Why Did a Clothing Company Name its Parka Coat After a Nazi Death Camp?
- Posted on July 28, 2011 at 6:26am by
Tiffany Gabbay
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Here’s a bizarre one circulating the blogosphere that will both interest and enrage fashionistas, history buffs, and humanitarians alike. It’s not every day a simple parka coat can evoke such strong feelings of bewilderment and disgust. But there’s apparently some warped minds over at the British clothing label “Evil Twin,” who are going to make you feel all that and then some.
That’s because the company has started peddling the Nazi-inspired “Belsen Was A Gas Military Parka.”
The parka is allegedly named after an acerbic and arguably offensive song by the British group the Sex Pistols titled “Belsen Was a Gas.”
For historical reference, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, located in northwest Germany, is where Anne Frank along with some 50,000 other prisoners were murdered during the Holocaust.
The content of the song, allegedly written by the Pistols’ lead singer John Lydon, is perhaps as jaw-dropping now as it surely was when it was first released in the 1960′s. In an interview, Lydon reportedly said the song was a meant to be darkly humorous and “ironic.” He also reportedly said the song was a “very nasty, silly little thing… that should’ve ended up on the cutting room floor.” As you will see and hear in the video below, however, it didn’t. One verse reads:
Belsen was a gas, I heard the other day In the open graves where the Jews all lay “Life is fun and I wish you were here” They wrote on postcards to those held dear.
Other than the coat’s name, intended presumably for the shock value, the parka itself is not remarkable. It is, perhaps not surprisingly, military green in color and features a black-and-red plaid lining.
Stylite reportedly tried to reach out to Evil Twin’s U.S. press department to ask about the name for its parka, but did not receive a response.
Pictures of the Belsen parka are featured in this post and you can listen to the song that served as its inspiration below. Caution, the song contains lyrics pertaining to Jews being killed at the death camp. After listening, do you believe the lyrics are meant to be ironic?
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Comments (105)
Classical Liberal
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:46amIt’s like Slayer getting attacked for their angel of death happening all over again. Just because their is a song about someone or something does not mean it praises them. In the case of Slayers song, they paint a picture of a true bastard who will burn in hell for his actions.
Report Post »aguynameddave
Posted on July 29, 2011 at 12:32pmwhat? you mean that Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman aren’t devotees of Joseph Mengele? You don’t say….
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:07amWow simply wow….Hey Evil Twin the only thing you missed on that ugly jacket is a swastica armband. What were you too cheap to spring for one?
Report Post »sweetscience
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:01amSid always looked so bad-a$$ on the bass.
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:06amYes he did
Report Post »Hezqiyahu
Posted on July 29, 2011 at 3:12pmI’m reminded of what Martin Hannett once said to another musician, Peter Hook. “You wear it well. No play like a ******* musician.”
Report Post »neidermeyer
Posted on July 29, 2011 at 8:15pmI really loved that photo of Sidney from a tour stop in Texas when he carved “I need a FIX” in his chest with a razor blade…
Too bad Malcolm McLaren died ,, he was the driving force behind a lot of fine music…
Report Post »Hezqiyahu
Posted on July 31, 2011 at 5:07amI’m sorry. That quote should be “You wear it well. Now play like a f* musician!”
Not that anyone cares…
Report Post »UnreconstructedLibertarian
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:40amI’m not a fan of the Sex Pistols. I’m also not a fan of censorship. Let’s take a look at when/where this song popped up. By the way, the article says ‘60’s – they are off by a decade.
The Pistols arose during the British fiscal hell of its own socialistic decay. This was the same time-period of Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”. The amount of anti-socialist and anti-nanny state music coming out of Britain in the late 70′s – mid 80′s was voluminous.
If you listen to that song again, the band isn’t in the position of the nazis – they are awaiting being gassed themselves. Its puts Belsen in the position of being remembered as the Socialistic “Final Solution” for the alleged miscreants of society. I seriously doubt many who’ve posted here wouldnt agree the “Pistols” epitomized the term miscreant – that’s exactly what the band wanted to be.
