Using animal brains to tan the leather. Old-school style. I’ll say, right now, this doesn’t strike me as that weird. Swastikas are not uncommon in art from around the world, the Navajo included. The symbol has had an unfortunate downturn in popularity this past century, of course, but the beading looks well done to my amateur eye.
Not that I’d wear them, because ‘oh, are thos brain-tanned?’ is not the first thing that would come out of the mouth of whoever I sat down next to at my shul.
The seller must know what they are, “I use this symbol regularly and with only the most peacful intentions”
Dumb ass!! Would love to give them a good “braintanning”
Er…Indian, not Native American, and the “Nazi swastika” since apparently the swastika is the name for the original pictogram. I should probably do research before commenting…
Wait. I need to understand this. They’re actually trying to sell these, claiming complete obliviousness to the fact they’re covered in SWASTIKAS? In fact, claiming the swastika represents a Captain Planet-esque circle of nature’s harmony?
…but unfortunately I think this one may just be beyond reclamation. Not enough information in the profile to tell whether the seller is actually Navajo or an edgy pretendian either.
The artist definitely is not Native. My Native friends would be embarrassed to see them, let alone wear them. The craftsmanship is awful, and many pow wow hosts would not even allow these to be sold at events because they look like they belong on the set of a crappy cowboy film with the stereotype Native Americans.
Brain tanned leathers are made by a labor-intensive process which uses emulsified oils, often those of animal brains. They are known for their exceptional softness and their ability to be washed.
Brain tanning is where the brains of the animal are used to tan the hide. According to one site I found, each animal has enough brains to tan it’s own hide.
I use this symbol regularly and only with the most peaceful intentions, it symbolizes the four directions or winds, the sun and moon, whirling logs in navajo culture, among other things.
I’m pretty sure I know what those “other things” are. See ya at the cross burning, Adolph!
Flair_A_Faucet Betty Cracker-Style
February 8, 2011 at 9:07 am
My brain didn’t register the “peaceful” symbol at first. Her beadwork made me think it was four socks with red toes. Maybe if she beaded some little moccasins onto the arms of the symbol, it might work.
also, i think i’d buy the sellers explanation a little more if they went with the traditional religious interpretations of the swastika from Indian religions (as in the country) and certain Buddhist beliefs. and if they referred to the ‘flipped’ symbol by its actual name which is the sauvastika. Then they’d be a little more believable considering it is not as widely known that it has been used as a Native American symbol. But then again, that would raise questions for why they made moccasins for a traditionally asian symbol…. I don’t know why I’m trying to reason with myself about this. theres just no reasonable explanation.
I really enjoyed this video. It was hilarious. I am very frustrated by the comments of the other users however. I think it is extremely culturally insensitive to discredit Native American symbols used as they were created and intended (before Hitler I might add) and to continue to use them in traditional craft. Even colors have meanings in Navajo culture–no one seems to have done any kind of research in understanding this crafters *actual* art and are entirely consumed by their own cultural understandings and perceptions of the world, and it is sad to see this.
Additionally, $300 is a very good value, anyone who has ever attempted to brain-tan by hand AND cut a pattern, AND sew together moccasins, not to mention beading knows how incredibly time consuming it is and skilled you must be.
Oh, you’re going to be frustrated for a long time. The swastika will always be associated with Nazis. – HK
She had me at brain tanning. If you are hardcore enough to kill an animal, smash open its skull, take out its brains and grind them together with water until it has a texture approximately halfway between mayonnaise and santorum, massage that shit into the dried skin of your kill until it cures, scrape off the brainy bits and smoke that sucker in a fire pit… well, you can bead your moccasins any damn way you want. But don’t expect us to buy it.
OMG…this is the funniest thing I’ve seen in, well…really, this is probably the funniest thing EVER. I laughed so hard I cried. This is totally going into the “watch this it’ll cheer you up when you’re down” bookmark folder. thank you!
So when it gets covered in red paint from PETA, AND well-deserved mud from the JDL, you can wash ‘em off and shine ‘em up for your next moccasin-friendly event.
VEGANS and the SQEAMISH, skip this post!Braintanning. Using the brains of an animal to tan an animal hide. Brain-tanned and smoked (YES, smoked) hides are the softest shit in the world.
The Swastika. The swastika is one of the most ancient and mystical (I only say MYSTICAL because it is found literally everywhere among First Nation/Aboriginal peoples, including the Native Americans, Indians, and Japanese, to name a few) symbols there is. Right up there with the spiral and the circle. Hitler and his bags of shit morons perverted it and ever since it has stricken fear and disgust into the hearts of millions. Please don’t hate the etsyer that made these-hate Fascists, Racists, Bigots, and Bullies. I repeat, don’t misplace your hate!
First of all this is some seriously funny shit- i laughed loud enough to tip off coworkers I might not be doing my actual job.
Second of all I’m an actual indigenous girl to North America. Yes the swatika/navajo explanation is legit as is the brain tanning. But HK is right- it will forever be associated with the Nazi’s (thank you Hitler).
And more importantly: fucking hippies QUIT BORROWING OTHER PEOPLES CULTURE! We aren’t a relic to be ‘inspired by’. btw I HATE your wolf in the full moon T-Shirt.
Though I’m not Navajo, I feel pretty safe in saying that there are probably TONS of different Navajo symbols that would look beautiful when beaded onto the toes of a pair of braintanned mocassins. The seller HAD to pick the ONE symbol that’s gained such an evil and well-recognized second meaning? You don’t even have to be politically correct to see the problem here. I’m actually having trouble writing further snark on this because I feel sorry for the seller — if they sincerely think that they can reclaim that symbol, well, like several other posters said here, it’s a quixotic hope at best. (Now *there’s* an idea — maybe they can turn the swastikas into windmills!).
