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SuperMouse's avatar

Does it offend you when...

Asked by SuperMouse (30845points) July 30th, 2008

In an email a friend of mine referred to her new boss as a Nazi. It made me realize that when I hear something like that it bothers me. That or when someone refers to someone or some group as the Gestapo. It just seems vile to me to call a person such a name.

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13 Answers

bulbatron9's avatar

I’m not that “PC”!

This question made me think about the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld!

LKidKyle1985's avatar

I think you are over sensitive about it. Its just something people say when a person is to strict or something.

augustlan's avatar

I’ve been thinking about this very thing recently…I’m not really offended exactly, but it certainly does seem “over-the-top” to compare a pain-in-the-ass boss to a man that killed so many. Seems a bit of a stretch, if you ask me.

tinyfaery's avatar

Instead of saying Nazi or whatever, I call people puppy-kickers. Really, beside fascist groups with violent tendencies, what’s worse than a person who kicks puppies?

trumi's avatar

@tiny; So sad!

I’m really going to start calling people that.

Brings to mind one of my all-time favorite bumper stickers

tinyfaery's avatar

@trumin People who don’t like puppies and kittens are just plain evil in my book.

augustlan's avatar

@trumin…great bumper sticker!

cheebdragon's avatar

Recently there was a big issue with this in Pomona Ca, when a lady on the city council called refered to the police as gestapo because of the weekend checkpoints, Councilwoman Cristina Carrizosa said : ”... the situation that I saw that frankly reminded me of what I had seen (and) what I have watched in movies that were portraying the situations during the occupation of European countries by the Gestapo and from military or paramilitary organizations.”

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wildflower's avatar

To be honest it doesn’t bother me as long as it’s not in a hostile tone.

I used to manage a German team and personally I’m very big on trying to keep the atmosphere light and casual at work – I have a strong dislike of PC and over-the-top ethics – so I was relieved and strangely happy when the Germans on the team ‘broke the ice’ and made a WWII related joke and the Germans expense. I didn’t want to be the first to do it as that might be rude, but if they did it, it meant it was OK for me too.

I’m not saying the historical facts are a laughing matter – they’re not! But at the same time, I can’t claim that what happened there had any impact on me personally (not being born is just one part of it) and therefore I have no personal hangups about it.

I would never make light of it around anyone who was personally affected by the atrocities, but around those that weren’t – I don’t see that they would have any reason to be offended if I make a remark about it not being a good idea to have an Austrian in charge or don’t give them Germans uniforms, you never know what it’ll lead to, and so on.

As for using the term ‘Nazi’ – it is a real term and an ideology still being followed by some. Admittedly most reasonable, open minded people would feel unjustly treated if accused of being one, but you can’t ban a word that exists and has actual, valid use.

GG's avatar

Hey tinyfaery, you’re onto something. I’ve often suspected that there is a code in the movies right now, when you want to show that a character is truly evil, you show him hurting an animal. Most likely a dog. People are far more offended by that than by seeing someone pound the shit out of another human being.

sarapnsc's avatar

No, it wouldn’t bother me, if a FRIEND said it…I would know they aren’t prejudice or meant it in a bad way, why? because I don’t associate with people like that. It would just tell me she is having a bad day with her/his boss is all.

Fyrius's avatar

I visit another online community where I have at one point been referred to as “de autistische huistaalnazi” (the resident autistic language nazi), which I’ve happily adopted as a moniker since. It’s quite tongue-in-cheek.

Not sure if that anecdote is relevant at all.

XTREMITY666's avatar

Wow! I did Nazi that coming!

But seriously, perhaps.

Not too sure. Is he German?

Is he Adolf Hitler?

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