re-joined the meeting and started paying attention again.
      
      After the meeting, one of my (black) co-workers told me “I thought for a second there she was going to go off on you”. I replied “She’s a network engineer. She’s not stupid. Have a little faith.”
      
      Also, regarding this:
      
      Actually, no. I didn’t say that. What I did say is that when I had been in that situation, it was “no problem”.
      
      No you never said that. You said the following previously; copying here to further prove you are just an arrogant lying troll:
      
      I’ve never had any difficulty explaining the word “niggardly” to anyone. Anyone who takes offense is both ignorant and demonstrably unreceptive to education on the meaning of the word; it’s not worth my time and emotional energy to try to bring them up to speed. Anyone who is simply confused can understand a straightforward explanation. And anyone who can’t understand a straightforward explanation is too stupid for me to bother.
    - Michael Franklin
      
      We don’t do too well with words anymore. I mean, in society as a whole. We don’t learn much in school so… we’re apt to misuse words we don’t understand or apply meaning to them as we see fit.
      
      The word in question, ‘niggardly’ has been around for a long, long time and has rarely been used in a racial context. But of course, because it does sound similar to the one that IS racial… and since most of us don’t know the exact meaning, we will tag it to mean what it sounds like to us and pat ourselves for our perceived lexicon.
      
      Oh… by the way, lexicon is not the same as leprechaun. And to be absolutely sure, leprechauns are not lepers… and leprosy has nothing to do with the large feline known as a leopard… which is not ever known to wear leotards… which is not to say that wearing them is retarded…
      
      Yeah. It does go on and on… ad nauseam.
      
      Obligatory disclaimer: Ad nauseam is a Latin term used to describe an argument which has been continuing “to [the point of] nausea”.[1] For example, the sentence, “This topic has been discussed ad nauseam”,
    - GertaLives
      
      Your argument about walking into a restaurant full of black people and randomly applying the word “niggardly” is a baiting, stupid, straw man. What use is the word in a “casual sentence?” I’d no sooner do so than walk into the same group and randomly toss out the word “blacklisted,” which I’m supposing is similarly off-limits. That doesn’t give any PC nitwit license for historic revision of a word’s derivation or meaning. I’ve not once heard “niggardly” applied in this imagined nudge-nudge, wink-wink way of provoking black people that was implied earlier. I see no problem with using it in an appropriate context, and for the love of all that is holy, I will not stop using the word “chink” to refer to cracks because of some tortured argument about Asian armor salesmen.
      
      If such wrong-headed reactions are now part of our “real world,” please lead us forward by eating “unleavened bread bites” and never “crackers.” Oh, and did you actually whine about a word that resembles a slur and then use the word “dink?” Classy.

http://hame.ca/one/ Hamish Grant

Hey when you play Cowboys and Indians, someone has to play the Indians. When you play Americans vs. Germans, someone has to play the Germans. Dude likes to dress up like the Germans.

threore

Really? I’d prefer to be an Indian in a Comboys and Indians game. Guess I prefer being the good side over being the winning side.
- http://hame.ca/one/ Hamish Grant
  
  as I said, SOMEONE has to play the “bad guys” and to be perfectly honest, the Germans knew a thing or two about making stylish uniforms. Now forever associated with genocide of course but I mean, Hugo Boss designed them! Purely from a costuming standpoint the German army won the fashion battle hands down.

Giant LakeOfire

I’m off two minds on this. On one hand I think there is a whole class of neo-nazi a-holes who have figured out that the rest of the world frowns on their fetishization of the SS and the Holocaust. They love to wear their little SS death skulls and swastikas around, and when called out on it, pass of lame excuses like “I’m a WWII history buff,” or “I like the band Death in June,” or “The swastika is really an ancient Hindu symbol and I’m trying to reclaim it,” when in reality the whole thing in one big racist, hateful dog whistle to their likeminded friends.

On the other hand, sometimes people see what they want to see, despite the wearer’s intention. Many years ago I was into the punk scene and I used to wear an anti-nazi skinhead button on my hat that had a fist smashing a swastika and said “smash racism.”

I was in a coffee shop, ordering lunch. I happened to be standing next to an older lady who was a holocaust victim. See glanced up at my button, saw the swastika and froze. The color drained from her face. And then she got furious. ”I… was… there!!!” she hissed at me, and started pushing me backwards. It created a bit of a scene as she layed into me yelling about how they had murdered her family, and I frantically tried to explain, “No. Look here. See the fist is smashing the swastika…” to no avail. All she could see was the swastika.

The whole incident was deeply troubling to me. It was a shock to realize that I had inspired the exact opposite reaction of what I was intending. And it saddened me that I had inadvertently traumatized this nice little old lady as well.

The lesson? Symbols are incredibly powerful in their ability to instantly unpack a whole cultural viewpoint or historical legacy all at once in the mind of the observer. Using them in a cavalier fashion may not be hateful, but it sure is dumb.

BarBarSeven

Using them in a cavalier fashion may not be hateful, but it sure is dumb.