Part One: Helen, you deserve to be in the Comedy Hall of Fame for this one. That was awesome.
Part Two: There is a reason that people in Central Asia, Nepal, and India as well as in many tribes in the US, Mexico and South America have tactfully decided to put aside using this universally recognized symbol in whatever merchandise they market in North America and Europe. The reason is, they aren’t flaming douchenozzles. Unlike the seller.
As far as the moccasins are concerned: I googled ‘braintanning’ too, made it about a minute or so through the first how-to video and decided I got the idea and that I’ll happily go back to buying meat wrapped in plastic and buying my leather goods at the mall as God intended.
If the seller really wanted to sell this stuff rather than make some statement about peaceful symbols or whateverthefuck, s/he would simply embrace the violence, say, “Yeah, dammit, I put swastikas on these moccasins. Oh yeah, but first I made the moccasins by lovingly tanning the hides with the animal’s own brains. Wallets and lampshades also available!Namaste, bitches!” Probably would be sold by the end of the day.
HK…I usually never comment. I just sit back quietly and laugh loudly in my head (sometimes it’s not in my head…sometimes it’s out loud, by myself, in my apartment)at all your shenanigans. This however was so amusing I had to comment. You’re brilliant.
I remember the great Pow-wow at Nuremberg. Who was not brought to tears when Goebbels did his famous Sun Dance with his beaded turkey-feather headdress? Or who could forget when Hitler, preforming the sacred Ghost Dance, tripped and lost his loin cloth and revealed his little Furher?
Had to create an account finally after months of lurking to let you know how brilliant you are and that I have shared this on my tumblr so that all of my friends and family know how I spend my time instead of replying to/calling them. XD
But seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life!
Okay, I have nothing sarcastic to say because you’ve already filled in all the blanks. My neighbors must hate my incessant guffawing…still half an hour after I’ve watched the thing!
I am both awed at this person’s craft and completely humored by your movie touch-up. My only problem is that I’m the only screwball in my circles that would get the video, so I have no one to share it with!
I have never laughed so hard in my life. HK, you deserve an award for that video. Every single sentence is brilliant. Thank you a million times for the best parody EVER.
This video is PRICELESS! I laughed to tears, seriously!
Another GENIUS hit, HK!
P.S. Hitler actually DID hijack the swastika from an ancient symbol for Peace and change it to suit his needs. It is now a crime to display in any public space in Germany.
Anyone else ever get to the Buddhist vegetarian restaurant in Wan Chai (Hong Kong)? It served fake meat dishes like ‘pork kidneys Chengdu-style’. Gold mirrors and big black swastikas, only the shaved heads were monks and nuns , not Neo-Nazi skinheads. It’s gone now, but I’m talking 1998. So the ‘withdrawal from use’ is only partial.
This was the spouse’s first experience with the Hitler Downfall meme. We two ‘undesirables’ do like a good Hitler joke, and thanks to this perfect blend of comedy/taking the piss out of Etsy, he wants more. If I don’t get any time on my own damn laptop between now and Thursday, I know where to place the blame.
(And now he’s doing Monty Python’s ‘Mr Hilter’ sketch while putting the roast in the oven. I may have to have words with him.)
Okay. First off (and I know it’s already been said)- Epic Parody!
Another request…when you or Bronc chime in next to the people who obliviously post away, can you somehow get a separate green or red button for YOUR comments? I don’t want to think I’m thumbs-upping the commentfrom the original post…just a thought. I know it’s probably not possible.
Variations of this symbol exist in many cultures. Still the seller seems aware of how people will interpret the symbol. Fail in design I would say. The bead work is lovely though.
Technically Nazi swastikas are angled. … outside mainstream American culture I don’t think this reads Nazi.
Never commented before, never one to forward bullshit or post it to my facebook page, but this video is FAN-TAS-TIC and is going up right now. I woke up the baby while watching it, and don’t regret it one bit.
Amazing! But as a downfall parody aficionado (my mum thinks the only purpose of youtube is downfall videos (hitlertube?), and she’s always calling me and telling me to watch them) I must point out that you missed the “any one who is [blank] please leave the room” opportunity, that’s always a comic gold moment. “Any one who hearted these please leave the room” maybe?
Btw, also a German-speaker, so watching this vid is like…oh my God, I can’t describe it. Imagine a Georgia Bush documentary dubbed with the “It’s Doc Gerbil’s World” song for starters, maybe?
The hipsterhitler t-shirts are the worst case of bad taste I have seen on one webpage since goatse. Maybe if goatse had a swastika on his butt it could be more offensive.
Another real, live aboriginal person here. Yeah, swastikas are very old cross-cultural symbols, and it’s pretty sad that their original meaning was warped in such a hateful way. But a person has to be pretty dense to publicly display one, because no matter what meaning it holds for them and how they justify it, it carries too much bad meaning now for it not to offend people. If I, for instance, had parents who were holocaust survivors, I would find myself offended that this symbol would be used so carelessly.
And, I as well get peeved when non-native people try to be like us. They need to embrace their own culture.
College finally paid off. I had to write a whole fuckin 10 pages about this.
The swastika is a symbol seen in Asian, Indian, and native american art. The Navajo name for it is “four winds”, and it is frequently a part of Navajo rugs that pre-date the 50′s.
However they no longer use the symbol in their weaving, for obvious reasons. This seller needs a smack to the head, and a lecture about the difference between connotation and denotation.
FantasticFanatic, I must respectfully disagree. Just as the cross with elongated lower leg is not consider a symbol of the crusades, so the swastika needs to be understood as a cultural symbol (from many cultures) and not merely as a nazi symbol.