The song doesn’t glorify Belsen, it shocks you as the evil it was then and could again become. The song ends with “Kill Yourself” – meaning take your own life before the government does it for you. These folks were anarchists – the polar opposite of anything overbearingly governmental.
It wouldn’t hurt if some fringe band put out a few songs about Che and Mao that were equally shocking – the kids might get an accurate picture of their evil, or at least ask pertinent questions.
I think I’ll see if I can rent a copy of “The Wall’ this weekend – its just as pertinent as ever.
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:01amActually it was written in 1961 when Sid was with The Flowers Of Romance. The Sex Pistols never released it but it was used in The Great Rock n Roll Swindle.
Report Post »TheRealCaptainAmerica
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:18am“Actually it was written in 1961 when Sid was with The Flowers Of Romance”
Uh, NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS that would be amazing if Sid wrote it in 1961 since he was four years old. He didn’t get into Flowers until 1976. Sorry everyone, but as a now old punk rocker, this is much to do about nothing. And before anyone claims that I am not conservative, I’ve been done with the Dems and Left since before 2004 and been calling for the division of the USA before 2000.
Report Post »JoeBtfsplk
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:28amMusic has the ability to TRANSFORM!
UNRECONSTRUCTEDLIBERTARIAN –
Good Idea about a Mao or Che song! This could be the ONLY way to reach the youth!
Report Post »Oh, God!
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 10:56am@UNRECONSTRUCTEDLIBERTARIAN- you are right about the Sex Pistols being anarchists. They were on the other (extreme) side of politics. “God Save the Queen” was an attack on the social conformity. Sid Vicious joined the band in 1977, but then dies two years later from a heroin overdose. Johnny Rotten formed another band in the 80′s called Public Image, Ltd. I remember his songs back in the days of clubbing in the 80′s.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 11:51am@ THEREALCAPTAINAMERICA
So, “the division of the USA” is a conservative position? I suppose I’m not conservative then. Funny, I had always thought I was before.
Report Post »Spinolio
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 3:14pmGood post thanks for the info.
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:35amNever did care for the Sex Pistols anyway.
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:32amI posted this in response to a comment. But since all of you have this totally wrong. I’m going to re post it for everyone to read.
If you actually knew the lyrics of the song, the dark humor in it, the generation of people they were trying outrage with it and why. You wouldn’t sound like a schmuck. The song was never pro – nazi. In fact it was quite the opposite. Early nazi propaganda films portrayed the camp as being a nice well run place for jewish families to go to while they tried to get out of nazi germany. As they tried with all their camps. Also the term “Gas” back then meant “Great”.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:40am“Gas” was intended as a double entendre in the song.
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:48amAs fas as Belsen goes no one was gassed there
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:55amSomehow, I doubt Johnny Rotten knew that.
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:18amThey were well aware of what they were saying.
Report Post »Pa7sy
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:16amAnd, of course, we all wear a sexy black bustier under our Army surplus jackets!
Report Post »LittleMac
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:06amTo be fair, the jacket is named after a song, not a death camp.
Report Post »While it is a stupid name for an ugly jacket, of all the examples, one could choose from, this one is pretty weak.
texasderek
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:22amTo be “fair”… The song was about a Nazi death camp…. Therefore the coat is also. How could you possibly seperate the two ???
Report Post »clingingtogodandguns
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:59amJust make it reversible and then it’s a Pizza Hut table cloth.Now i remember why i didn’t buy any sex pistols music.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:19amAnnouncing the new Gaza Strip Head Towel Collection. The first series will be the Kotusha Rocket Head Towel in the Yasser Arafat Collection. This Checkerboard design is pre-dirtied by unsterilized soil . Coming out soon will be the Gun -Runner Bockade Buster full arrmoured body wrap. This comes in a variety of colors, Blood Red, Coward Yellow, and the alltime favorite Feces Brown..
Anybody but Barry 2012
Report Post »NJTMATO
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:57amPay them no mind….and no money
Report Post »Hula Calhoun
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 11:14amI bet they charge a lot of money for that ugly jacket!
