Celebration of life or just bad taste?

[kinboshi]

Have been discussing this with a few people and it certainly divides opinion.  Some have criticised it for being in bad taste and disrespectful of those who died at Auschwitz, whilst others look at it as a celebration that there were survivors who came through the evil, and that this one survivor is now part of a family spanning three generations.

[TightPaulFolds]

Crass beyond words. Wp on them being Auschwitz survivors, doesn't mean they're not total idiots though.

Incredibly bad taste. Check out the Aushwitz mass grave pits, then replay the vid.

They're forgetting the horror and depravity of the actual event. It's not even funny. At least if it was funny it would allow people to cope with the fact that some of your fellow human beings are monsters.

[Woodsey]

Dunno about this stuff really. What strikes me is the number of non Jewish people who died in WW2 that never really get mentioned. I don't understand why people get upset about this subject, things just as bad have happened elsewhere throughout history and once again they get forgotten about.

[TightPaulFolds]

Dunno about this stuff really. What strikes me is the number of non Jewish people who died in WW2 that never really get mentioned. I don't understand why people get upset about this subject, things just as bad have happened elsewhere throughout history and once again they get forgotten about.

Yeah, plenty bad stuff done since then, only now uncovering mass graves in the Former Yugoslavia.

The Holocaust was on such a scale though, and 'good people' didn't do enough to help/intervene, the least we can do now is remember them in a respectful way. So vid is an epic fail. Bet the far right jew-haters love this vid to bits.

Plenty of non-Jewish poles and others died there too. That's my grandad's family. [ ] I will go out and make some ridiculous pop dance vid on the site of the atrocity as a fitting tribute to them.

[Jon MW]

...things just as bad have happened elsewhere throughout history and once again they get forgotten about.

tbh there's very little in history that was on the same scale - and hardly any of it get's forgotten about; this was just in living memory and has documented evidence - that's the main reason why it's in the forefront of the world consciousness.

[Stupiderlikeafox]

Yep, definately a celebration.

The key for me is in the intentions of the makers of the video. They are not setting out to use this subject matter simply to 'shock' or cause outrage, their motives are pure.

The juxtaposition of this subject and a 'fun' video are not incompatible. I can understand why the survivor was happy to participate, and I can understand why his grandchildren were happy to do it too. Who are we to be morally outraged?

[boldie]

Well done them.

Mr Fox says it perfectly IMO. Intent is everything here.

[Laxie]

When I was watching it I got that warm fuzzy feeling in me belly - pure delight for that man.  He survived and has been able to watch his family grow.  What's not to celebrate about that?

[AndrewT]

Pretty sure that people who aren't Holocaust survivors can't have a go at the way a Holocaust survivor chooses to celebrate their survival and remember those who died.

[RED-DOG]

Dunno about this stuff really. What strikes me is the number of non Jewish people who died in WW2 that never really get mentioned.

Some stuff here that might interest you.

http://www.grthm.co.uk/holocaust-launch-videos.php

2nd vid down is of an address that I first I gave at Derby Cathedral on holocaust memorial day. I was asked to repeat it here for the Holocaust against the Roma and Sinti Exhibition in London.

The sound quality is poor and there has been some editing, but you can click the link below for a full transcript.

http://www.grthm.co.uk/bigger-picture-porrajmos.php

[TightPaulFolds]

Was in a car crash with my mate, he was killed instantly, but I miraculously survived. Went to the funeral, managed to wrestle his body out of the open casket, and danced a little jig with him to 'Who let the dog's out?' while his family looked on in horror, bawling their eyes out. Don't know what got into them, it was his favourite tune, I had survived the accident against the odds and was celebrating this. His father was clearly upset but I explained to him that my intentions were pure, but he still punched me in the nose. Some people are on such a downer and need to cheer the f*** up.

[AndrewT]

Was in a car crash with my mate, he was killed instantly, but I miraculously survived. Went to the funeral, managed to wrestle his body out of the open casket, and danced a little jig with him to 'Who let the dog's out?' while his family looked on in horror, bawling their eyes out. Don't know what got into them, it was his favourite tune, I had survived the accident against the odds and was celebrating this. His father was clearly upset but I explained to him that my intentions were pure, but he still punched me in the nose. Some people are on such a downer and need to cheer the f*** up.

I missed the bit in the video where they did they jitterbug with a skeleton during a rememberance service attended by families of the dead.

[Stupiderlikeafox]

Was in a car crash with my mate, he was killed instantly, but I miraculously survived. Went to the funeral, managed to wrestle his body out of the open casket, and danced a little jig with him to 'Who let the dog's out?' while his family looked on in horror, bawling their eyes out. Don't know what got into them, it was his favourite tune, I had survived the accident against the odds and was celebrating this. His father was clearly upset but I explained to him that my intentions were pure, but he still punched me in the nose. Some people are on such a downer and need to cheer the f*** up.

Silly boy.

Your descripton of the video and its makers as 'crass' and 'idiots', is far more accurately held about this post and you.

[boldie]

Was in a car crash with my mate, he was killed instantly, but I miraculously survived. Went to the funeral, managed to wrestle his body out of the open casket, and danced a little jig with him to 'Who let the dog's out?' while his family looked on in horror, bawling their eyes out. Don't know what got into them, it was his favourite tune, I had survived the accident against the odds and was celebrating this. His father was clearly upset but I explained to him that my intentions were pure, but he still punched me in the nose. Some people are on such a downer and need to cheer the f*** up.

I missed the bit in the video where they did they jitterbug with a skeleton during a rememberance service attended by families of the dead.

TBH, I'd probably laugh at that too...mainly because the jitterbug is a fun song

[TightPaulFolds]

Was in a car crash with my mate, he was killed instantly, but I miraculously survived. Went to the funeral, managed to wrestle his body out of the open casket, and danced a little jig with him to 'Who let the dog's out?' while his family looked on in horror, bawling their eyes out. Don't know what got into them, it was his favourite tune, I had survived the accident against the odds and was celebrating this. His father was clearly upset but I explained to him that my intentions were pure, but he still punched me in the nose. Some people are on such a downer and need to cheer the f*** up.

I missed the bit in the video where they did they jitterbug with a skeleton during a rememberance service attended by families of the dead.

Actually I was making an analogy not a direct reference, if you look closely you'll see a bit in the youtube vid where they're pulling happy faces in a train used to pull the bodies of his (not so lucky) brethren to their horrific deaths followed by some ridiculous little dance outside the gates inside which millions of others died slowly and painfully.
Think 'taste', 'appropriateness', 'respectfulness' and 'dignity' and you'll be halfway to seeing what might be wrong with this vid beyond the initial appearance.
[] Me not having escaped the death camp like he did precludes me from commenting on the ridiculousness of his actions. [ ] Being a survivor of Auschwitz allows you to treat the feelings of the relatives of those who didn't with insensitivity.