So, I don’t think the seller needs a smack on the head. Nor do I think the Navajo should have stopped using the symbol in their weavings. If we stopped using symbols that have been misused, we’d be out of (simple) symbols.
I completely agree with you that the symbol shouldn’t be abandoned just because it was misused. But this is where connotation becomes important. I occasionally receive gifts from an Indian family who are good friends of our family, and even though I’m aware that there is a different meaning behind the bright purple swastika covered wrapping paper, it still takes me a minute to put it into context.
Not everyone who sees these shoes will understand the context, and the seller needs to be aware of that.
Oh, my brain is about to explode with the practiced obliviousness of the seller. Really? REALLY? Granted, I think those moccasins look like shit anyway, but we’re trying to pretend we couldn’t possibly know what OTHER thing that symbol was used for? Jesus Christ. Does this person wear blue to the local Blood neighborhood parties?
I’m another one who just had to sign up for an account to tell you how moved I was by this post. I have officially laughed my ass off at Hitler ranting about “hearting” and crafting. My life is complete and the world it a lovely fuckery filled place!
BTW as an anthro major, I get it that we need to acknowledge the fullness of a symbol’s meaning, but gimme a break, social consciousness should win out on this one… It’ll take a major cultural 180 for us to reassert how the swastika is understood…
Still, I’m glad I can laugh at this today, I feel so much shinier inside!
BRAVO!! …and the Oscar goes to… Helen Killer – Das Poop!
Holy crap this is the best thing I’ve seen yet!! How you continue to come up with this stuff amazes me!! Freakin BRILLIANT!! Thx for the laugh!! BRAVO!!
Princess Buzzkill Crying Glitter Eagle
February 9, 2011 at 5:24 am
#109 Mad2physicist – any living survivors of the crusades? Any children of crusade survivors still living? Nope, didn’t think so.
If native peoples want to reclaim the swastika, it will have to take another 2 generations at a minimum.
However, the Semitic peoples are really good at carrying grudges and have extremely long memories. Look how that whole Isaac/Ishmael thing isn’t resolved yet, and that’s been what? 3500 years or so?
OKay. So, here’s the deal: I visit your website EVERY day like a true stalker, never signing on, never leaving comments. Just laughing and pointing at the screen. HOWEVER, comma, THIS bloody post was *so* clever, that I actually overcame my laziness and registered, confirmed, and logged in JUST to leave this comment. You have a gift. Seriously. Much Love!
As someone who has watched the original Wonder Woman episodes with my sisters, only to play a drinking game whenever the word “Nazi” was said(and gotten completely shit-faced and peed my pants at special effects), I have a special appreciation for anyone who can put this shoe where it belongs, with the best Das Poop video ever.
I had to watch it again sober this morning to fully appreciate it. Thank you.
I had to register just so I could comment.
This is the best thing I have ever seen. Ever.
I think I will be watching it on a daily basis for the rest of my life.
@ #72 Holytape : Holy sweet jesus yes! Win! Not everybody may understand but you sealed my love for you at “his little furher”
@#91 KenriH : The beadwork SUCKS. Get your eyes checked.
@#109 mad2physicist :I don’t think the cultures that these kinds of symbols are important to should stop using them- I think that fuckwad retards should stop miscontruing things that they do not understand. Its one thing to be inspired by someone else’s culture- its another thing to SELL someone elses culture!
@ HK: I too had to sign up to be able to comment. I love you in a way I’ve never known. Thank you for giving me a reason to come to work and use their internets!
Okay- so the first time I watched this, I coudln’t really watching it with any volume, SO I just watched this again and because I’m cheap, i’m using the wifi at the local bar, with sound.
I want to show everyone why there are tears running down my face! Like X 10,000
As I said earlier, Nazis ruin everything. And that means they RUIN things, not that they temporarily make something uncool. Swastikas aren’t going to come back along with waist-high jeans and acid wash. And if you think they do, well, you’re probably that weirdo in my art class who wears waist-high jeans with acid wash. One of these days, I am going to punch her in the face…
In regards to some people that have said the swastika has gone out of use. Look at any city map in Japan. A swastika always marks where a Buddhist temple is.
Laughing so hard that the feral kitties in my backyard are now looking oddly at me through the patio door. “I like your safety pin earrings!” Awesome!!
I’ve been lurking on this site for like a month, but I finally caved and got an account just so I could worship at the feet of the genius who came up with this. April, comedy didn’t exist until you came along. I got my ex to watch this video (he was here to see the kids), and Mr. Keepin-It-Gangsta laughed so hard that he looked like he could barely breathe. I’ve watched this like 10 times, and it’s STILL hilarious. “It always takes three to five days!” LMAO You’re a goddess.
Genius. Laughed & cried so hard I got an asthma attack. I can’t remember ever laughing so hard at a video, hell, at anything!
I was thinking of creating account, as I was just turned on to Regretsy two days ago. After seeing this,I HAD to open account. That video should get an award.
My high school actually had a Navajo swastika in the tiles on the floor of the main entrance. It was covered by a rug but there was a plaque that explained why it was there. It was pretty hilarious.
I just discovered Regretsy following the Paypal incident, so I know this is a bit of an old post but LOL! I havent ACTUALLY laughed out loud at anything in such a long time. Im getting very funny looks in the office. Love it.
I created an account just to give my kudos to this vid. My poorly-constructed multi-coloured sequinned hat (with real swarovski crystals) off to you all.
February 8, 2011 at 8:23 am
“Why don’t you just tag it ‘Steampunk’?” XD
February 8, 2011 at 8:24 am
You had me at “I hearted some swastika moccasins this morning.”
February 8, 2011 at 8:25 am
One word comes to mind.