Your response is truly the best & most mature perspective and response to this. Thanks for sharing!
Marc Tompkins

Many years ago, I visited my grandmother in the hospital toward the end of her losing fight with Alzheimer’s. I should have dressed up for the visit, but I was young and thoughtless, and in fact I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. A KLOS/Red Cross blood drive T-shirt.

Grandmère couldn’t remember my name, and only vaguely recognized my face… but that word BLOOD freaked her out. My sister was visiting at the same time, and she explained over and over that I was “one of the good guys”, giving blood not taking it – but Grandmère was inconsolable, and eventually I had to go to the gift shop and buy a shirt to change into.

I think the Totenkopf hat is in bad taste; I think it was a stupid choice of what to wear in his commercial. But I also know that other people’s reaction to symbols is pretty much out of your hands.

John Dreyer

The M43 cap is still used by Rural Germans; it’s practical and it’s predecessor was widely used by the military and civilians as a mountain cap; still is.

The Tokenkopf (sp) has been a symbol of Prussian Martial spirit since the 17th Century until the SS hijacked it.

I see absolutely nothing wrong with it expect that the fellow really shouldn’t wear WWII insignia on it because of stories like this.

BarBarSeven

The M43 cap is still used by Rural Germans; it’s practical and it’s predecessor was widely used by the military and civilians as a mountain cap; still is.The Tokenkopf (sp) has been a symbol of Prussian Martial spirit since the 17th Century until the SS hijacked it.

There is a problem with your apologist logic. This guy is neither a “Rural German” nor is he a Prussian. He’s some goober who lives in Ojai, California a block or so down from the Meiners Oaks Trailer Park and who “won” this pin after some make-believe battle he participated in with fellow re-enactors in which he “defeated” faux “Nazis.”
- John Dreyer
  
  Oh my gods, “apologist logic”? Are you pulling my leg and am I taking this too seriously? Sure, the reenactor stuff is out there but I think you’re reading way too much into this. Yes, he is a goober for wearing this insignia on his hat. Without the insignia it would have never made the site. Quit politicizing every little thing people do, especially “goobers”, sometimes it far more innocent than you think.
  - BarBarSeven
    
    It’s not the hat specifically or the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf pin specifically, but it’s the fact that this genius gets a massive chance to be exposed to a larger world and what does he choose to do? He chooses to wear the hat the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf pin without explanation and when people clamor about it, his explanation is he was playing make-believe “war” with re-enactors and this was a “trophy” from a pretend battle he had against pretend enemies? The logic is past ass-backwards. You can’t casually wear stuff like that and shrug it off. If he were to wear something like that in Germany he would literally be locked up and have the incident added to his police record. Nothing to chill out about.
    
    The apologists here sound note-for-note like other “geniuses” who leave nooses around workplaces with African American workers, pretend to ignore the past history of the imagery and then tell everyone else they are overreacting.
    - http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeff-Ritzmann/1532420118 Jeff Ritzmann
      
      Great. So we’re all racists who don’t agree with you. Nuff said there.
    - BarBarSeven
      
      Nobody said you are a racist except yourself. Some of us are trying to explain the difference and what is inherently wrong about comparing the Jolly Roger to the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf. The big defense here seems to simply be “Lighten up, it look’s cool!” when the reality is it’s only “cool” because of it’s negative connotations.
      
      Some folks might not be explicit racists but their desire to defend iconography based on what is “cool” or not is the main reason folks often deride fashion; superficiality without depth. If you really would like to wear icons based on “coolness” and dismiss anyone who truly knows the history of it, best of luck to you chief. John Galliano and you can talk over this “nonsense” over a couple of drinks.
      
      Folks who say “it’s cool” to defend nonsense that offends others are the most arrogant jerks on Earth. It’s as if the rest of humanity needs to stop what they are doing to gawk in awe at the sartorial decisions of others.
mattatlaw

It’s not only an M43 hat, it’s also an imperial death star officer’s cap…kinda

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/starwars/e08a/
- penguinchris
  
  The Empire in Star Wars draws heavily from both British Empire (they’re all British actors – and Alec Guinness was not the only huge star, at least for British audiences) and Nazi concepts and imagery – and the uniforms are kind of a combination of British and WWII German uniforms. And of course, the Rebels are all American actors (and the exiled “protestant” British Obi-Wan Kenobi) :)

petertrepan

I like to think that liberals (that’s what we are, right?) are the ones that generally assume goodwill on behalf of their neighbors, and don’t make a fetish of their cultural folkways. Does anyone actually think this taxidermist is a Nazi, or that reprimanding him for his hat will result in a more egalitarian society?

Punchcard

Relevant: “Are we the baddies?”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsNLbK8_rBY

http://evilbobdayjob.blogspot.com/ Deidzoeb

I don’t think most re-enactors would wear stuff casually out of the context of re-enacting groups, unless he was really a nazi sympathizer. But is it possible the guy just thought it was a cool looking skull? Not everyone has studied all the variations of Nazi symbology. I recall when I was 12 or 13 telling my dad that I wanted to order this cool looking pin that had two S’s like lightning bolts. He explained that those were the guys my grandfathers had both fought against. I thought they were just cool lightning bolts inspired by KISS. (On the other hand, 50 year old taxidermist is less likely than a 12 year old kid to be ignorant of where this symbol comes from.)

