Haw, you guys think that the people who put on those costumes think they actually <i>mean</i> something. Well, what? That they’re pro-Nazi or subconsciously pro-Nazi? Why not look at North American fashion instead? Does that make the majority of North America pro-nudity or pro-prostitution? 
So, what would you think of a communist costume? Or how about a medieval crusader costume? Or a knife-wielding murderer costume? They’re all real, but perfectly acceptable here. The reason “nazi” is more negative than “communist” is purely ideological: fifty years ago, a person would have been worse off calling himself a communist. Now, since communism’s an intellectual fad, a person can get away with being a communist - but “nazi” is still a baaad word.
I personally think this talk of “alarming” nazi-ish trends is ridiculous. Unless someone has <i>any</i> evidence that Japanese cosplayers are <i>seriously</i> enamored of nazism, I see no reason for the slightest alarm; no more reason than when I see terrorists and crusaders walking down the street on Halloween.
Or Madonnas.
Well, everyone already knows she’s fake.
I don’t think it’s a horrible atrocity or anything. I just think it’s stupid. If I wanted to dress up as a supporter of mass genocide I’d cosplay as a member of Congress.
I think that it’s a bit disgusting. No it isn’t implying that people who cosplay nazis are neo nazis, but it’s a sensitive issue. You can’t compare girls in short skirts to girls dressed up as killers because obviously our society is desensitized enough to know that wearing skimpy clothing is considered fairly normal . Dressing up as a nazi, regardless of what is running through your head at the time, isn’t.
People can bring points of view into it all they like, in relation to Japan’s customs and culture, but that doesn’t make it any less dumb to dress as a nazi. I doubt the people wearing those uniforms actually sympathize with the nazi beliefs (since nazis considered everyone NOT aryan, which DOES include asians, to be lesser people), but it’s still a stupid fad.
As Evangelion said, dressing skimpy is not the same as imitating nazis. No comparison.
Originally posted by Evangelion:
You can’t compare girls in short skirts to girls dressed up as killers because obviously our society is desensitized enough to know that wearing skimpy clothing is considered fairly normal.
Oh yeah, good thing <i>we</i> know what’s normal. Dressing up as psychotic killers and crusaders and terrorists for Halloween is what’s <i>normal</i>. But nazis:
Dressing up as a nazi, regardless of what is running through your head at the time, isn’t.
This is biased ideology. Fifty years ago, no one would have dressed up as a communist, because it just wasn’t “<i>normal</i>”. Now, most university students in the U.S. have at least socialist tendencies. There’s no taboo against dressing up as a communist on Halloween, even though communists have killed far more people than nazis. I’m not saying students will be neo-nazis in fifty years; but, hopefully by then the word nazi will lose the taboo that causes people to think, “Nazism is EVIL!” and close their minds to reason; and hypocritically condemn people across the world for dressing up as one more villain of many.
Oh yeah, good thing <i>we</i> know what’s normal. Dressing up as psychotic killers and crusaders and terrorists for Halloween is what’s <i>normal</i>.
I’m not even going to bother to comment on what’s normal with other people. We’re on the same message board and we can understand each other, so I’m under the assumption that we’re at least growing up on the same continent and are capable of seeing eye to eye. Therefore, I stand my ground with my statement that dressing like a whore is considerably normal in North America. If I totally blow this out of proportion and misunderstood you, I’m sorry
[b]But nazis:
This is biased ideology. Fifty years ago, no one would have dressed up as a communist, because it just wasn’t “<i>normal</i>”. Now, most university students in the U.S. have at least socialist tendencies. There’s no taboo against dressing up as a communist on Halloween, even though communists have killed far more people than nazis. I’m not saying students will be neo-nazis in fifty years; but, hopefully by then the word nazi will lose the taboo that causes people to think, “Nazism is EVIL!” and close their minds to reason; and hypocritically condemn people across the world for dressing up as one more villain of many.[/b]
The way I see it, it has nothing to do with what is more evil than the other. What I see is that people recognize nazis as an ignorant statement of predjuduce, and it’s unfit for that type of blunt attitude to be paraded around as a mere costume. Sure, some japanese girl might not even know the depths to the nazi history, but plenty of other people out her in the west do, or at least recognize its significance. With that being said, it’s no harm to us if someone way out in Japan dressed up like a nazi, since that sort of entertainment isn’t integrated within our culture, but it’s still a statement, whether intended or not.
No argument there. You said “girls dressed as killers” can’t be compared to “girls in short skirts,” because “girls dressed as killers” <i>aren’t normal</i>. How do you determine that Japanese cosplaying nazis “aren’t normal” - when Americans regularly dress as terrorists and crusaders on Halloween? There’s nothing “abnormal” about these people.