That world is “lolwut”.
February 8, 2011 at 8:25 am
I think I just peed myself laughing.
February 8, 2011 at 8:26 am
This is GENIUS! Genius, I say!!!
February 8, 2011 at 8:27 am
I’m going to a bar mitzvah next week, and I will be wearing these. If I get beaten I’ll send photos.
February 8, 2011 at 8:27 am
Could someone please explain to me what “braintanning” is? Because right now I really want to tan this person’s brain.
August 1, 2011 at 1:17 pm
Using animal brains to tan the leather. Old-school style. I’ll say, right now, this doesn’t strike me as that weird. Swastikas are not uncommon in art from around the world, the Navajo included. The symbol has had an unfortunate downturn in popularity this past century, of course, but the beading looks well done to my amateur eye.
Not that I’d wear them, because ‘oh, are thos brain-tanned?’ is not the first thing that would come out of the mouth of whoever I sat down next to at my shul.
February 8, 2011 at 8:27 am
Hippie bullshit!
February 8, 2011 at 8:30 am
Considering they say that the swastika is the flipped form of the original Native American pictogram…is only one shoe offensive?
February 8, 2011 at 8:30 am
Goose-stepping was hard on your feet. Everyone knows that if a Nazi soldier wanted to relax in style, they wore these.
February 8, 2011 at 8:31 am
The seller must know what they are, “I use this symbol regularly and with only the most peacful intentions”
Dumb ass!! Would love to give them a good “braintanning”
February 8, 2011 at 8:32 am
I’m speechless!
February 8, 2011 at 8:32 am
Er…Indian, not Native American, and the “Nazi swastika” since apparently the swastika is the name for the original pictogram. I should probably do research before commenting…
February 8, 2011 at 8:32 am
OMG HK you are freaking awesome!!! I laughed so hard tears came to my eyes! “Fucking Hipsters” and “I think your safety pin earrings are cute” LOL.
February 8, 2011 at 8:37 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 8:38 am
Anyone who can make me laugh that hard at hitler is a true comic genius.
February 8, 2011 at 8:40 am
Mwahahaha I’m German and hearing what they say and simultanously reading the text is (while confusing) SO MUCH MORE HILARIOUS.
But, for real, where do you have to live to NOT know what these symbols mean??
April 14, 2011 at 11:31 pm
I totally agree! Much much funnier when you understand what they’re actually saying.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Hitler had an Etsy shop were it available back in the day. The man was a failed art student
February 8, 2011 at 8:45 am
Three hundred dollars? Who knew braintanning was so expensive these days?
(Does anyone know what braintanning is? I’m afraid to google it.)
February 8, 2011 at 8:49 am
Fucking Hipsters! Hilarious! Cried I laughed so hard. Awesome.
February 8, 2011 at 8:50 am
Well, it actually is a traditional Navajo symbol: http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa086.shtml
…but unfortunately I think this one may just be beyond reclamation. Not enough information in the profile to tell whether the seller is actually Navajo or an edgy pretendian either.
August 6, 2011 at 12:08 am
The artist definitely is not Native. My Native friends would be embarrassed to see them, let alone wear them. The craftsmanship is awful, and many pow wow hosts would not even allow these to be sold at events because they look like they belong on the set of a crappy cowboy film with the stereotype Native Americans.
February 8, 2011 at 8:52 am
Bankai, they are not claiming obliviousness. They clearly stated that they use this symbol in its original meaning.
February 8, 2011 at 8:53 am
BTW, according to Wikipedia’s page on “leather”:
Brain tanned leathers are made by a labor-intensive process which uses emulsified oils, often those of animal brains. They are known for their exceptional softness and their ability to be washed.
February 8, 2011 at 8:56 am
Brain tanning is where the brains of the animal are used to tan the hide. According to one site I found, each animal has enough brains to tan it’s own hide.
February 8, 2011 at 8:58 am
BTW, I think this video should be labeled NSFW. I nearly spewed coffee into my co-workers cubicle I laughed so hard!
February 8, 2011 at 9:00 am
I use this symbol regularly and only with the most peaceful intentions, it symbolizes the four directions or winds, the sun and moon, whirling logs in navajo culture, among other things.
I’m pretty sure I know what those “other things” are. See ya at the cross burning, Adolph!
February 8, 2011 at 9:02 am
I love this so much, I want to take it around back and get it pregnant.
Thanks for calling it like you see it, Helen. Sometimes the shit really is poop.
February 8, 2011 at 9:04 am
it looks like the lining around the foot hole was stapled on.
February 8, 2011 at 9:07 am
My brain didn’t register the “peaceful” symbol at first. Her beadwork made me think it was four socks with red toes. Maybe if she beaded some little moccasins onto the arms of the symbol, it might work.
February 8, 2011 at 9:11 am
also, i think i’d buy the sellers explanation a little more if they went with the traditional religious interpretations of the swastika from Indian religions (as in the country) and certain Buddhist beliefs. and if they referred to the ‘flipped’ symbol by its actual name which is the sauvastika. Then they’d be a little more believable considering it is not as widely known that it has been used as a Native American symbol. But then again, that would raise questions for why they made moccasins for a traditionally asian symbol…. I don’t know why I’m trying to reason with myself about this. theres just no reasonable explanation.
February 8, 2011 at 9:14 am
“Why so expensive?”
“They’re tanned with (fill-in profession of choice here, say ‘politician’,) brains.”
“Still, $300?”
“Do you have any idea how long it takes to find enough politicians’ brains?”
Can be adapted to disparage just about anyone.
February 8, 2011 at 9:26 am
I never thought I would say this but Me and Hitler feel the same about Etsy!