Navin_Johnson

It’s kind of like guys that fetishize all things Confederate, and then sheepishly act like it’s just an interest in history.. Really? I’m looking at this website that sells Confederate hats (and other stuff) and not getting that vibe bro…..

http://www.kevinislaughter.com/ Kevin I. Slaughter

so a commercial that people only care about because it’s silly and they like to look down upon the dumb hick taxerdermist went viral even though the subject of their derision is wearing a hat with a death’s head on it? Oh Jesus, save us all!

http://www.facebook.com/Hamlet.Au Wagner James Au

This is what happens when two twentysomething hipsters with ironic facial hair make a fake viral video with a dodgy old dude.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000412536004 Ryan Harris

I’m sure he put just as much thought into it as Lemmy, “oh this looks bad ass.”

http://powerlinead.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/2652733739_2547ba38bf.jpg

kullervo

I was born and raised in Ojai. Creeping possibility of white supremacy? _Now_ the ad is perfect.

RJ

“Chuck Testa Taxidermist” TV commercial goes viral in spite of Nazi insignia

Or

“Internet detects a disturbance in the farce.”

mattatlaw

It’s not only an M43 hat, it’s also an imperial death star officer’s cap…kinda

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/starwars/e08a/

grandmapucker

Why would you wear an Imperial Death Star hat after they blew up Alderaan? Don’t give me nooooooooooooooooooo re-enactor shit.
- Anon_Mahna
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQyd9tEDhSc

BBNinja

Magneto doesn’t approve.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Z2PCUJLFNNZNVRIBXBER67IBTI petr

just as world war II ended and the Germans we’re leaving occupied Czechoslovakia, my dad who was 13 at the time went around collecting all the stuff the Germans we’re leaving behind. He had a shopping list – binoculars, backpack, flare gun. He didn’t get them, but brought back a box of Nazi medals and memorabilia, as well as a box for an anti-tank grenade. Not sure why – he just thought it was a nice box. He also had to carefully remove the grenade. He dragged these things home and ended up straining himself and spent the next couple of days in bed – to his chagrin as all the good stuff was snapped up.

A couple days after he recovered, he found out his father had thrown it all out. (that stuff wasn’t exactly popular at the time, but would have been worth a bundle now I guess)

He and a friend also found a horse that was lying on its side but still alive. They brought him water and grass and had visions of riding him like cowboys – but some farmer came along and took him. He said the germans took my horses so Im taking this one.

He also found a submachine gun and buried it in the middle of the stream – and never did find it again.
Under an abandoned car he found a suitcase which he opened to find a dead infant – with a note in German pinned to its clothing.

They knew the war was over when among the retreating germans (civilians) there was a Russian soldier on a motorcycle.

benher

So… do you reckon this guy can make a human centipede?

http://www.facebook.com/zzachery Zachery Small

Did anyone see the Mishka street wear collaboration with the band Death in June? This is an urban popular hip hop company, blatantly putting Nazi iconography on clothing.

Here’s the link:
http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2011/09/15/mishka-x-death-in-june-capsule-collection/

BarBarSeven

It seems that since the Swastika & lightning SS symbols are so stigmatized, street kids are looking for something else that’s “edgy.”

Joe Lansing

If I took offense to every symbol that represented a belief that killed people, then I’d be offended by crosses. Think about how many people were killed in the name of Christianity.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1271680112 Felix Tannenbaum

I dunno – it seems that the guy wore the hat because he was playing a creepy/funny version of himself, and the hat was well in tune with the peculiarity of a man who pretends that a dead antelope is driving a car.
For me, and and certainly it has been different for others, there is a big difference between a death’s head and a swastika. Had he been wearing a red armband with a swastika, I might question the guy’s moral compass. As it stands, in my book, he’s a funny weirdo who made a great advertisement.

DewiMorgan

Hilarious that people think it’s weird that a taxidermist would wear a trophy.

http://profiles.google.com/awright4911 Aaron Wright

I think the real crime here is the actual video.

Martin Jansson

It is actually an old Prussian insignia that the SS “stole” (from the Prussian Royal guard, I think), but at least in Europe, it is nowadays only used by people that glorify Nazi-Germany. Slightly of topic, the Nazi-Swastika was picked up as a symbol from a Swedish nobleman (and flying ace) who used it as his personal symbol and who was father in law to Herman Göring (another flying ace). The nobleman would become a Nazi-sympathizer, but the symbol itself had originally nothing to do with Nazism (and it was used by the Finnish Airforce before it was used by Nazis in Germany, also inspired by the Swedish noblemans/flying ace insignia, who himself had become fond of the symbol when he noted that it was in use in Finland as well as in India, China, and Ancient Rome and Greece). Most other Nazi-symbols are old Northern European runes (like the S-rune in the SS-symbol) or other magic symbols (e.g. the double s-runes in the SS-symbol was used as a protective carving on houses in Scandinavia).

http://twitter.com/t_w_t terence william

the commercial didn’t go viral to “spite” the hat…

"Chuck Testa Taxidermist" TV commercial goes viral in spite of Nazi insignia

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