The way I see it, it has nothing to do with what is more evil than the other. What I see is that people recognize nazis as an ignorant statement of predjuduce, and it’s unfit for that type of blunt attitude to be paraded around as a mere costume.
So, what about dressing up as a crusader? It seems pretty prejudiced, to dress up as a Christian knight sent out to kill Muslims. But whatever, just a knight costume, right? How about dressing up as a terrorist? That’s okay too, since it’d just be funny. There’s nothing intrinsically worse about nazis, so why not nazi costumes?
No reason. It’s just become a part of the western ideology that nazism is taboo. You don’t even say the word “nazi” in Germany, it’s so taboo. That’s all there is to it, though - an unreasonable taboo that’s inconsistent other practices.
Sex sells. Why do you think that girls sometimes wear Playboy shirts? Hell, I wear a Marine Corps beanie and sweatshirt at times just because I want people ot know I’m with the Marines. That is why college students wear their school logo and stuff. It is about being a part of something. Especially going to such lengths as to wear a whole uniform. That uniform probably costs a couple hundred dollars. It isn’t somethign you’d wear just for the hell of it. Also, by the look of the size of the porn industry, America probably is pro-nudity.
That girl is extremely ugly =/
The difference is that it is Halloween as I said. It is an occasion, not a thing you are doign for the hell of it or ebcause you like it. You could sort of compare the dressing up as a Nazi to a comic book convention or a Star Trek thing wear the people dress up as their favorite characters. They like it and are showing their lvoe and are willing to put up big money for it. Unless the person is a huge fan, you usually don’t see too many people dressed up as Spock.
The difference is that I don’t think that that was a one time thing or for Halloween. I think it is more of a regular dress up. Halloween is once a year and not too many people spend hundreds of dollars on a one tme costume. Such as a terrorists outfit is pretty easy to make, probably less than $20.
How have you decided the criteria upon which it’s “okay” to dress up? It’s really not your choice. In America, dressing up is reserved for Halloween and special gatherings. In Japan, cosplaying is common, whether at formal occasion or not. Why not dress up as a nazi? You say, “Dressing up like something generally means that you want to be associated with it.” That has no basis in fact. One Halloween I was the Grim Reaper. Another Halloween I was a fucking pumpkin (long ago -_-). I promise, I never wanted to be associated with death, nor pumpkins. Dressing up, whether as evil people or ridiculous objects, is done just for fun. No one here has any basis for condemning people across the world for doing the <i>same thing</i> that we do.
You are missing my point. I’m saying that they spent a lot of money on the uniforms which shows some dedication. You say you dressed as a pumpkin and the Grim Reaper on ONE Halloween. You aren’t dressing up like that on a regualr basis. Also, pumpkins never hurt anyone and the grim reaper is a work of fiction. Nazis hurt millions. No one will be offended by you being the grim reaper. Also, my basis of the assosication I thought was well said. I compared it to wearing a school logo since you are proud to attend the college or something. Also, I used the Star Trek and comic conventions as another basis. The people that go there will wear a sort of outfit frequently sicne they like it. My point about Halloween is that it is ONCE a year, so even if someone does dress up as something offensive, it is for one day. I’m gonna stop here since I don’t want to get into another arguement or create more friends like deadbitch. You can reply, but I won’t. It isn’t that I don’t believe in what I’m sayiong or can’t back it up better, but I’m gonna stop before any anger or insulting comes up.
I’ve seen people spend in excess of $300 on a halloween costume they only wore once. You see stuff like that when you live in a rich town. So don’t say it doesn’t happen, because it does.
So what’s so irksome about these cosplayers is that they trivialize Nazism by reducing it to the level of anime villians, right? Was there ever an anime that had the Nazi’s as the villian?
Also do any of them dress up as Allied soldiers? Or Gestapo?
Infonick the reason I said kids was mainly when I see the word Cosplay I think of kids dressing up. Plus there was a pic I didn’t show. I somehow missed it.
Now she looks pretty young, at least to me.
Anyway it doesn’t seem that they were harming anyone. They just wanted to dress up differently than everyone else. Do they know about the Nazis and what they did? Most likely. Do they support them? Who really knows or cares.
Skinheads. Hate 'em.
There’ve been a few Swastika’ed (Some sorta red band it was) cosplayers over here too; But they were merely doing it because their team was attending a strategy game tournament, and you could get bonus points anywhre from enacting a real strategy used in WW2 or alternatively, the team spirit. Of course, before we even talk about Warhammer, don’t make me remember the Ultimate Dwarf Player from Åland >_<;