February 8, 2011 at 9:28 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 9:36 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 9:45 am
HK you are a Fucking Goddess!!!
February 8, 2011 at 9:48 am
Should’ve at *least* opted for a different colour scheme. Considering that the Nazi version also had RED, WHITE and BLACK…
Doesn’t make the seller’s argument any easier!
February 8, 2011 at 9:59 am
I really enjoyed this video. It was hilarious. I am very frustrated by the comments of the other users however. I think it is extremely culturally insensitive to discredit Native American symbols used as they were created and intended (before Hitler I might add) and to continue to use them in traditional craft. Even colors have meanings in Navajo culture–no one seems to have done any kind of research in understanding this crafters *actual* art and are entirely consumed by their own cultural understandings and perceptions of the world, and it is sad to see this.
Additionally, $300 is a very good value, anyone who has ever attempted to brain-tan by hand AND cut a pattern, AND sew together moccasins, not to mention beading knows how incredibly time consuming it is and skilled you must be.
Oh, you’re going to be frustrated for a long time. The swastika will always be associated with Nazis. – HK
February 8, 2011 at 10:05 am
absolutely genius.
(your subtitles, not the offensive footwear, if that wasn’t obvious)
February 8, 2011 at 10:13 am
She had me at brain tanning. If you are hardcore enough to kill an animal, smash open its skull, take out its brains and grind them together with water until it has a texture approximately halfway between mayonnaise and santorum, massage that shit into the dried skin of your kill until it cures, scrape off the brainy bits and smoke that sucker in a fire pit… well, you can bead your moccasins any damn way you want. But don’t expect us to buy it.
February 8, 2011 at 10:13 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 10:15 am
That was an awesome addition to the downfall meme. Are they still getting DMCA’d down? If so, I’m glad I saw it when I had the chance.
February 8, 2011 at 10:18 am
I’ll bet that moose is sorry he ever wandered into Navajo territory. Its a long trek to end so pathetically.
February 8, 2011 at 10:21 am
Yet, these are still less offensive than crocs.
February 8, 2011 at 10:34 am
OMG…this is the funniest thing I’ve seen in, well…really, this is probably the funniest thing EVER. I laughed so hard I cried. This is totally going into the “watch this it’ll cheer you up when you’re down” bookmark folder.
thank you!
February 8, 2011 at 10:37 am
Mental Note: Do not watch Helen’s videos in my cubicle at work…I laugh too loud!
I’m worried..if he puts mustaches on everything, they’ll think it’s a tribute to Charlie Chaplin!
February 8, 2011 at 10:37 am
Oh..BTW…I haven’t laughed this hard at Hitler since Mel Brook’s The Producers!
February 8, 2011 at 10:39 am
thank god for subtitles (I can’t have the speaker on at the office). And WHAT subtitles they were!
You’ve sent Godwin’s Law through a wormhole and you’ve WON THE INTERNET!
February 8, 2011 at 10:43 am
@21 Pocketthesaurus
So when it gets covered in red paint from PETA, AND well-deserved mud from the JDL, you can wash ‘em off and shine ‘em up for your next moccasin-friendly event.
February 8, 2011 at 10:45 am
Sorry, meant @22.
February 8, 2011 at 10:48 am
I’ve seen about a bajillion of those parodies, and this was by far the best one EVER.
I picked a bad day to wear mascara to the office!
February 8, 2011 at 10:56 am
Oh, Helen! You know how to make a day
February 8, 2011 at 11:03 am
That was wonderful. Just absolutely lovely. Thank you for being amazing.
February 8, 2011 at 11:03 am
VEGANS and the SQEAMISH, skip this post!Braintanning. Using the brains of an animal to tan an animal hide. Brain-tanned and smoked (YES, smoked) hides are the softest shit in the world.
The Swastika. The swastika is one of the most ancient and mystical (I only say MYSTICAL because it is found literally everywhere among First Nation/Aboriginal peoples, including the Native Americans, Indians, and Japanese, to name a few) symbols there is. Right up there with the spiral and the circle. Hitler and his bags of shit morons perverted it and ever since it has stricken fear and disgust into the hearts of millions. Please don’t hate the etsyer that made these-hate Fascists, Racists, Bigots, and Bullies. I repeat, don’t misplace your hate!
February 8, 2011 at 11:03 am
This is the funniest thing I ever seen on the whole world wide web. The tears were rolling down my cheeks from laughter.
February 8, 2011 at 11:03 am
SQUEAMISH! I meant SQUEAMISH!
February 8, 2011 at 11:04 am
When I think about Hitler’s legacy, the one thing that really burns me up is the way he appropriated the swastika for his own agenda.
February 8, 2011 at 11:05 am
That video cured my cancer!
February 8, 2011 at 11:05 am
First of all this is some seriously funny shit- i laughed loud enough to tip off coworkers I might not be doing my actual job.
Second of all I’m an actual indigenous girl to North America. Yes the swatika/navajo explanation is legit as is the brain tanning. But HK is right- it will forever be associated with the Nazi’s (thank you Hitler).
And more importantly: fucking hippies QUIT BORROWING OTHER PEOPLES CULTURE! We aren’t a relic to be ‘inspired by’. btw I HATE your wolf in the full moon T-Shirt.
February 8, 2011 at 11:19 am
Though I’m not Navajo, I feel pretty safe in saying that there are probably TONS of different Navajo symbols that would look beautiful when beaded onto the toes of a pair of braintanned mocassins. The seller HAD to pick the ONE symbol that’s gained such an evil and well-recognized second meaning? You don’t even have to be politically correct to see the problem here. I’m actually having trouble writing further snark on this because I feel sorry for the seller — if they sincerely think that they can reclaim that symbol, well, like several other posters said here, it’s a quixotic hope at best. (Now *there’s* an idea — maybe they can turn the swastikas into windmills!).
