Hitler rants competition ended..

carpet
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 2:54 pm

Why all the interest in Adolf Hitler all of a sudden. It's not just confined to TG, it's everywhere. I've just come back from Berlin where I did a tour of notable sites relating to the 3rd Reich. I stood on the spot of Hitlers Bunker, on the grounds where the Reich Chancellery once stood. I stood on the firing line where von Stauffenburg and his cohorts met their fate. I stood on the site of the Gestapo Headquarters on what used to be Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse, the now as-yet unfinished Topography of Terrors museum on Niederkirchnerstrasse. The Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the bombed out church on Kurfurstendamm, the perfectly preserved Luftwaffe HQ, the remnants of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust Memorial.

I think the other visitors were perhaps compelled to visit upon watching the movie 'Valkyrie'. Never having seen the movie, nor having any inclination to see it - and in fact being generally ignorant about Berlin and Germany as a whole in any case, I just thought 'Berlin? Why not' I learned a lot about that city and was just mesmerized by it's recent history - somewhat disrepectfully I imagine, given its long and rich pre-20th century existence. But it's the nucleus and pinnacle of every major event to have shaped the 20th century world.

So I came back with something of a fascination of Hitler and the social changes he tried to effect in Germany and Europe (not in a pro-Nazi light of course) and I watched his speeches and read some things about him, then I logged on here and saw Hitler videos plastered all over the place!

What is going on???? It's just a bit of fun I guess.


TGMatt
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:09 pm

It is interesting ..The big push online came from a movie by Tarantino - Inglorius Basterds.

This was a parody movie, then for some odd reason people began editing this particular scene and rescripting..and so a parody of a parody was born, then we decided to have a parody of a parody of a parody..

We have copped some flack on it..and maybe in another universe may have not done it, but frankly their is another angle in that it reminds us, all, rather than bury the nature of this man, and what he did ....so....I guess you could take it either way..


carpet
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:24 pm

So that's why!!! I've heard of that film too, in fact a couple of my fellow tourists mentioned it.
Again, I've not seen it, but I gather Hitler must be growing into a modern pop icon, of sorts, these days.

I'm just waaay out of touch! I'm maybe gonna watch them though!


tom18
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 3:50 pm

Carpet, Matt:
The Hitler internet meme has been around for some time and predates Inglorious Basterds.
There have been many internet memes over the years (dancing baby, the drugged kid after a trip to the dentist etc.), often humorous and occasionally lewd.

The following synopsis is from http://knowyourmeme.com
“The Hitler Meme” or “Hitler finds out” is a video meme involving the addition of new subtitles to the dramatic scene of Hitler’s final meltdown from the German movie Downfall directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The subtitles are often anachronistically altered with humorous English subtitles surrounding current events.

"From the NYTimes: “Fire up YouTube. There you can see the Hitler figure erupt in frustration over his Xbox. He flips out because his friends aren’t going to Burning Man. And, recently, he loses it because Sarah Palin isn’t working out as a running mate. Something in the spectacle of an autocrat falling to pieces evidently has widespread appeal.”

"The earliest known subtitle spoof of Downfall was uploaded by YouTube user DReaperF4 on August 10th, 2006. Titled “Sim Heil: Der untersim” and subbed in Spanish, the video shows Hitler fuming over the lack of new features in the demo trial of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X, which was later released in October 2006."
Tom


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neverfoundthetime
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:04 pm

You could very well argue that the less attention Hitler gets, the better, no doubt about that. I wondered if I'd watch the videos when Matt posted the first parody having lived in Germany and having many German friends and now living inside the language and thus following the news, politics, events and the German view on the world. The German people are acutely aware of the recent past and neither ignore or deny it. They have come to terms with it in a way that has earned my deep respect. There was a fear in many European countries that, when the wall fell, that Germany would be come strong again and become a threat. It was clear to me that this would never be the case; if there is a people on this earth that has learned it's lessons on the horrors of war, then it's the Germans. It was the Germans who said no to Bush when he came looking for allies to invade Iraq. They said they would not send troops in an act of agresion against another country. The Germans have tougher laws and take quicker action against Neo-Nazis than any other country in Europe. All displays of Nazi symbolism are forbidden by law.

The original films (there were several) on the Von Stauffenberg plot were done better than the Tom Cruise one. The sick part of this is that Cruise got himself awarded an award for showing "courage" in playing the part of Von Stauffenberg. Complete hogs wash! Since when do actors get bravery awards for staring in films they finance and are dying to star in and spend millions on to advertise to the world?! German politicians tried to keep Cruise and his film crew out of Berlin as they feel Scientology is a totalitarian organisation. TG is not the place to discuss this stuff, that's for sure, I'm just giving the information as I have it here.

The out-take we've been playing around with on TG is actually from the Film Der Untergang (the Downfall)with the Swiss actor Bruno Ganz playing Hitler. Reiver's take on it was so funny and folks have been enjoying the parodies here so... if it makes us all laugh, it's more than okay. We need to laugh at monsters.

Glad you had an interesting time in Berlin Carpet, great city and the history, although dark and recent, is important for us all to understand.

Loving the parodies..... and making them too!

PS: I was really disappointed in Inglorious Basterds. Found it boring for the first 30 mins. Bet it wins Best Actor though!

EDIT: I was writing this same time as the post above.Thanks for the info Tom.


carpet
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:36 pm

I agree, so you can imagine my absolute surprise - having been on the trip I'd been on, and learned of all the things I did - when i came back to find that TG - TG of all places! - had been invaded by Hitler!!!


TGMatt
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Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:17 pm

In the interests of keeping us all sane...and all friends..I have decided to end this competition..The intentions were good, the humor was great the subject was questionable and in retrospect maybe not a great idea...

So anyways..lets just all get along, and see f we cant get some new song entries in..this was a bad distraction

Thx all


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