We get better and better at war.
April 29 / April 12 2017
“Say what you will about Hitler….”
Turns out, that's a phrase only a very select group of people can use successfully.
In his entertaining and surprisingly straightforward series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Jerry Seinfeld spends time with other comedians (and the occasional celebrity outside the comedy world), where they largely dissect the craft and “business” of comedy. The episodes are short, informative and usually illustrative of the minds behind the people who make us laugh. Some episodes contain surprisingly moving moments as well; some – as it turns out – are not so interesting; most of them are hilarious.
Case in point: Ricky Gervais. Here’s an exchange we thought of recently at Two Weeks Ago News. (It will soon be obvious why.) If you’d like to watch, go here. (But come back! We’re not finished.)
Scene: Ricky and Jerry, seated across the table from reach other, mugs of coffee in front of them.
RG: On the last day, the Russians were advancing. They were 200 yards down the road. He married Eva Braun, right? They had a cake. And some champagne. The retired to bed early. In the morning, he poisoned her and shot himself, and the gardener burned the bodies. Right? Now, say what you would about Hitler, but that’s a terrible honeymoon isn’t it? That’s a crap honeymoon!
JS: The funniest part of that joke, is “Say what you will about Hitler…”
We’re not entirely sure when comedians felt comfortable adding Hitler jokes to their acts but we do know that Mel Brooks won an Academy Award for the writing the Best Original Screenplay for his 1967 film, The Producers. That means that about twenty years after World War II ended, Hollywood awarded one of its most prestigious honors to a film that featured a production number called “Springtime for Hitler” and lyrics (also written by Brooks) that included: “Don’t be stupid, be a smarty Come and join the Nazi party.” A few decades later, the Broadway musical based on the film won 12 Tony Awards.
Let’s just let all that information sit for a beat or two.
Here’s the thing. If you ask Two Weeks Ago News, we think Mel Brooks is a genius. When asked about “The Producers,” Brooks and Seinfeld had this exchange during an episode of ‘Comedians:’
JS: You thought that there was a profound revenge for Hitler’s crimes in making fun of him. That, in a way, surpasses everything.
MB: There’s no way to match him tirade for tirade. He’s gonna beat you, you know. You gotta find another way.
So here we are, in 2017, listening to no less than the Press Secretary for the President of the United States discuss unrest in the world and the crimes against humanity that some leaders are willing to commit (killing their own citizens), to advance their own agendas. Just so we all have it, below is the exact transcript regarding the now infamous and infinitely regrettable “Hitler” comments from Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
MR. SPICER: John.
Q Thanks a lot, Sean. The alliance between Russia and Syria is a strong one; it goes back decades. President Putin has supplied personnel, he’s supplied military equipment to the Assad government. What makes you think that at this point he’s going to pull back in his support for President Assad and for the Syrian government right now?
MR. SPICER: I think a couple things. You look -- we didn't use chemical weapons in World War II. You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons. So you have to, if you're Russia, ask yourself is this a country that you and a regime that you want to align yourself with? You have previously signed on to international agreements rightfully acknowledging that the use of chemical weapons should be out of bounds by every country. To not stand up to not only Assad, but your own word, should be troubling.
Russia put their name on the line. So it’s not a question of how long that alliance has lasted, but at what point do they recognize that they are now getting on the wrong side of history in a really bad way really quickly.
And again, look at the countries that are standing with them: Iran, Syria, North Korea. This is not a team you want to be on. And I think that Russia has to recognize that while they may have had an alliance with them, that the lines that have been crossed are ones that no country should ever want to see another country cross.
TWAN NOTES: At this point in the press conference, Spicer took and answered another 16 questions* from the assembled press before he addressed this one, from Cecelia:
MR. SPICER: Cecilia.
Q Sean, thanks. I just want to give you an opportunity to clarify something you said that seems to be gaining some traction right now. “Hitler didn’t even sink to the level of using chemical weapons.” What did you mean by that?
TWAN aside, before we get to his "answer": We're wondering.....
What is meant here by ‘gaining some traction?’
Did someone in the press corps tweet our Spicer’s earlier response and the universe (not the press) responded?
Why didn’t ALL of the reporters in the room throw out their previously planned questions and immediately follow up with a “What ('as in WTF') does THAT mean, Sean?” query?
Did it really take another 16 asked and answered questions before someone in the room chose to follow up on that startling and disturbing Hitler comparison from Spicer?
And even then, ‘because it seems to be gaining some traction?'
MR. SPICER: I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no -- he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing, I mean, there was clearly -- I understand your point, thank you.
