[Closed] Is there anything wrong with dressing as a Nazi?

Good point. - *dons gold lame tracksuit, chunky jewelry and lights cigar*

as if this is somehow against the rules

Given all the grief it has caused everyone who has tried it, I'm amazed anywhere still hires out Nazi costumes...

I'm also amazed anyone who does don Nazi uniforms is at all surprised when it all goes tits up for them later on....

it does attract trouble. I can't remember what I was meant to be dressing up as for a uni party (this was obviously some time ago) but when I put it on it looked more like a nazi uniform so I decided to go as that instead, complete with hitler moustache.

Had a few people try and pick a fight over it. Would not recommend.

Probably because for the ones in bold, you'd have to use your imagination, but the last one, not so much.

Also, there are people still advocating Nazi principles today whereas not so much the others....

So it would be quite hard to distinguish a left leaning liberal in a Nazi uniform being ironic from a die hard member of Activate discussing gassing Chavs in a Nazi uniform wearing it non ironically...

Why is it ok to dress as a Roman / imperialist / crusader / pirate, but not a Nazi?

While pirates and romans no doubt aren't really mother Theresa types, I'm pretty sure the amount of wrongdoing and the lack of "historical proximity" may mean it's more acceptable.

Equally, how is it somehow OK to fetishise communism? Flags, t-shirts etc. An ideology every bit as brutal and lethal as Nazism, and yet the flags fly proudly.

No. The professionally offended will be professionally offended though.

Equally, how is it somehow OK to fetishise communism? Flags, t-shirts etc. An ideology every bit as brutal and lethal as Nazism, and yet the flags fly proudly.

Truth. Seems to be the flavour of the left too. Odd that.

An ideology every bit as brutal and lethal as Nazism

Depends on why you are wearing it I suppose and where you are when you do. Dressing up as a character from a popular TV show at a TV show themed fancy dress party seems ok to me.

Wasn't he on the way to an 'Allo 'Allo themed fancy dress party.

And 'Allo 'Allo, for those too young to remember, was a hugely popular comedy, produced by our Oh! so virtuous BBC, which starred people dressed up as Nazis.

Storm in a teacup.

EDIT: and of course, back then, we all thought that all the Nazis were dead.

Equally, how is it somehow OK to fetishise communism? Flags, t-shirts etc. An ideology every bit as brutal and lethal as Nazism, and yet the flags fly proudly.

Well you could say just the same for the Catholic Church and that's still going...

Communism doesn't mandate ethnic cleaning although people have been killed 'in it's name' as they have for every political and religious view at some point in history. Just look at the Crusades etc..

But, in answer to the OP's question, I can see the appeal. Their sartorial elegance was something to be admired. The allieds uniforms look like shit, but the Nazi's, well those mofo's were always dressed for a dinner dance.

Their sartorial elegance was something to be admired.

And the Nazi Tailor or rather Tailor to the Nazis (probably both actually) is still going strong today, Hugo Boss...

Back to the original point, however.

No. There's nothing wrong with that. As above, a party based on Allo Allo, it's just fun. Much like Ed Balls dressing as a Nazi, or Prince Harry. None of these acts were offensive.

It's [i]acting[/i] like a Nazi that's bad. Or a communist, for that matter. The two slices of bread in an utterly vile shit sandwich.

Equally, how is it somehow OK to fetishise communism? Flags, t-shirts etc. An ideology every bit as brutal and lethal as Nazism, and yet the flags fly proudly.

Srsly?

Showing your naivety here old bean.

The allieds uniforms look like shit, but the Nazi's,

were useless. Their battledress was old fashioned and very expensive to make, they had hundreds of different uniforms that were incredibly wasteful and expensive. They still used leather, when the Allies had all gone over to cotton webbing, which was way better.

Another little reason that helped the Allies to destroy them.

Deffo an issue, especially if it was 14 years ago and you weren't even in the public eye then.

The fact that this guy feels he has to apologise annoys me faaaaar more than the fact that he wore it in the first place.

Also not a professional historian but is there a direct correlation between german uniforms and nazism?

It's acting like a Nazi that's bad.

Well dressing up as one, isn't exactly a good start though is it?

If you chose to dress up as Evil you can't then be surprised if people mistake you for someone else dressed the same who is evil - plenty of active Nazis about still.

Srsly?

Showing your naivety here old bean.

Showing his political bias more likely, can't stand to see a right wing ideology attacked even if it's Nazism.

10notgoingtobotherchars

If you chose to dress up as Evil

If I dressed up as Darth Vader, it doesn't mean I'm hell bent on galactic destruction. It means I'm in fancy dress.