February 8, 2011 at 11:29 am
When all else fails, just say that they’re worms ‘walking like an Egyptian.’
February 8, 2011 at 11:35 am
Part One: Helen, you deserve to be in the Comedy Hall of Fame for this one. That was awesome.
Part Two: There is a reason that people in Central Asia, Nepal, and India as well as in many tribes in the US, Mexico and South America have tactfully decided to put aside using this universally recognized symbol in whatever merchandise they market in North America and Europe. The reason is, they aren’t flaming douchenozzles. Unlike the seller.
February 8, 2011 at 11:36 am
Best video parody ever.
As far as the moccasins are concerned: I googled ‘braintanning’ too, made it about a minute or so through the first how-to video and decided I got the idea and that I’ll happily go back to buying meat wrapped in plastic and buying my leather goods at the mall as God intended.
If the seller really wanted to sell this stuff rather than make some statement about peaceful symbols or whateverthefuck, s/he would simply embrace the violence, say, “Yeah, dammit, I put swastikas on these moccasins. Oh yeah, but first I made the moccasins by lovingly tanning the hides with the animal’s own brains. Wallets and lampshades also available!Namaste, bitches!” Probably would be sold by the end of the day.
February 8, 2011 at 11:47 am
And look what she’s got in her Favourites!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/42849755/native-american-style-mountain-man
I’m noticing a trend here.
February 8, 2011 at 11:51 am
I would have paid more attention to Inglorious Bastards if this is what it was really about.
February 8, 2011 at 11:55 am
The perfect footwear for doing the Hokey Pokey at your next “white wedding”.
February 8, 2011 at 11:56 am
I just about died silently half-smiling when he wanted everyone out of the room except “Herschel, Shmuley, Shlomo and Goldbar”!
February 8, 2011 at 11:58 am
The Video was brilliant. I laughed, I cried, and yes, I spit my morning smoothie onto my laptop keyboard. HK: That was right up there with Mel Brooks.
February 8, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Made an account just for this post.
I love you.
February 8, 2011 at 12:07 pm
oh shit April!!!!!! this is the funniest thing you have ever made!!! jesus christ that was so funny!!!
February 8, 2011 at 12:10 pm
HK…I usually never comment. I just sit back quietly and laugh loudly in my head (sometimes it’s not in my head…sometimes it’s out loud, by myself, in my apartment)at all your shenanigans. This however was so amusing I had to comment. You’re brilliant.
February 8, 2011 at 12:30 pm
“I don’t control Priority Mail!” That is classic!
February 8, 2011 at 12:33 pm
I remember the great Pow-wow at Nuremberg. Who was not brought to tears when Goebbels did his famous Sun Dance with his beaded turkey-feather headdress? Or who could forget when Hitler, preforming the sacred Ghost Dance, tripped and lost his loin cloth and revealed his little Furher?
February 8, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 1:15 pm
The only way you can argue that this isn’t creepy and inappropriate would be if it were part of a full ceremonial costume.
Rather like the way sugary cereal is “part of a complete breakfast” when you add eggs, bacon, and orange juice.
February 8, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Had to create an account finally after months of lurking to let you know how brilliant you are and that I have shared this on my tumblr so that all of my friends and family know how I spend my time instead of replying to/calling them. XD
But seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life!
February 8, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Wow… I never realized that traditional Plains style moccasins were made using Wal-Mart socks, satin ribbons, and staples.
February 8, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Okay, I have nothing sarcastic to say because you’ve already filled in all the blanks. My neighbors must hate my incessant guffawing…still half an hour after I’ve watched the thing!
I am both awed at this person’s craft and completely humored by your movie touch-up. My only problem is that I’m the only screwball in my circles that would get the video, so I have no one to share it with!
I suppose I need a few new circles…
February 8, 2011 at 1:43 pm
Truly a masterpiece (NOT the moccasins)!
So many Etsy memes, so much WRONG about the moccasins, it must be an alignment of the planets; there is no other explanation.
Maybe you can ask her:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/65091588/karmic-reading
She also has moccasins with symbols on them for sale!
February 8, 2011 at 1:59 pm
I have never laughed so hard in my life. HK, you deserve an award for that video. Every single sentence is brilliant. Thank you a million times for the best parody EVER.
February 8, 2011 at 2:06 pm
This video is PRICELESS! I laughed to tears, seriously!
Another GENIUS hit, HK!
P.S. Hitler actually DID hijack the swastika from an ancient symbol for Peace and change it to suit his needs. It is now a crime to display in any public space in Germany.
February 8, 2011 at 2:28 pm
I thought the moccasins were hysterical…then I watched the video. HK, thank you for making my day.
February 8, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Anyone else ever get to the Buddhist vegetarian restaurant in Wan Chai (Hong Kong)? It served fake meat dishes like ‘pork kidneys Chengdu-style’. Gold mirrors and big black swastikas, only the shaved heads were monks and nuns , not Neo-Nazi skinheads. It’s gone now, but I’m talking 1998. So the ‘withdrawal from use’ is only partial.
February 8, 2011 at 2:38 pm
And to think, before today, I was upset at getting Jesse James’ name in the Valentine grab bag exchange!
February 8, 2011 at 2:43 pm
I think I cried more than Hitler… though my tears were that of joy.
February 8, 2011 at 3:46 pm
I have seen so many parodies of this scene, and every single one is hilarious. Lovin’ it, Regretsy!
February 8, 2011 at 3:58 pm
ohmyfuck. how is regretsy ever going to top this hilarious fuckery?
