Holocausts are HOT!

Posted: 1/30/13 at 12:34pm

There's a lot I don't understand about on-line hookup culture but seriously, this utterly baffles me:

"The blog Totem and Taboo aggregates photos taken at the Berlin memorial to the Holocaust, with its iconic, haunting gray slabs, and posted to Grindr — a smartphone application used by gay men, that alerts users to the prowling presence of other men in their vicinity. Totem and Taboo captures a peculiar trend of saucy men using the slabs as backdrops to lean against, climb upon and provide ironic context for their come hither looks and shirtless poses."

And of course, "One gent whose profile states he’s “Looking for Friends; from Amsterdam” couldn’t help but add: “Just like Anne Frank.”
This is strange, right?

[tazber]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 12:37pm

I'm left speechless at the utter tastelessness of this.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 1:24pm

I've been to that Memorial and it is huge, sprawling and stunning. I think it is just the architectural design of the Memorial, which is quite simple and minimalist, that makes it an attractive backdrop for photos in general. Everyone takes photos there all day every day. What I think started as something just a bit thoughtless and innocuous oddly trended into tastelessness. Can't say I'm particularly surprised, though. In the brief period I spent time with hook-up sites, the majority of attitudes and personalities I ran across were those I found either distasteful or even offensive. There was a rampant narcissism mixed with apathy that made me feel very uneasy.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 1:36pm

I think it points to a broader callous obliviousness to the horror of the Holocaust among all European youth, not just the gay guys on Grindr.

They grew up with very few Jews around, and unlike their parents's generation they don't have any firsthand memories of Holocaust atrocities or Holocaust victims or Holocaust survivors. They tend to equate all Jews with the policies of the current government of Israel, for which they have a knee-jerk condemnation.

So a Holocaust Memorial to them is no different from a theme park. They show off their pictures of themselves in front of it on Grindr they same way they post pictures of themselves in front of the Eiffel Tower on Facebook.

Posted: 1/30/13 at 1:52pm

The architecture is stunning- I can see taking a picture there- but stripping off and flexing your abs?

Posted: 1/30/13 at 1:58pm

I am stuck in a loop of seeing the middle aged matron storm out of Springtime for Hitler, pausing only to remark "Talk about bad taste!"

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 2:27pm

I've been there as well. It is a stunning memorial and a very important sightseeing attraction. I agree with Mister Matt that this might have started relatively innocuously and then got way out of hand.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 3:52pm

There is new Jew hatred all over Europe.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2270368/A-continent-chaos-Hitlers-evil-rising-again.html?ito=feeds-newsxml



http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/egypts-morsi-makes-awkward-trip-germany-18352466

Updated On: 1/30/13 at 03:52 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 3:56pm

There has been a massive surge in racism and anti-semitism in Europe for the past few years. I discovered a ton of articles on the subject in another thread.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 4:09pm

At least they weren't saying "be as hot as these ovens or move on" in their profiles.

[GuyfromGermany]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 5:09pm

I second what Mister Matt says...
I've been there and as wrong as it is to take off your clothes and take pictures there, I guess most people who visit it don't even know about the monument's background and just see it as a impressive display of architecture.

If you walked past it on your way through Berlin you'd probably take a picture of yourself there, too.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 5:20pm

Not me. I'd take a picture of myself outside the apartment where Bowie lived on cocaine and whole milk.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 5:29pm

This will give an idea of the scale of the memorial. From what I remember, there is only signage in one small area on the East side.

Updated On: 1/30/13 at 05:29 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 5:30pm

I wanna see your Anne Frankfurter.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 8:41pm

It looks like a parking lot that is full.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 8:42pm

Of whores!

[Kad]

Posted: 1/30/13 at 11:39pm

I believe it was Queer Duck who said, "Everything is a gay mixer."

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/31/13 at 10:13am

Apparently, one shirtless profile in front of the memorial simply said "How you Jewin'?"

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 1/31/13 at 12:18pm

Yeah, that's just disgusting. I wonder how many dudes are posing at Auschwitz.