Oh:
Visitors to a railway attraction's Second World War-themed weekend were banned from dressing up as Hitler or SS officers.Because a Second World War re-enactment party is the last place you’d expect to see people dressed as Hitler or the SS!
They were invited to don 1940s-style clothes, both British and German, for Severn Valley Railway's re-enactment yesterday and today.
But the Swastika, Nazi uniforms and Hitler impersonations were barred from the popular tourist draw in Worcestershire because organisers feared they would cause offence.
I’m confused. Did we win that war? Or not…? Perhaps I should have gone along to the event to find out:
The ban was introduced after someone turned up at a previous re-enactment dressed as the Fuhrer.And what happened?
The article didn’t say, but we can only assume some awful calamity (earthquake? rain of frogs? Gordon Brown surprise guest appearance?), to cause the organisers to fear a repeat.
Organiser Steve Fulcher said: "The public like to see both sides of the re-enactment and we do have people dressed in the uniforms of German soldiers.Oh, ffs..!
"But there were some pretty nasty things that went on in that war and we didn't want to cause offence to anybody who could still be offended by what happened."
That’s like organising a Sealed Knot re-enactment event and insisting no-one comes as Oliver Cromwell or King Charles I (depending on your preference).
Or a Tolkien afternoon where no-one is allowed to come as Saruman or an orc…
When did we fetishise the ‘not giving of offence’ to this degree? And the banality of that description of the events of WWII defies belief: “some pretty nasty things that went on in that war..”
Indeed there were, you little cretin. And if people like you had their way, they’d be airbrushed out of history, so as not to 'give offence'.
And what would happen then?
Virtually every day I see symbols of vile despotic regimes which indulged in mass genocide, ethnic persecution and torture on a grand scale - but for some reason the commies are considered "cool".
ReplyDeleteActually, there is one Nazi symbol which is also considered cool and even desirable - VW cars. VW was Hitler's personal brainchild - short of building your own gas chamber, it's hard to think of something more directly linked to Hitler than a Volkswagen.
Well if I was going to a fancy dress party. what would I choose?
ReplyDeleteA snappy black suit designed by Hugo Boss
Or a baggy khaki bag designed by a govt comittee.
"But there were some pretty nasty things that went on in that war and we didn't want to cause offence to anybody who could still be offended by what happened."
ReplyDeleteSorry, just had to see it written in another window to check whether it was real. I was hoping that cut n'paste might have some kind of "moronic idiocy" filter and refuse to work, but alas...
"..but for some reason the commies are considered "cool"."
ReplyDeleteYup, got it in one. Plus my other bugbear, Che t-shirts..
"A snappy black suit designed by Hugo Boss"
Thank god wars aren't won by who has the best uniform! ;)
"Sorry, just had to see it written in another window to check whether it was real."
Pretty jaw-dropping, no..?
Thank god wars aren't won by who has the best uniform! ;)
ReplyDeleteIndeed, although I have to admit my Action man spent more time in his Storm Trooper uniform than his British Tommy it just looked smarter ( and you could put stick grenades in his boots.
Although 2nd favourite was Blues& Royals. He looked very spiffing in that.
Stan wrote: "Virtually every day I see symbols of vile despotic regimes..."
ReplyDeleteI'm offended.
This is supposed to be a blog people can participate in, NOT a test of whether someone just happens to know what "despotic" means.
Lolol!!
ReplyDelete@ Stan; BMW was started by the family that made a mint in the German Armaments industry during WW2.
ReplyDelete