Does this offend you?

[astronaut]

So some people are up in arms and pissed off over the fact that I have a photo of Hitler as my youtube profile icon. I found it on the internet and chose the middle picture. I've gotten messages with people cursing me out and asking what the hell is wrong with me lol. Chill the f*** out. Really, think about it. Who would do that and who would appreciate drawing makeup on someone they respect??? Enlighten me because I really don't think I'm doing anything wrong, and I still think that's a pretty cool picture lol, especially the last one. That one's pretty hawt.

Now I'm a pretty uptight, serious, and conservative person compared to almost everyone I know, and even I can't see what the whole big deal is about.

Why so serious? >

 

[xtiffineyx]

Nope, sorry. I'm not offended! I think some people just need to lighten up!

 

[misz_addy]

dats so cute!! lol..not offended either

 

[Lizzie]

I'm not personally offended by this either.

If I were trying to see the side of people who are offended by this, I would say that they might think that those photos are making light of the tragedy that he is associated with. I don't see it like that, but that would be my guess.

 

[captodometer]

Not as offensive as it could have been, but in bad taste nonetheless. I don't see anything amusing or cute about Adolf Hitler in any circumstance, and I'm sure that there are a lot of people in the world who would agree with me.

You had to have known before you picked the picture that a lot of people seeing it would be offended. And yet you chose to post it anyway

So why are you complaining? Were you really expecting people to congratulate you for posting a picture of Hitler as your profile avatar? The complaints are the expected outcome of your decision to post the picture, and you should be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions.

Most of the people complaining to you are probably normal, like me. But what are you gonna do if some of the people you ticked off are dedicated Neo-Nazi skinheads who decide to come looking for you? Extreme scenario, I know, but crazier things have happened. Posting that avatar on a lot of websites would get you banned or your account deleted, because it would be a violation of the terms of service.

You should give serious consideration to taking it down; there are better ways to try and be funny.

 

[florabundance]

I'm not offended at all, but that's because I see it as ironic or maybe satirical even.

 

[spectrolite]

I'm not offended at all. If people want to get offended over it then thats an issue they have to work out with themselves. I hate it when people get shitty over something that they find offensive and then expect YOU to change to make them happy. If you don't like looking at Pretty Hitler then close your browser window and go ahead and turn off your internet while your at it since there are PLENTY of other things that you might find offensive that you might come across

 

[astronaut]

Quote:

Originally Posted by captodometer Not as offensive as it could have been, but in bad taste nonetheless. I don't see anything amusing or cute about Adolf Hitler in any circumstance, and I'm sure that there are a lot of people in the world who would agree with me. You had to have known before you picked the picture that a lot of people seeing it would be offended. And yet you chose to post it anyway So why are you complaining? Were you really expecting people to congratulate you for posting a picture of Hitler as your profile avatar? The complaints are the expected outcome of your decision to post the picture, and you should be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions. Most of the people complaining to you are probably normal, like me. But what are you gonna do if some of the people you ticked off are dedicated Neo-Nazi skinheads who decide to come looking for you? Extreme scenario, I know, but crazier things have happened. Posting that avatar on a lot of websites would get you banned or your account deleted, because it would be a violation of the terms of service. You should give serious consideration to taking it down; there are better ways to try and be funny.

Who said I knew I would offend people by choosing the picture? I never would have expected anyone to be offended unless they happened to be nazis and or idolize Hitler or something so that wasn't a problem for me. You really think having an icon like that would break the terms of service on websites? I actually thought about having it as my icon on specktra but couldn't part with my image of Shin Chan putting on lipstick.

I still don't find what the big deal is about. I find it to be maybe on the same humor level as Family Guy or South Park, but I guess people find offense to that too...

I wanted to note where I obtained the photo from. It was actually on the website of a South Korean cosmetic company called Clio Professional. It was on their cosmetic art page. I bought a couple of their products while in Asia and really liked them so I went browsing on their site and found it.

CLIO Professional

 

[talste]

I'm not personally offended by it but can understand how some people may see it as being in bad taste. To each their own I suppose.

 

[ratmist]

You know, my first thought when I saw your icon was Mel Brooks' "The Producers". Brooks once said the best revenge on Hitler is to make fun of him, to find ways to laugh at him and get the world to laugh alongside.

"I was never crazy about Hitler...If you stand on a soapbox and trade rhetoric with a dictator you never win...That's what they do so well: they seduce people. But if you ridicule them, bring them down with laughter, they can't win. You show how crazy they are."

And in a nutshell that's why your icon doesn't bother me. I don't embrace the holy seriousness around the Holocaust and Hitler. Yes it is a serious subject, but there are many ways to deal with it, and making fun of Hitler takes power back from those that still believe in his ideas.

I wouldn't ever use it as my personal avatar but *shrug* it doesn't bother me that you do.

 

[redambition]

I think Mel Brooks makes a good point!

It's not offensive to me at all.

 

[PolyphonicLove]

I think of it as harmless satire. Then again, this is the girl that thought the NY cover of Obama in a turban and his wife with a gun and fro was in bad taste...but I digress. I can see why people would think the photo was a bit much. Like Captodometer said - some people don't think Hitler in any sense is really acceptable. In the end, its YOUR YT page, and as an american citizen...you can do whatever the fuck you want.

By the way...he looks pretty good with a little bit of rouge. Just sayin.