Report Post »grudgywoof
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:54amIt’s ironic that when I was a kid I was singing (or what passed for it) in a punk rock band and we performed this song. Now that I’m 50 and understand what Hitler did to the Jews it makes me sick to listen to it. Stupid uneducated teenage kid think controversial things like this coat and Chey Guevara t-shirts ect. make them hip. If my son or daughter brought that thing in my house I would take it outside and burn it.
Report Post »I now support Israel and the Jewish people.
cosette
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:10amPerhaps “Rose Ellen” will put this rag at the top of her Christmas.. er, no that’s not right ….Ramadan wishlist!
Report Post »Al J Zira
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 10:44amFunny you say that Grudgywoof. I had a nephew show up wearing a Che t-shirt at a house party I was having for my son who was leaving for Marine Basoc Training a few years ago. I asked him if he knew who the guy on his shirt was and what he did. My nephew knew his name but had no idea who he was or the evil the man did. I made him change the shirt.
Report Post »GodblessGlennBeck
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:52amI hope that Evil Twin and the Sex Pistols are prepared to see their sales PLUMMET as anyone normal human being will be horrified by the tasteless insensitivity of both the product name and the song. (Of course, the Sex Pistols pretty much died out long ago, anyway.) So liberals, the “party of tolerance” once again proves themselves to be intolerant. God forgive you.
Report Post »flaboater1
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:58amAll this article does is publicize it more!
Report Post »encinom
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 4:00pmThe Sex Pistols broke up in the 1980 after the death of Sid, they are considered one of the founders of Punk, along with the Ramones. Their music and album sales have been steady for decades. Again the tbaggers are commenting on subjects that their little minds can not understand, go back to Garth Brooks and other simple music, for simple people.
Report Post »AB5r
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:47amTruth is most of the people involved, whether selling, buying, or wearing, the stupid coat, or listening to that music, probably don’t have the first clue what Belsen was or what happened there. They think that Belsen was some sort of party where the singer had a good time, a gas. And today, in Europe where Muslims have immigrated in great numbers, schools are no longer even teaching the Holocaust for risk of offending the precious pious Muslims whose religion and founder Muhammad believe that killing the Jews is a holy act, in fact, the so-called Mufti of Jerusalem was the inspiration to Hitler at the time for the death camps as he didn’t want any Jews escaping to come to Israel. There may even be Muslims on staff at the clothing company behind this, though they would know what Belsen really was and approve of it.
Report Post »PATRIOTMAMA
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:45am@NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
What’s wrong with it? Are you kidding? If you’re not, then do you worship the Sex Pistols then? Are they your God? I don’t care how much I like a band or singer or anyone for that matter, if they MOCK the brutal and depraved (and that‘s no matter what religion you subscriber or don’t subscribe to) murder and torture of millions of people they deserve the wrath of the people that call themselves fans. All that needs happen for Evil to win is for Good to do nothing. You truly are a sad excuse for a human being if you allow this kind of crap to be peddled simply becuase you blindly follow a group or “sub-culture” SAD!!!
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:28amIf you actually knew the lyrics of the song, the dark humor in it, the generation of people they were trying outrage with it and why. You wouldn’t sound like a schmuck. The song was never pro – nazi. In fact it was quite the opposite. Early nazi propaganda films portrayed the camp as being a nice well run place for jewish families to go to while they tried to get out of nazi germany. As they tried with all their camps. Also the term “Gas” back then meant “Great”.
Report Post »Black Tiger
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:42amIf i want an olive drab jacket to wear, I’ll just go to the local surplus store and get an M65 field jacket and a liner for $40. Hell, I can go on eBay and get it for cheaper.
$123 for a crummy-looking jacket. :-/
Report Post »I_Hate_Libs
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:42amGood name for a burka but that parka looks terrible.
The horror of the Democrat mind.
Report Post »cassandra
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:40amwill they start selling burkas too
Report Post »cloudsofwar
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:38amwhat an ugly rag. i don’t think they will hit any sale records with this.