I know, I know, a slightly silly way of looking at it, but it's just dressing up. It's not holding any of the views, or having even the slightest inclination to behave in any evil ways. As before, does anyone think Ed Balls is a Nazi, or holds any inkling of a thought in that direction? Of course not!

If I dressed up as Darth Vader, it doesn't mean I'm hell bent on galactic destruction. It means I'm in fancy dress.

You do seem to be missing the point. Darth Vadar is a fictional character, the Nazis where real - I know they both had films made about them, but there is a big difference.

Secondly, no one genuinely advocates obliterating Alderaan, whereas plenty of people do believe in Nazism and given half the chance would carry out atrocities in it's name.

Choosing to associate yourself with the latter is pretty daft in my opinion, even if you think you're being ironic.

But hey, if you really want to, be my guest, just don't complain if not everyone thinks you're being hilarious...

Hence why I said it was a silly way of explaining it. It's just fancy dress. It's not holding any of the vile/evil (anagram!) beliefs or actions.

If someone dressed as Vlad the Impaler, or Genghis Khan, it wouldn't make them a bad person.

If someone went in fancy dress as
[img] [/img]
it doesn't make you a Nazi. Some people might not find it funny, some might, but it doesn't make you a Nazi.

(also, plenty of people identify as Jedi on census responses! 😉 )

also, plenty of people identify as Jedi on census responses! )

They were the good guys...

You really need to work on your analogies, they are terrible.

For the record Ghandi was good, Pol Pot was bad and Indiani Jones doesn't really exist.

And the Nazi Tailor or rather Tailor to the Nazis (probably both actually) is still going strong today, Hugo Boss...

You've seen him recently??

To answer the OP in very simple terms: if enough people agree that it's not cool, then it's not cool. You don't get to argue.

See also: blackface, cannibalism, permed hair.

Is there anything wrong with dressing as a Nazi?
Duffer - Member
Genuine question.

No problem whatsoever ... dress as whatever you like.

Imagine Chinese dressing up as Kenpeitai.

I would prefer to dress up as Genghis Khan for his ability to eradicate the male gene of his enemies. 😆

CaptainFlashheart - Member
If someone dressed as Vlad the Impaler, or Genghis Khan, it wouldn't make them a bad person.

Haha, Nazis, those ones that actually slaughtered millions of innocent people. Hahahhaa, awwwwww, brilliant.

chakaping - Member

To answer the OP in very simple terms: if enough people agree that it's not cool, then it's not cool. You don't get to argue.

[img] [/img]

One of my mates has done both Jimmy Saville and the Orange Order as fancy dress costumes. He never braved the nazis though.

The comparison between nazism and communism is stupid. Nazism was the creation of Hitler to achieve his ambition of ethnically cleansing the Jews from Europe. Communism existed long before Stalin, and was subverted as a vehicle for his megalomaniacal ambitions. Stalin has as much to do with communist ideology as Margaret Thatcher.

See also: blackface, cannibalism, permed hair.

[url= https://warisboring.com/i-swear-im-not-a-nazi-i-just-like-the-uniforms/ ]I just like the uniforms[/url]

The worst is when you meet someone who shares your enthusiasm for German military history. You think you’ve found a kindred spirit. And then something goes wrong. Very, very wrong.

They start to tell you that Hermann Goering was a gentleman, and had some really good ideas about society. That democracy is inefficient. He insists on going to military reenactments in an S.S. uniform—even though all the other German reenactors going wear Wehrmacht gear. He thinks that Nazi anthropologists weren’t entirely wrong about inherent racial differences and that political correctness stops us from accepting “racial realism” and building on their work.

Scuttler nails it - a TV show themed party, a show that mocked the Nazis, before you were famous? WhyTF should you have to apologise?

Context is everything, and the professionally offended just don't get that.

No but don't be surprised if you get punched.

The comparison between nazism and communism is stupid. Nazism was the creation of Hitler to achieve his ambition of ethnically cleansing the Jews from Europe. Communism existed long before Stalin, and was subverted as a vehicle for his megalomaniacal ambitions. Stalin has as much to do with communist ideology as Margaret Thatcher.

It was very kind of you to explain but I think he knew all that already. Or if he didn't, then one would have to be a bit worried about the poor chap.

No worse than dressing up as a Crusader.

But I'd rather be a Crusader than a Nazti.

The National socialist party was founded 1920 by Anton Drexler with an agenda summed up by the name. It evolved into the organisation we are lucky enough only to have been told about, read about or seen in historic footage. That's enough for me never to wear a uniform/symbol even in the contexts it's legal to do so. Anyone who does so as fancy dress should expect what wouldn't surprise Chester, or worse.