Q I'm just getting --
MR. SPICER: Thank you, I appreciate that. There was not -- he brought them into the Holocaust center, I understand that. But I’m saying in the way that Assad used them, where he went into towns, dropped them down to innocent -- into the middle of towns. It was brought -- so the use of it -- I appreciate the clarification there. That was not the intent.
We’re not going to discuss Spicer’s “Holocaust center” remark. Inexplicable.
* The topics of these 16 questions - which you can read in the transcript link above - included the following:
TWAN STUSAGA of the day: (Suggestion to USA Government Agency): The Table of Contents in the Official Press Secretary of the President of the United States Handbook should have a chapter titled “Words, names and phrases that will never serve you well during a press conference.” We’re guessing that chapter would include the name “Hitler.”
And yes, Spicer apologized. A few times. Of course he did. And the CNN article we linked for that apology reports that the comment was “immediately decried” and that there were audible gasps from the press corps after the remark. As noted in the Press conference transcript, however, the press corps did, however, ask another 16 questions – including the Easter Bunny costume question, and shared a laugh about that one together - before demanding clarification from him. It’s difficult to ascertain what the atmosphere in the room felt like. The transcript and the description of the press’s ‘response’ don’t exactly match.
None of this makes much sense to us at Two Weeks Ago News. Sean Spicer clearly has a confused and oddly narrow view of history and the Nazi regime in Germany that exterminated millions of people in the name of their “cause.” Is the following an accurate summary of Spicer’s point of view (assuming we have this correct):
“gassing cities and the innocent civilian population living in them = reprehensible and worthy of significant retaliation”
vs.
"using an enclosed, dedicated space to gas specific groups of people you claim are your enemy = not quite as reprehensible”
And if he really was trying to make this questionable (at best) point, and failed, he should probably be doing something else for a living. In his present position, miscommunication means the world gets the wrong message and incorrect information. Speaking clearly, intelligently, thoughtfully, reasonably, and factually should be the first five requirements for the top communicator job at The White House. Superior listening skills, followed by intelligence, logic, being able to make a reasonable argument for and making connections with the press to advance your message should be next.
So say what you will about Hitler at your own peril, Sean. Just don’t count on the rest of understanding your point of view.
“Say what you will about Hitler….”
Turns out, that's a phrase only a very select group of people can use successfully.
In his entertaining and surprisingly straightforward series “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee,” Jerry Seinfeld spends time with other comedians (and the occasional celebrity outside the comedy world), where they largely dissect the craft and “business” of comedy. The episodes are short, informative and usually illustrative of the minds behind the people who make us laugh. Some episodes contain surprisingly moving moments as well; some – as it turns out – are not so interesting; most of them are hilarious.
Case in point: Ricky Gervais. Here’s an exchange we thought of recently at Two Weeks Ago News. (It will soon be obvious why.) If you’d like to watch, go here. (But come back! We’re not finished.)
Scene: Ricky and Jerry, seated across the table from reach other, mugs of coffee in front of them.
RG: On the last day, the Russians were advancing. They were 200 yards down the road. He married Eva Braun, right? They had a cake. And some champagne. The retired to bed early. In the morning, he poisoned her and shot himself, and the gardener burned the bodies. Right? Now, say what you would about Hitler, but that’s a terrible honeymoon isn’t it? That’s a crap honeymoon!
JS: The funniest part of that joke, is “Say what you will about Hitler…”
We’re not entirely sure when comedians felt comfortable adding Hitler jokes to their acts but we do know that Mel Brooks won an Academy Award for the writing the Best Original Screenplay for his 1967 film, The Producers. That means that about twenty years after World War II ended, Hollywood awarded one of its most prestigious honors to a film that featured a production number called “Springtime for Hitler” and lyrics (also written by Brooks) that included: “Don’t be stupid, be a smarty Come and join the Nazi party.” A few decades later, the Broadway musical based on the film won 12 Tony Awards.
Let’s just let all that information sit for a beat or two.
Here’s the thing. If you ask Two Weeks Ago News, we think Mel Brooks is a genius. When asked about “The Producers,” Brooks and Seinfeld had this exchange during an episode of ‘Comedians:’
JS: You thought that there was a profound revenge for Hitler’s crimes in making fun of him. That, in a way, surpasses everything.
MB: There’s no way to match him tirade for tirade. He’s gonna beat you, you know. You gotta find another way.
So here we are, in 2017, listening to no less than the Press Secretary for the President of the United States discuss unrest in the world and the crimes against humanity that some leaders are willing to commit (killing their own citizens), to advance their own agendas. Just so we all have it, below is the exact transcript regarding the now infamous and infinitely regrettable “Hitler” comments from Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
MR. SPICER: John.