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:45amDid you notice in the ad it was 40% off? Already having trouble selling it, I see.
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:21amI‘ve been apart of the counter culture scene from the beginning and there’s nothing wrong with a Punk Rock clothing line and I wish there was more. Just about every pop, rock, and hick singer has something named after them, so what’s the difference.
Report Post »Lesterp
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:03amComprehension has failed you!
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:48amSo has grammar…
Apart means separate from, not a member of…
So you said you have not been a member of the counter culture scene from the beginning.
I believe it, you sound way too young.
Sheesh…
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 9:06amRather than having something informative to say the only comment you can make is about a spacebar glitch. Maybe you should post a comment looking for a new trainer.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 11:26amI made my informative comment below, I was merely making a tongue in cheek reply to you. Having read your other posts on the first page I have come to the decision that any argument or conversation with you is essentially futile. It is what it is and I really do not care. So smoke another joint or rock and chill out to your sex pistols album and have a nice day. :-)
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 2:47pmI’ve noticed that the comments you post mostly consist of critiquing peoples grammar and rarely of anything substantial. If there was ever a person in need of smokin a joint and listening to some Rock…IT’S YOU. And if you play your cards right maybe you could even get laid(and I don’t mean by family members). Rod Serling would have a hard time trying to imagine your childhood.
Report Post »Son_of_Liberty
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:10amMaybe it was designed b George Soros.
Report Post »Marcobob69
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:32amHas everybody in this world of ours gone nuts? Sure does seem that way. Everyday there is some disgusting thing in the media, make that here and on Fox because the lame stream media doesn’t know how to do their job(s), that is happening either here or abroad. I guess it has always been that way, but there sure are some crazy things we read about or see and hear every day!!!
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 6:57amPublicity, they have.
Sales, they will not, by the grace of ALMIGHTY GOD.
In JESUS’ NAME, I stand against this company and the people behind this vile marketing ploy.
GOD, please open our eyes, LORD, and let us see the evil. Restore to us YOUR vision of what we can be, guard us, LORD. These are “walking on the water”, “standing in the fire” times, and we need YOUR grace.
Thank YOU for hearing YOUR kids’ cries to YOU and for loving us through this day that YOU have made just for us. In JESUS’ name, amen.
Report Post »NO-GODS-NO-MASTERS
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 6:55amAnything named after The Sex Pistols is awesome.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 7:56amIt’s a swindle.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:53amI have some The Ramones designer napkins and dixie cups I will sell you cheap!
Only $500.00 for the set.
They are awesome!
Report Post »Oh, God!
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 11:52amOh, Joey is sooooo handsome! I have The Judy’s albums (vinyl for all you young ones) that I will swap with you.
Report Post »Aikes
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 6:49amBritish people need to fix their teeth. We shouldn‘t worry too much about this just as we shouldn’t worry about banning Doc Martins and red laces. That company is most likely trying to gain attention (no attention is bad attention) in order to sell more crap, but their clientele will most likely become a few hundred skin heads left in the region.
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 6:49amwhat the heck why would you JOKE about this? why would you write a song about it why would you name a coat after it? this is a sign of the youths inability to grasp how horrific the systematic killing of jews and others by hitler really was. shameful I would not by one wear one or even touch one
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 8:59amBecause offensive sells, especially for kids. That is why shock tv and radio is such a success. That is why Jerry Springer is a household name. That is why punk rock and rap even exist. It is somehow “cool” for kids to go against the norm. They revel in the “dark side.” This is the very reason internet trolls exist. In one sense it speaks volumes that a free society allows people to express themselves in these ways, but it also shows the degeneration of a culture. Some outgrow it quickly, some never do…
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 6:34amjust another sign that we are getting to be more like europe everyday, if people don’t by their communist loving crap,then they will go out of business.
Report Post »Jack of Hearts
Posted on July 28, 2011 at 6:44amEvil Twin is an Australian company based in Sydney. Not sure why you think such an outrageous capitalist marketing ploy would be communist (or European) but it seems to have got them the publicity they wanted.
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