As for Harry in Nazi dress and the royal family in general: vive la révolution!

[url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/18/royal-family-archives-queen-nazi-salute ]The royals and the Nazis[/url]

As an aside. I am not sure anyone in the Allo Allo cast ever wears Nazi uniform. Wehrmacht yes, Stuff with swastikas on, no. Not entirely sure why it makes a difference, but I think they did steer clear of overtly portraying Nazi symbols. So Hollywood has got that bit wrong too.

Maybe because there are still quite a lot of Jews about who remember the concentration camps.

It's still in living memory and people still wear the uniforms or symbols in a serious fashion to make political points.

Whilst strutting around in a Chairman Mao t-shirt is clearly distasteful and likely offensive to Buddhists or Tibetans, I'm not sure the CCP are quite the same harbingers of genocide as the Nazi party were.

Basically, the Nazis ****ed off a lot of people in the west - so don't be surprised if you get lynched whilst wearing their uniform. Likewise, I'm sure you'd get battered if you walked around some Eastern European countries in an NKVD uniform.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Nazis wear Calvin Klein these days.

Context isn't it?

Fancy dress party, possibly.
Child custody hearing, probably not a good idea...

Stop, stop, stop!

Did someone really just compare Pirates to Nazis?

Is there anything wrong with dressing as a Nazi?

Yep because its much cheaper to just chuck a white sheet over yourself and go as the KKK

Context isn't it?

It wouldn't be fancy dress if you wore it though. 😀

😉 etc

Yep because its much cheaper to just chuck a white sheet over yourself and go as the KKK

Could be mistaken for a ghost.

Question: Who's more scary, ghosts or nazis? One's a bad sort, but super sexy. The other is scary, but super-natural...

I don't know what to think anymore

I think his mistake was wearing the swastika armband.

Dressed as the character in only a German uniform and this wouldn't of been news worthy i reckon.
His friend stood next to him seems to have had more sense.

It wouldn't be fancy dress if you wore it though.

It's alright, I usually cover it up with a cloak

Nice, a handful of posts in and there's an image of multiple dead bodies. Thanks for that.

Nice, a handful of posts in and there's an image of multiple dead bodies. Thanks for that.

You're on the internet reading a thread about the Nazis...

I think it's past your bedtime treacle.

Is there anything wrong with dressing as a Nazi?

Depends on how you feel about people thinking you're a Nazi. Personally, I avoid associating with people who wear swastikas (it's the genocide thing that puts me off.)

[img] [/img]

giantalkali - Member
Nice, a handful of posts in and there's an image of multiple dead bodies. Thanks for that.

You were taught about this in school, it's hardly come as a shock.
We need reminding.

Nice, a handful of posts in and there's an image of multiple dead bodies. Thanks for that.

Such an image is a succinct explanation of why dressing as a Nazi for fun at a party is not a good idea.

Doesn't it depend on whether the dress code is smart casual or just casuals (cue Pike)

Apparently there was some bloke dressed up as vicar on strictly this weekend. Surely that's a lot worse.....?

Looking at things from the other end of the telescope, what [i]reason[/i] would you want to go to a fancy dress dressed as a Nazi, considering the history, when other costumes are available.

- you want to shock
- you identify
- you think it's funny
- it was already hanging in the wardrobe

I'm struggling to think of a reason to choose a Nazi uniform that [i]I[/i] find rational.

Although the world moves on- a while ago was served by a (too young to remember) bloke in a shoe shop wearing a Red Army Faction t-shirt.

Although the world moves on- a while ago was served by a (too young to remember) bloke in a shoe shop wearing a Red Army Faction t-shirt.

Whether you think it's offensive or not I think you've got to be pretty stupid to wear one (back in 2003 counts as well). I'm not convinced by the 'Allo 'Allo fancy dress excuse either, which character was he portraying? None used a Swastika armband as far as I'm aware.
I think the offense comes from two main areas; the nature of what the Nazi's did (and therefore what the uniform represents) but also some right-wing fascists still dress in a similar way today to deliberately cause offense - you'd have to be monumentally stupid to dress that way for fancy dress and risk the association.

jambourgie - Member
[i]Nice, a handful of posts in and there's an image of multiple dead bodies. Thanks for that.[/i]

You're on the internet reading a thread about the Nazis...

I think it's past your bedtime treacle.

Thanks for your input, Sweetcheeks. Don't make me come over there and play my Ukulele at you.

