Here are two videos from MTV’s Think campaign (both found here):
I am not at all sure what the message is here–just a general “fear your government” warning? A comment on the Bush Administration’s policies? The Patriot Act? Also note that the message is that the Holocaust happened to people like us–not that it was done by people like us, which might be a more interesting message.
Anyway, I think this could be compared to the PETA posters in a discussion about history and who has the right to use it how. Will everyone see these images as offensive? Is any use of the Holocaust as an example or comparison automatically offensive? Would campaigns that use the Holocaust be as offensive to people if they used the genocide in Rwanda instead? Who gets to claim the right to use images and symbols of historical events, including horrible tragedies, and in what ways can they use them?
Thanks to Simone for pointing these out!
Comments 6
Village Idiot — May 7, 2008
Nah, the Holocaust didn't happen to people like us. We have a lot more guns in our houses. That's probably why it's been taking so long to organize the next one.
MTV is obviously a tool, since images designed to inspire fear are not helpful to anything except spreading fear. Those were NOT motivating or empowering messages.
You know, I remember way back when MTV played music videos. It still sucked.
Nadav — May 7, 2008
he Holocaust happened to the JEWS b/c they were Jews (i.e., not considered "people like us") by the Germans and their racist allies in Europe racists). And they could do that b/c the Jews did not have a state and an army (which they have today) and could not defend themselves in an organized and collective fashion.
True, the Nazis also executed many non-Jews but these horrible crimes were not part of the genocide, which is the Holocaust and, that was directed directed at the systematic (industrial-like) extermination of the "Jewish race"
Anyone who suggest otherwise (or supports the message behind the MTV ads, for that matter) is a Holocaust denier and should be treated as such.
acolyte — May 8, 2008
I think in a way the ads also show that the situations that led to the holocaust can happen at any time and that the rest of us must be aware of the times we live in because yes the Jews were rounded up due to their ethnicity and beliefs but the rest of us could be rounded up for another reason and treated in the same way.
It pays to know what your government is doing!
Village Idiot — May 23, 2008
I know this is probably futile at this point, but before I cleared my History cache I stopped back by and this caught my attention:
"Anyone who suggest otherwise (or supports the message behind the MTV ads, for that matter) is a Holocaust denier and should be treated as such."
And how should "deniers" be treated? Put them in camps, maybe?
The undertones of that statement are troubling at best. A mere "denier" of anything is simply making statements, not killing people or damaging property. If someone's statements are offensive to someone else, tough cookies. Jailing people for their opinions only gives those opinions more credibility (why not just refute the claims in a reasoned debate?), plus it attracts others to the issue who want to learn what all the fuss is about. If someone says "NASA faked the Moon landing!" they get laughed at, then ignored. In some countries if someone says "The holocaust was faked!" they can get thrown in jail. Why is that?
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Anonymous — August 4, 2021
Coming here in 2021 looking at these comments too…it’s happening