Kitler Kitties
Hattip to commenter Stephen E. Dalton who brought my attention to the phenomenon of cats that look like Hitler. I love this! Too often Hitler, murderous little jumped up thug, is elevated into being some sort of grand demonic personification of evil. This is precisely the wrong way to remember the psychopath and the movement he led. Far better to make him into a clownish figure and condemn him throughout history with laughter and ridicule.
The late Werner Klemperer, who portrayed Colonel Klink on the old sitcom Hogan’s Heroes, was a German Jewish refugee to America from the Third Reich, who served in the US Army during World War II. He was once asked how he could play a Nazi. He replied that he would go to his grave happy knowing that he helped make the Nazis look ridiculous. Precisely! That is why I love the Hitler Downfall parodies, and why I have always appreciated this little ditty:
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Hooooogaaaaan!
First time I really realized that Nazis had been humans was when some uncles started talking about my grandfather’s job in the military– he’d been a prison guard after WWII. One of the prisoners was an amazing artist is how it came up, I think. (I get the impression that the Nazis he’d been set to guard were the lowbies that had been forced in, and were just waiting for it to be proven; who knows how much that was cleaned up for young ears.)
Before that, they were The Big Major Villains. The only live action thing I saw that made fun of them was Indiana Jones. Everything else, they were POWERFUL. Not a really good thing to emphasize when they also had some very impressive uniforms, you know? Mockery is much better; I remember one book made fun of their stupid looking marching style.
The Downfall parodies are the shrieking Hitler with subtitles that people use for “Hitler hears about the new video game patch” stuff, yes?
Yes!
Don, I’m glad I brought some heilarity into your life with Der Kitlers! The Producers is one of my favorite movies too. I also get a bang out of all those Downfall parodies. My favorite is the Bin Laden one.
I and the furhairs thank you Stephen!
In the “did-you-know-department,” Werner’s father, Otto, the famous German conductor, was born Jewish, converted to Catholicism and then back to Judaism toward the end of his life. Don, this belies your notion “once a Catholic always a Catholic.”
Bad example Joe. Poor Otto suffered two near miss assassination attempts during the rise of the Nazis and was mentally unbalanced thereafer. RIP to his tormented soul.
OK, Don, try these on for size”
Tim Pawlenty — Raised Catholic, now evangelical.
Sarah Palin — converted as young child to non-denominational Protestant.
Steve Allen, George Carlin, Omar Sharif, Joyce Carol Oates — all become agnostic or atheist after raised as Catholics.
And, many, many more…perhaps the most famous being, of course:
MARTIN LUTHER.
Well?
…why are you letting this guy derail the comments?
Sorry, didn’t mean to threadjack if you were referring to me. Don opened the door a crack on Klemperer. Mea culpa, fox.
Martin Luther was obsessed with Catholicism all of his life Joe, as any one can attest who has read his ravings, er, writings. He never left the Church he went to war with it, which is two separate things. Ditto as to the late unfunny sad man George Carlin.
Pawlenty, Shariff and Oates aren’t done with their lives yet. Let’s see how things develop by the end.
Sarah Palin-I don’t believe she was ever truly a Catholic Joe due to the negligence of her parents and therefore I would not count her as a fallen away Catholic. In any case her life is not done yet.
As to Steve Allen he was a work in progress at the time of his death. Born a Catholic, he became a secular humanist after divorce ended his first marriage. Later in life he described himself as an involved Presbyterian. In his last interview before his life came to a sudden end from an auto accident he said the following:
“I assume there’s a God because I can’t figure out how anything, much less the whole universe, could have gotten here with no cause at all.”
Foxfier, I have a soft spot in my heart and head for Joe the Agnostic, but you are correct that the thread needs to get back on the track. Back to Kitler Kitties for all further comments!
Don, your ability to thrust and parry is unrivaled. Joe the Agnostic; nice ring, almost as good as Joe the Plumber ; )