Q Thanks a lot, Sean. The alliance between Russia and Syria is a strong one; it goes back decades. President Putin has supplied personnel, he’s supplied military equipment to the Assad government. What makes you think that at this point he’s going to pull back in his support for President Assad and for the Syrian government right now?
MR. SPICER: I think a couple things. You look -- we didn't use chemical weapons in World War II. You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons. So you have to, if you're Russia, ask yourself is this a country that you and a regime that you want to align yourself with? You have previously signed on to international agreements rightfully acknowledging that the use of chemical weapons should be out of bounds by every country. To not stand up to not only Assad, but your own word, should be troubling.
Russia put their name on the line. So it’s not a question of how long that alliance has lasted, but at what point do they recognize that they are now getting on the wrong side of history in a really bad way really quickly.
And again, look at the countries that are standing with them: Iran, Syria, North Korea. This is not a team you want to be on. And I think that Russia has to recognize that while they may have had an alliance with them, that the lines that have been crossed are ones that no country should ever want to see another country cross.
TWAN NOTES: At this point in the press conference, Spicer took and answered another 16 questions* from the assembled press before he addressed this one, from Cecelia:
MR. SPICER: Cecilia.
Q Sean, thanks. I just want to give you an opportunity to clarify something you said that seems to be gaining some traction right now. “Hitler didn’t even sink to the level of using chemical weapons.” What did you mean by that?
TWAN aside, before we get to his "answer": We're wondering.....
What is meant here by ‘gaining some traction?’
Did someone in the press corps tweet our Spicer’s earlier response and the universe (not the press) responded?
Why didn’t ALL of the reporters in the room throw out their previously planned questions and immediately follow up with a “What ('as in WTF') does THAT mean, Sean?” query?
Did it really take another 16 asked and answered questions before someone in the room chose to follow up on that startling and disturbing Hitler comparison from Spicer?
And even then, ‘because it seems to be gaining some traction?'
MR. SPICER: I think when you come to sarin gas, there was no -- he was not using the gas on his own people the same way that Assad is doing, I mean, there was clearly -- I understand your point, thank you.
Q I'm just getting --
MR. SPICER: Thank you, I appreciate that. There was not -- he brought them into the Holocaust center, I understand that. But I’m saying in the way that Assad used them, where he went into towns, dropped them down to innocent -- into the middle of towns. It was brought -- so the use of it -- I appreciate the clarification there. That was not the intent.
We’re not going to discuss Spicer’s “Holocaust center” remark. Inexplicable.
* The topics of these 16 questions - which you can read in the transcript link above - included the following:
- Taxes // The White House Easter Egg Roll // Spicer dressing as the Easter Bunny (laughter) // White House Visitor Logs // Syria, and Eric and Ivanka Trump’s perspective and possible influence about the subsequent bombing by the United States // ties to Russia // North Korea’s activities // China // President Xi // forward deployment in the Sea of Japan // infrastructure // income taxes // the Congressional Budget Office
TWAN STUSAGA of the day: (Suggestion to USA Government Agency): The Table of Contents in the Official Press Secretary of the President of the United States Handbook should have a chapter titled “Words, names and phrases that will never serve you well during a press conference.” We’re guessing that chapter would include the name “Hitler.”
And yes, Spicer apologized. A few times. Of course he did. And the CNN article we linked for that apology reports that the comment was “immediately decried” and that there were audible gasps from the press corps after the remark. As noted in the Press conference transcript, however, the press corps did, however, ask another 16 questions – including the Easter Bunny costume question, and shared a laugh about that one together - before demanding clarification from him. It’s difficult to ascertain what the atmosphere in the room felt like. The transcript and the description of the press’s ‘response’ don’t exactly match.
None of this makes much sense to us at Two Weeks Ago News. Sean Spicer clearly has a confused and oddly narrow view of history and the Nazi regime in Germany that exterminated millions of people in the name of their “cause.” Is the following an accurate summary of Spicer’s point of view (assuming we have this correct):
“gassing cities and the innocent civilian population living in them = reprehensible and worthy of significant retaliation”
vs.
"using an enclosed, dedicated space to gas specific groups of people you claim are your enemy = not quite as reprehensible”
And if he really was trying to make this questionable (at best) point, and failed, he should probably be doing something else for a living. In his present position, miscommunication means the world gets the wrong message and incorrect information. Speaking clearly, intelligently, thoughtfully, reasonably, and factually should be the first five requirements for the top communicator job at The White House. Superior listening skills, followed by intelligence, logic, being able to make a reasonable argument for and making connections with the press to advance your message should be next.
So say what you will about Hitler at your own peril, Sean. Just don’t count on the rest of understanding your point of view.