„Nothing says ‘I love you’ more than Time Magazine’s Man of the Year (1938) clasping a rose,” reads the caption of the Hitler „inspired” Valentine’s Day merchandise that was advertised on an Australian online shop.
An Australian online shop faced backlash after advertising Adolf Hitler „inspired” Valentine’s Day merchandise. The products have since been removed.
The site, Spicy Baboon, was selling mugs, T-shirts, stickers, cards and beer cosies with a cartoon depiction of Hitler holding a rose in his mouth, surrounded by hearts. Underneath the graphic was the caption „Be Mein,” reports The Jerusalem Post.
The product description included, „Nothing says ‘I love you’ more than Time Magazine’s Man of the Year (1938) clasping a rose.”
Australia’s leading civil rights organisation, the Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), expressed strong condemnation, even disgust, over the Nazi merchandise. The organisation rejected the apology of the site’s owner, Scot Mackenroth, who claimed that no harm was meant and the purpose of the merchandise was humour. ADC Chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich urged the company to meet Holocaust survivors to understand the depth of the pain and suffering Hitler had inflicted on them.
„This is a new and perverse low in Australian retail,” Dr Abramovich said in a statement. „The words sickening, vomit-inducing and stomach-churning do not even come close to describing this abomination, and it’s hard to imagine anything more obscene that abuses Holocaust and takes its vulgar exploitation to new depths.”
„As we witness a dramatic rise in antisemitism and neo-Nazism in Australia, it is revolting that here is a business providing another avenue for Hitler’s image and name to be normalised and mainstreamed and reach a new generation of young people who may think it’s fun to wear or use these articles.”
„This is Holocaust denial for the 21st century,” he added. „There is nothing funny, cool, or fashionable about Hitler, and these products clearly demonstrate that nothing is off-limits and that all bets are off when it comes to the debasement of the Holocaust. Shame on this company for crossing all lines of moral decency.”
photo credit: Screenshot of Spicy Baboon site via Anti-Defamation Commission
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