Let's Go Back To Ridiculing Nazis
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As I’ve written before, my worldview is simple and derived from one of my grandmother’s sayings: “Der gantzer welt is meshugge,” or “The whole world is crazy.” I can’t imagine what Grandma (who passed in 1969) would say now.
I read the news and I get a lot of emails, so I’m aware of the rising tide of fascism and the increasing incidents of anti-Semitism and every other form of racism, and how what was once called the Lunatic Fringe is now firmly placed in the mainstream and the House of Representatives. But this is not a political newsletter, and if I’m going to publish a column called “I’m Not Complaining,” then I’d better either come up with a solution or shut my mouth.
Therefore, a solution.
Let’s revive a time-honored custom among Americans and the British: Making Fun of Fascists! For too long, we’ve focused on how scary they are: how they drive cars into crowds of protesters, assault the Capitol, stockpile assault weapons, and wear body armor to look intimidating.
If we focus on the scary, we give them power. Let’s not do that. Let’s focus on how ridiculous their ideology is, their tactics, and how silly short, chubby guys look in body armor.
A brief history
A large part of American propaganda during World War II was concentrated on the absurdity of Naziism. Granted, had we had full knowledge of the atrocities being committed, Warner Bros. might have been too horrified to come up with The Ducktators.
But come up with it, they did. And before that, Chaplin created The Great Dictator. Not his funniest work, but his Adenoid Hinkel was perfectly ridiculous.
And even before that, Moe Howard’s Hitler in You Natzy Spy!
And a personal favorite bit of novelty song propaganda, Der Fuehrer’s Face, first a Donald Duck cartoon, then a hit for Spike Jones and his band.
Of course, once the camps were liberated and the world saw the horrors that the Nazis had visited on Europe and humanity, jokes had to wait, as did the Nazis.
When I was a kid in the sixties, Britain and America did it again. Monty Python’s “Mr. Hitler” sketch, Hogan’s Heroes, and the beginning of Mel Brooks’ lifelong campaign to make fun of Nazis in every movie, starting with The Producers.
Some outlets started to mock current American fascism. The first time I saw or heard the name George Lincoln Rockwell (founder of the American Nazi Party) was in Mad Magazine. In 1965, Mad published the classic “Mad Interviews a John Birch Society Policeman,” which is surprisingly relevant today, except that back then, “the Society” was considered lunatic fringe: its director had accused President Eisenhower of being an “active agent of the Communist conspiracy.”
The sixties and seventies were the golden age of mockery when it came to poking fun at the extreme right wing. The Brits even tried a 50’s style sitcom pilot, “Heil, Honey, I’m Home,” about the wacky home life of Adolf and Eva and their Jewish next-door neighbors.
How about now?
Today, not only is fascism mainstreamed, I’ve read two articles in the past week pointing out that people don’t even know what the word means anymore. So as a public service, I consulted my old friend, the dictionary. Merriam-Webster says: a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. Sound familiar? The more you know…
There was an excellent article on Slate entitled “Don’t Fight the Fascists, Laugh at Them,” published on January 5, 2021, the day before the insurrection. In reference to the following day’s rally, the article states, “violence is likely.” Uh-huh. The article states, “The best counter to the aggressive and delusional anger of the right is creative, playful, often humorous counterprotests.” An article in the New York Times referred to a 2007 counter-protest by the “Coup Clutz Clowns. The clowns pretended not to understand the shouts of ‘White power!’
“White flour?” the clowns cried, throwing some in the air. “White flower?”
Clowns in counter-protests are a great idea, but as social media and forums like 4Chan allow Nazis/fascists/White Supremacists to gather and grow, I think it’s time to call in the public relations troops! Send in the clowns big time! We need television comedies, cartoons, and sitcoms. How about a game show, "Are You Smarter Than A Proud Boy?" (Spoiler alert: You are). A children’s program called American History X-Y-Z? I don’t know, just spitballing here. I was raised to laugh rather than cry.
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Thank you for the most timely writing ever. As a member of a group facing racist comments and disrespect, I appreciate you as an important part of my history and someone that inspres us all
Fabulous idea. I can't wait to see what you'll write. If anyone can do it, it would be you!