February 8, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Really, this is your best work yet, I think. I haven’t laughed this hard since Inglorious Basterds! It should be nominated for an award!
February 8, 2011 at 4:24 pm
This was the spouse’s first experience with the Hitler Downfall meme. We two ‘undesirables’ do like a good Hitler joke, and thanks to this perfect blend of comedy/taking the piss out of Etsy, he wants more. If I don’t get any time on my own damn laptop between now and Thursday, I know where to place the blame.
(And now he’s doing Monty Python’s ‘Mr Hilter’ sketch while putting the roast in the oven. I may have to have words with him.)
February 8, 2011 at 4:34 pm
I laughed so hard I almost threw up.
February 8, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Okay. First off (and I know it’s already been said)- Epic Parody!
Another request…when you or Bronc chime in next to the people who obliviously post away, can you somehow get a separate green or red button for YOUR comments? I don’t want to think I’m thumbs-upping the commentfrom the original post…just a thought. I know it’s probably not possible.
February 8, 2011 at 4:37 pm
Pure Brilliance. I’ve heard that originally the swastika was a peaceful symbol, but lets face it, the Nazis ruined it.
February 8, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Variations of this symbol exist in many cultures. Still the seller seems aware of how people will interpret the symbol. Fail in design I would say. The bead work is lovely though.
Technically Nazi swastikas are angled. … outside mainstream American culture I don’t think this reads Nazi.
February 8, 2011 at 5:03 pm
Nazis ruin everything.
February 8, 2011 at 5:18 pm
I really feel the need to point out hipster Hitler right now…
http://hipsterhitler.com/
February 8, 2011 at 5:18 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Never commented before, never one to forward bullshit or post it to my facebook page, but this video is FAN-TAS-TIC and is going up right now. I woke up the baby while watching it, and don’t regret it one bit.
February 8, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 6:26 pm
This is so amazing. I laughed my fucking head off through the whole thing and forced my mom to watch it as well. You are fucking brilliant.
February 8, 2011 at 6:34 pm
This film pretty much sums up all the recent Etsy fails – thanks HK for making me laugh so hard!
February 8, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Btw, also a German-speaker, so watching this vid is like…oh my God, I can’t describe it. Imagine a Georgia Bush documentary dubbed with the “It’s Doc Gerbil’s World” song for starters, maybe?
Absolutely wonderful. Hats off. Balaclavas, too.
February 8, 2011 at 7:15 pm
The hipsterhitler t-shirts are the worst case of bad taste I have seen on one webpage since goatse. Maybe if goatse had a swastika on his butt it could be more offensive.
February 8, 2011 at 7:42 pm
I just showed that video to my husband and he said “I feel like I just came home from work.” (fucking hipsters!).
February 8, 2011 at 7:57 pm
the hipster Hitler site reminded me of… the Producers. actually.
February 8, 2011 at 8:19 pm
I have nothing clever to add except to say DH came in from the other side of the house to see why I was roaring with laughter.
February 8, 2011 at 8:30 pm
….Amongst other things.
hmm..I wonder what those other things could be?
February 8, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Hot damn, that was effing brilliant!
February 8, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Another real, live aboriginal person here. Yeah, swastikas are very old cross-cultural symbols, and it’s pretty sad that their original meaning was warped in such a hateful way. But a person has to be pretty dense to publicly display one, because no matter what meaning it holds for them and how they justify it, it carries too much bad meaning now for it not to offend people. If I, for instance, had parents who were holocaust survivors, I would find myself offended that this symbol would be used so carelessly.
And, I as well get peeved when non-native people try to be like us. They need to embrace their own culture.
February 8, 2011 at 9:34 pm
I really feel strongly that you folks need exposure to “Titler”. No, really.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rELRYZUN1kM
You’re welcome.
February 8, 2011 at 9:50 pm
College finally paid off. I had to write a whole fuckin 10 pages about this.
The swastika is a symbol seen in Asian, Indian, and native american art. The Navajo name for it is “four winds”, and it is frequently a part of Navajo rugs that pre-date the 50′s.
However they no longer use the symbol in their weaving, for obvious reasons. This seller needs a smack to the head, and a lecture about the difference between connotation and denotation.
February 8, 2011 at 9:58 pm
FantasticFanatic, I must respectfully disagree. Just as the cross with elongated lower leg is not consider a symbol of the crusades, so the swastika needs to be understood as a cultural symbol (from many cultures) and not merely as a nazi symbol.
So, I don’t think the seller needs a smack on the head. Nor do I think the Navajo should have stopped using the symbol in their weavings. If we stopped using symbols that have been misused, we’d be out of (simple) symbols.
February 8, 2011 at 10:03 pm
I don’t know about you guys , but me and my family are now going to put moustaches on everything. Just because.
February 8, 2011 at 10:04 pm
Helen, you murder me, murder me I tell ya! Heart you tons. Freakin’ brilliant.
February 8, 2011 at 10:06 pm
And just to be a pedantic poop, those aren’t staples around the soles. It’s called *moccasin stitching*.
And the Walmart socks are just stuffing so you can admire that totally discredited symbol all the better.
Now let the thumbs-downing begin.
February 8, 2011 at 10:12 pm
I completely agree with you that the symbol shouldn’t be abandoned just because it was misused. But this is where connotation becomes important. I occasionally receive gifts from an Indian family who are good friends of our family, and even though I’m aware that there is a different meaning behind the bright purple swastika covered wrapping paper, it still takes me a minute to put it into context.
Not everyone who sees these shoes will understand the context, and the seller needs to be aware of that.
February 8, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
February 8, 2011 at 11:04 pm
Best. Clip. EVER.
I woke my dog up by laughing at a clip showing Hitler ranting about swastika moccasins. My week just can’t get any better than this.