Lemmy used to do it

everybody loves him

Lemmy used to do it

Not sure that Lemmy is the best example here, given his fondness for dressing up in a US Cavalry uniform.

They also loved a bit of genocide in their day.

[img] [/img]

You were taught about this in school, it's hardly come as a shock.
We need reminding.

Sadly very true, we seem destined to repeat mistakes of the past...

[img] ?display=1&htype=0&type=responsive-gallery[/img]

It's not something I could get too excited or stressed about personally for fancy dress. Real Nazi's or extremists of any flavour trouble me more.

The fancy dress side strikes me more it's an excercise for the thick and simple. You would get away with it some places, but not others. I saw on Facebook an old school friend and his mate's all blacked up and dressed as Ruud Gullit for an 80's Weekender thing at Skegness Butlin's. Seems that was so hilarious, they tried the same thing on a weekend in London, and after some bother heeded the Police warning to head back to their hotel and change. We went to school in a small very white town, and said friends hero at school was Ruud. I still remember him walking around in the Dutch kit, so I doubt he did it with any racist intent. But he is thick and simple, and his friends seemed similar.

Just stumbled across [url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/politics-headlines/tedious-arse-wrongly-claiming-fascism-and-communism-are-the-same-20170911135458 ]this[/url] - made me think of STW 😆

That is the best thing I've seen on the Mash for years.

😆

Orangespyderman beat me to it....

that Mash link is good especially

Third Reich: The UFO Factor

Space nazis are the worst kind though. Apart from maybe space nazi pirates

Context is everything, and the professionally offended just don't get that.

The context is that this ancient event was published by the Sun in order to shift a few more copies and garner a few more clicks. It seems to me that most of the noise is from people complaining about the professionally offended, whereas most folk are struggling to contain their indifference. Even the quote from the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism was half-hearted.

All you people moaning about the professionally offended have been played by a cheap tabloid rag, and you're too dim to realise it.

The allieds uniforms look like shit, but the Nazi's, well those mofo's were always dressed for a dinner dance.

Internet rumours suggest hugo boss designed and made the Nazi uniforms. I think the Nazi uniforms did look quite good. When I watch man in the high castle they look good, where as if I was to watch Dads Army the uniforms look awful. although as someone else said, maybe there was some form over function issues...

From the OP,

Especially since the purpose of fancy dress is usually to ridicule the character in question.

Is it? Whenever I've worn fancy dress, I've chosen an outfit I thought was cool.

Looking at things from the other end of the telescope, what reason would you want to go to a fancy dress dressed as a Nazi, considering the history, when other costumes are available.

This is always my first thought with these stories. Whether or not it's "ok" to do so, why would you [i]want[/i] to?

Those moaning about how the professionally offended have been manipulated have themselves been manipulated by neo-fascists on the Net.

Yep because its much cheaper to just chuck a white sheet over yourself and go as the KKK

Edukator - Reformed Troll

Those moaning about how the professionally offended have been manipulated have themselves been manipulated by neo-fascists on the Net.

Sorry, that's bollocks. 15 or 20 years ago when I actually went out to parties and nightclubs lots of people dressed up as Nazis. Ill advised, yes. Poor taste? definitely, but absolutely nothing to do with white supremacists, neo-fascists or racism. If you need proof of this look no further than Prince Harry. Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

The difference was that back then people weren't as inclined to scuttle off to online echo chambers to sound off about how offended they were or puff out their chests and boast about who they would punch if they could just get away with it. There's a culture online (and it's very common on this forum) to brand anyone who disagrees with a generally left leaning political viewpoint as being a nazi or a racist. It's gotten to the point where self ordained "nazi hunters" have lowered the bar as to what constitutes racism and nazism to the point where they are finding them everywhere so they can bravely point them out online.

but absolutely nothing to do with white supremacists, neo-fascists or racism.

I still think if you dress like a member of an EDL march, you can't then complain when people mistake you for one.

This is always my first thought with these stories. Whether or not it's "ok" to do so, why would you want to?

Why would you want to dress as a 'baddie' at a fancy dress party? I've no idea but many people find it amusing, especially on Halloween.

If you wanted to dress as a 'baddie' for fancy dress what/who would you choose? Maybe give a couple of examples.

There's a culture online (and it's very common on this forum) to brand anyone who disagrees with a generally right leaning political viewpoint as being a [i]weak liberal[/i] or [i]easily offended and not a proper bloke.[/i]

Guess it depends what bits you read and get vexed about. If you can understand it's just internet forums, then it all makes sense and less steam blows from your ears.

The most distasteful fancy dress "baddie" I know of was a white coat and a skinned rabbit in each pocket - back street abortionist