Well, according to the Sun here in the UK, the world is reeling at Prince Harry’s wearing a Nazi uniform to a fancy dress (=costume) party. I, for one, am not surprised, nor am I shocked. While these boys are in the public eye, they are also (by common admission) not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier. Inbreeding, plus moneyed upbringing, often produces thoughtless aristocrats.
I think there’s a wider question here: should costume shops actually be selling Nazi uniforms? If it’s wrong for him to wear one, it should equally be wrong for everyone else.
While I hold no brief for the Royal Family, carbuncles on the rump of Britain as they are, it’s unfair to castigate Harry alone for this–the only establishments that should be selling Nazi uniforms are those that supply theatrical and cinematic costumes for plays and films about the Nazi era. Other than that, let’s stick to fairies, sprites, cardinals, and other such merrier disguises.
Ok Chris-
Here’s where I draw the line, maybe a formal banquet was a bad choice, but at a costume ball or party why cant he wear a Nazi unfiform? It is only a true symbol when it is given respect, and the more we treat it as a joke, the less credibility it gets. It’s kind of like flag burning. I’m not saying that I would ever do it, but isn’t the greatest thing about our country the fact that we CAN stand in front of the white house and burn a national symbol in protest? It’s not the flag and material that makes it up, it is the freedom that it represents which is important.
But we are not talking about the US, are we? We were never overrun by the Nazis, in fact if anything we were part of the coalition that kicked their asses. How offensive is an Osama Bin Laden costume in Times Square? lets also remember that this generation, (the one behind mine) has no concept of the devestation caused by the nazis, not that mine does either, but I think that the further in time we get, the less of an issue it becomes. As generations pass, a lot of things are demystified and we lose touch with the humanity that went with the utter destruction of it all.
Throw into the mix that it is the Windsors and all that stuff and you got a real conversation starter.
You almost sound like Charlton Heston wanting to ban trenchcoats in schools.
Well, I wouldn’t want to ban them outright. I would however think it might be a good idea if the outfitters took them off the racks voluntarily.
Even if they didn’t, of course, the brouhaha around this will mean that some people might be put off wearing such stuff in the future. Every little bit helps.
As for Charlton Heston, I wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire.
I suppose that wearing a Cossack outfit might not be as controversial today as it would have been at the turn of the 20th Century…however, there are still lots of people alive today whose lives were horribly affected and changed by World War II.
Anyway, let’s wait and see what Little Harry has to say for himself later on. Perhaps his stepmother will get after him with her hooves.
I suppose that wearing a Cossack outfit might not be as controversial today as it would have been at the turn of the 20th Century…however, there are still lots of people alive today whose lives were horribly affected and changed by World War II.
So let’s wait for 2050, & then Harry can dress as Nazi as he likes.
Well, I wouldn’t want to ban them outright. I would however think it might be a good idea if the outfitters took them off the racks voluntarily.
There’s no need. Who’s going to want to wear those uniforms now that we’re all cringing over the Hooray Henry antics of, er, Henry? (Which, of course, is the point you made in paragraph 2).
Anyway, he could have chosen a worse theme:
http://www.ogmac.co.uk/sidcup/worsthalloween.jpg