You said it yourself "unfortunately a portion chose to wear uniforms of the SS, the Gestapo ...". The public is generally not well versed in its history and hyper-sensitive. Imagine Leon turning up with his new range of Gestapo figures. Somebody is bound to take offence - "how dare you make the Gestapo into a game! You Nazi lover!" Local press, national press, Twitter mob, Middle Borough in flames. No more Centurions for Nobby. 

I'll be honest, I don't think I'd buy Gestapo figures, but I would buy Milice figures and in some ways they are just as bad ... if not worse. However, they are safe in the eyes of the public because nobody knows who they were or what they did.


In a lighter vein, have you have you watched "Jojo Rabbit"? Very much in the spirit of "Allo Allo".

Be warned: many uses of the phrase "Heil Hitler" for comedic effect.

Strangely we had a very angry person on Facebook when we launched the V1 launch ramp last year.  His claim was that we were 'glorifying Nazism' or something along those lines.  Aside from the obvious ridiculousness, I thought it odd that he took such issue with a launch ramp, something that just didn't seem to be an item that would ever cause such offence!

Ah! That's the sort of thing I was thinking of.

I would argue there is a clear dichotomy between "glorifying" an evil from the past out of context, and using detailed knowledge of the past to educate.

  The Herrenvolk , young, blond vibrant and laughing like Nordic gods should be placed with the context of the Final Solution - mingle them with a few re-enactors portraying crying children in pyjama type clothing and bearing camp tattoos and stars of David.  Oh and don't forget the Gay community and Gypsies.   Remind a new generation of the evil of Nazism. 

On the wargames table we need to preserve - wittingly or unwittingly - the human rendition of what is good and what is evil.  As we secularise and our places of worship are empty - apart from tourists -  perhaps at demo games that have accompanying story boards ?

Whilst working in the US a few decades ago my  lecture tour took me close to a ACW battlefield, and I was fascinated and shocked  at the re-enactment being staged so close to where the actual slaughter took place.

Perhaps I am conditioned by the undisturbed  serenity  one finds old killing grounds of the Picard  countryside - the poppies dotted amongst the wheat, the replanted woods, the neat rows of well tended graves, and the poignant  Lutyens symbolism. 

However, I have to say that the NPS Rangers in their tours were adroit in stripping away the glamour of the Confederacy.  Yes, they were heroic and brave soldiers, some may have seen the war as invasion or attack of State's rights, but at the core, their cause was about maintaining the evil of human slavery.

So if we portray the baddie in a public area demonstration game do we not have a moral duty to put them in the context of their inhuman beliefs or deeds ?   

Apologies for the ramble - I don't get out much these days. 

No.....That was very nicely put, James. I know what you mean.

Cheers - Phil

I think that one of several reasons I prefer Jojo Rabbit to 'Allo, 'Allo! is that the latter treats the Germans as comic buffoons whereas Jojo Rabbit uses the absurdity of Nazi atrocities to lampoon them.

We heard a story about the Salute SS display group, apparently someone asked one of the kids if they enjoyed coming out and dressing up for the day.  Their reply was 'Oh, we do this at home as well...' which was slightly concerning.

 

In despair - Phil

QuoteTheir reply was 'Oh, we do this at home as well...' which was slightly concerning.

Quote from: Leon on 18 June 2020, 03:03:24 PM
We heard a story about the Salute SS display group, apparently someone asked one of the kids if they enjoyed coming out and dressing up for the day.  Their reply was 'Oh, we do this at home as well...' which was slightly concerning.

Don't tell social services

Quote from: Leon on 18 June 2020, 03:03:24 PM
We heard a story about the Salute SS display group, apparently someone asked one of the kids if they enjoyed coming out and dressing up for the day.  Their reply was 'Oh, we do this at home as well...' which was slightly concerning.

Reading this I am reminded of the scene in The Monument's Men , when Bill Murray's character is in the cottage with the ex-Nazi -and fed up with his lies, shouts "Heil Hitler" - the reaction from the two German children is Pavlovian . They obviously did "this at home as well"   
 

This is one of the few musicals that doesn't have a mushy feel good factor.  In fact I struggle to find any other in the genre.

+ 1 Ithoriel   

Rocky Horror?

Hamilton?

Looking forward to it being available to stream next month. Though may start me looking at the AWI collection again...