In poor taste, buy very funny!

[zzyzzx]

Orange Nazi helmets for soccer fans stoke row
Jan 10, 10:19 AM (ET)

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A Dutch firm offering orange helmets shaped like those worn by German soldiers during the Nazi era and aimed at Dutch soccer fans visiting Germany for the World Cup has upset the Netherlands' football authority.

Free Time Products, the firm behind the helmet (www.helmpje.nl), defends it as a bit of harmless fun.

"During the World Cup the playing field is different. We ought to be able to poke a bit of fun at our arch-rivals the Germans," Weno Geerts of Free Time Products told Dutch daily De Telegraaf.

The Web site advises fans to wear the helmets with their "infantry" friends, or in "battalions" at the stadiums.

But football's governing body in the Netherlands, the KNVB, said the helmets were in bad taste.

"They claim not to want to emphasize the war, but are achieving the very opposite," said KNVB spokesman Frank Huizinga, "This is clearly not in the spirit of a football tournament."



From http://www.helmpje.nl/N_frame.html?http://www.helmpje.nl/
and it's only 5 Euros!

Can anyone translate the writing on the helmet?

[hech54]

Jetzt Geht Los is sort of like the crowd at an American football game chanting "Defense Defense" but they are saying "Let's Get Started" or "Let's Go"....literal translation from German to English is hardly ever easy.
Closest literal translation would simply be "Start Now".
Jetzt is Now
Geht is Go
Geht Los is Start

[Guest]

just get lost?

[lordsmurf]

People get offended by the most silly ass things.
Flags, hats, etc ... stupid.

When was it that the world turned into a bunch of pansies.
This is a serious question, not rhetorical.
Was it the late 1990s?

[sacajaweeda]

People get offended by the most silly ass things.
Flags, hats, etc ... stupid.

When was it that the world turned into a bunch of pansies.
This is a serious question, not rhetorical.
Was it the late 1990s?

Not to get too political or anything, but my guess would be somewhere right around the era to which you refer, in that lull in foreign policy between the two Bush administrations. I believe it's referred to by some as modern liberalism, political correctness, etc.

[lordsmurf]

Okay, but who pushed for it? I don't think it was a liberal ideal, at least not one I've ever known. And for that matter, is it really politically motivated? Or did it originate in academia?

It almost seems like things changed between semesters. People were no longer "crippled" or "mentally retarded", but suddenly some sort of "Disabled American".

Same for race descriptors.
- "Blacks" were suddenly referred to as "African Americans" (which most blacks actually find stupid, seeing how they don't considered themselves of Africa).
- "Orientals" became "Asian Americans" (which could include anybody from Russia, technically, but not somebody from a Pacific Island, go figure).
- "Mexicans" and "Chileans" and "Latinos" suddenly became "Hispanics" or "Spanish Americans" (another dumb one, since it seems to include Portugese speakers).

Other examples:
- People cannot have Confederate Flags, for fear of being labelled a "racist". I fondly remember the Dukes of Hazzard when I was younger, so the Dixie flag is fine by me.
- Germany shits itself over the KISS logo (the music group, you know the one).

Did groups like NAACP, UCLA, religious groups, and other "social" propaganda machines get too loud? If so, then remember modern MPAA and RIAA are trying to push where everything you do with audio-visual artwork is criminal. Yikes!

I just gave a bunch of USA examples. But did it really start in the USA? I've never really thought about it.

What's wrong with spanking the crap out of your little smart-ass kid, to put him (or her) in their place? A couple of smacks across the ass has always solved the problem. Being a friend and giving time-outs is a joke, just look at some of the recent adults we have. Child abuse? Puh-lease.

I remember having an all-black water gun, looked real. Used to shoot each other, even on school property between classes. Had running games, would walk into class with a wet face (or even a wet crotch!). These days, you're suspended forever for holding a chicken finger, at 5 years old, and saying "bang bang" with your friends.

There are even people more and more these days that consider calling somebody a "doody head" is offense and profane, and worth punishment. Seriously, WTF is wrong with these people?

Personally, I think they're retarded. Oops. Disabled Americans.

Anyway, random thoughts. This is an interesting topic. Most people are too scared to discuss it. The ones that are not are usually the PC-police.

[offline]

No politics pleeeeeeeease

[hech54]

I think the more important thing is what the helmet says....or what it doesn't say.
What if I had said the translation said "Heil Hitler - Die Jewish Scum"....would the original poster have come back to reply to that one? You bet your ass he would have. But since the helmet says nothing that any other person in any other country might say it is no longer worthy of his attention.

[jimmalenko]

People get offended by the most silly ass things.
Flags, hats, etc ... stupid.

I'll add the "difference between europe and america" pic to that list, shall I ?