 

[captodometer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by astronaut Who said I knew I would offend people by choosing the picture? I never would have expected anyone to be offended unless they happened to be nazis and or idolize Hitler or something so that wasn't a problem for me. You really think having an icon like that would break the terms of service on websites? I still don't find what the big deal is about. I find it to be maybe on the same humor level as Family Guy or South Park, but I guess people find offense to that too...

There is no comparison between South Park and Adolf Hitler. I'm sure the show offends plenty of people, but then again it never killed anyone either because it isn't real. Can't say the same about Adolf, unfortunately. And I doubt that you would have gotten the complaints if you had posted a similar picture of Cartman or Chef.

It really is against the terms of service of many websites/webhosts to post images that would generally be considered offensive: it's in the pages long user agreements that people are supposed to read when they sign up, but a lot of people don't bother. So nudity, swastikas, hooded clansmen, etc are usually a no go. Hitler falls into the same category.

I really don't know if Specktra would let you post the Hitler pic as your avatar; I kind of suspect not. They are pretty strict about profanity and nonconstructive comments, and I've seen threads that got heated be deleted entirely. So Hitler as avatar here is probably a no go, as the topic is generally considered inflammatory. Question for one of the mods to answer, I guess.

I find it hard to believe that you didn't know that posting a picture of Adolf Hitler would be controversial: he's not exactly Mr. Popularity. To most people, he is the epitome of evil and making him prettier doesn't change this. You are (maybe) within your YouTube rights to post the pic, but all the other YouTube members who contacted you and voiced their displeasure are also well within their rights to do so. Freedom of speech is a double edged sword. You shouldn't post anything in a public domain that you don't want opinions or comments on.

I know my opinions in this thread aren't going to be popular and I don't give a s**t

And unless you can reach the same level of indifference, it would probably be best to remove your Hitler avatar, because people will continue to comment on it. You started this thread seeking enlightenment and I think that is admirable. But there is no middle ground on this issue: you either keep the avatar and deal with the comments, or you change it to something more socially acceptable and have people leave you alone. Your choice

 

[SparklingWaves]

Review the actual footage of what all he was doing and his men. Look at all the people who he was actually killing and the unspeakable methods. Go to the concentration camps. Talk to war veterans. Talk to the victims that escaped or those that lost loved ones from this. Go to the cemeteries too. Then, you may see how people are not looking at this in the same light as you.

"Why so serious?" Hilter was real and not a fictitious killer Joker character stating that question in the Batman movie. If this man got to the power that he wanted, you and I may not be even having this conversation today. That's serious enough for me.

 

[burnitdown_x]

I'm not offended at all, but then again I totally know what you mean about 'family guy' humor. I believe captodometer got confused with the south park/Hitler satire comparison. Astronaut was talking about the issues that family guy makes fun of, not putting on makeup on a south park character. Also, I agree with you when you say you wouldn't really do that to a picture of someone you admire. If you like your icon, keep it, and ignore the comments. Trust me, theres hardcore Nazi's on youtube that need to be brought to attention, not someone w/ a Hitler icon that hasn't made any racist remarks. Honestly, the bigger issue would be you agreeing with his methods, and not caring about the millions of people he killed. But that's not the case, and it's just an icon.

What I do find a bit unsettling is a makeup company using Hitler's face. Idk, I don't think it would make me crazy about the makeup.

 

[SparklingWaves]

Quote:

Originally Posted by captodometer It really is against the terms of service of many websites/webhosts to post images that would generally be considered offensive: it's in the pages long user agreements that people are supposed to read when they sign up, but a lot of people don't bother. So nudity, swastikas, hooded clansmen, etc are usually a no go. Hitler falls into the same category.

Yes, I agree that Hitler will always bring about a reaction or controversy. So, it really up to you, astronaut, in what reactions you want to keep receiving about this face being on your avatar.

There will be many reactions. My uncle that can't bring a cup to his mouth from shaking so bad from bulldozing dead bodies in WWII would defiantly see this in a different light than you.

 

[Willa]

I don't find it offensive...
But he surely was a bad man, so I guess it's a little bit too much for me.

 

[SkylarV217]

I am not offended by an image of Hitler, but then again I am not a member of society in a nation where his reign of terror took place. As a History major focusing on WWII I defiantly see how it is in bad taste.

While I see it in bad taste, i too am one of the people that love Family Guy and South Park and I probably wouldn't e-mail you and tell you blah blah blah. But when I saw it as an avatar I would see it as distasteful and insensitive. You must remember That in many European Countries families are still negatively affected by Hitler's actions. For some reason it is much more real to them maybe b/c they are descendants of the destruction and they heard the terrible stories from family members that they dearly loved.

In the end you will keep the Avitar or remove it. If you Keep it you will probably offend a lot of people and to be honest it's not something silly like a picture poking fun at the president .... its a photo of a person that invented the need for the term genocide .... Thats a big deal and in the end a reason to be a little sensitive .... People get offended by a lot less everyday .

 

[Krasevayadancer]

I just think the act of conjuring up his face is offensive. "Pretty" or not, when I see a photo of Hitler as an avatar I will automatically think of the atrocities he committed and will wonder why you would have that photo present your page to the world. There are so many other socially acceptable ways to present irony if that was your intent.

That said, its up to you if you want to keep the pic up. But then you can't really complain about people hating on you for it because yes, the photo is controversial and offensive...

 

[Shimmer]

It's tasteless, but I wouldn't ask you to take it off your page.

Be prepared though, that people may consider your views in line with one of the most charismatic mass murderers in history.