February 9, 2011 at 12:28 am
I’m another one who just had to sign up for an account to tell you how moved I was by this post. I have officially laughed my ass off at Hitler ranting about “hearting” and crafting. My life is complete and the world it a lovely fuckery filled place!
BTW as an anthro major, I get it that we need to acknowledge the fullness of a symbol’s meaning, but gimme a break, social consciousness should win out on this one… It’ll take a major cultural 180 for us to reassert how the swastika is understood…
Still, I’m glad I can laugh at this today, I feel so much shinier inside!
February 9, 2011 at 1:50 am
BRAVO!! …and the Oscar goes to… Helen Killer – Das Poop!
Holy crap this is the best thing I’ve seen yet!! How you continue to come up with this stuff amazes me!! Freakin BRILLIANT!! Thx for the laugh!! BRAVO!!
February 9, 2011 at 3:19 am
Google Chrome has just made it apparent that I now visit Regretsy more than Etsy. Thanks for taking over my life:D
February 9, 2011 at 4:30 am
That ‘mein fuhrer’ translates to ‘dude’ is hilarious! I had to borrow a friends asthma puffer just to make it through to the end of the video.
February 9, 2011 at 5:24 am
#109 Mad2physicist – any living survivors of the crusades? Any children of crusade survivors still living? Nope, didn’t think so.
If native peoples want to reclaim the swastika, it will have to take another 2 generations at a minimum.
However, the Semitic peoples are really good at carrying grudges and have extremely long memories. Look how that whole Isaac/Ishmael thing isn’t resolved yet, and that’s been what? 3500 years or so?
February 9, 2011 at 6:15 am
Das Poop ✩✩✩✩+
THE – MOST – FUNNY – SH*T – EVER
a triumph that showcases your sheer genius
I♡U
☮
February 9, 2011 at 6:56 am
I wasn’t going to watch the video because I’ve seen so many. This one was by far the best. It had me laughing the whole time.
February 9, 2011 at 7:29 am
Godwin’s Law of Crafting: the more the amount of total shit on Etsy grows, the greater the probability that swastikas will become trendy.
February 9, 2011 at 9:44 am
OKay. So, here’s the deal: I visit your website EVERY day like a true stalker, never signing on, never leaving comments. Just laughing and pointing at the screen. HOWEVER, comma, THIS bloody post was *so* clever, that I actually overcame my laziness and registered, confirmed, and logged in JUST to leave this comment. You have a gift. Seriously. Much Love!
February 9, 2011 at 10:51 am
As someone who has watched the original Wonder Woman episodes with my sisters, only to play a drinking game whenever the word “Nazi” was said(and gotten completely shit-faced and peed my pants at special effects), I have a special appreciation for anyone who can put this shoe where it belongs, with the best Das Poop video ever.
I had to watch it again sober this morning to fully appreciate it. Thank you.
February 9, 2011 at 12:14 pm
This may well be the single funniest thing I have seen on Regretsy. Bravo.
February 9, 2011 at 1:20 pm
This gets funnier every time I see it!
February 9, 2011 at 2:30 pm
You know, I very nearly just skipped the vid. Boy am I glad I didn’t – absolute genius!
February 9, 2011 at 3:49 pm
I had to register just so I could comment.
This is the best thing I have ever seen. Ever.
I think I will be watching it on a daily basis for the rest of my life.
February 9, 2011 at 9:38 pm
@ #72 Holytape : Holy sweet jesus yes! Win! Not everybody may understand but you sealed my love for you at “his little furher”
@#91 KenriH : The beadwork SUCKS. Get your eyes checked.
@#109 mad2physicist :I don’t think the cultures that these kinds of symbols are important to should stop using them- I think that fuckwad retards should stop miscontruing things that they do not understand. Its one thing to be inspired by someone else’s culture- its another thing to SELL someone elses culture!
@ HK: I too had to sign up to be able to comment. I love you in a way I’ve never known. Thank you for giving me a reason to come to work and use their internets!
February 9, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Okay- so the first time I watched this, I coudln’t really watching it with any volume, SO I just watched this again and because I’m cheap, i’m using the wifi at the local bar, with sound.
I want to show everyone why there are tears running down my face! Like X 10,000
February 9, 2011 at 10:23 pm
/applause My boyfriend and I just peed ourselves laughing over the video and put question faces on our roommates. Fucking hipsters.
February 9, 2011 at 10:56 pm
…the only thing missing at the end should be the picture of HK in her thong hat and moustache.
“Fucking hipsters “
February 10, 2011 at 4:34 am
I had to make an account for this one… Hysterical!
February 10, 2011 at 2:21 pm
I find it hilarious that they encourage you to wear these to a pow-wow.
Because if there’s one thing modern Native Americans LOVE being reminded of, it’s the mass relocation and near-extermination of certain populations.
Fucking hipsters.
February 11, 2011 at 5:40 am
that video is GOLD.
PURE FUCKING NON STEAMPUNK GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 11, 2011 at 8:00 am
@120 Princess Buzzkill — history class FTW!
As I said earlier, Nazis ruin everything. And that means they RUIN things, not that they temporarily make something uncool. Swastikas aren’t going to come back along with waist-high jeans and acid wash. And if you think they do, well, you’re probably that weirdo in my art class who wears waist-high jeans with acid wash. One of these days, I am going to punch her in the face…
February 11, 2011 at 6:29 pm
Late to the party, as usual, but BWAH HA HA HA HA!! That was some seriously whimsicle fuckery!
February 14, 2011 at 1:06 am
In regards to some people that have said the swastika has gone out of use. Look at any city map in Japan. A swastika always marks where a Buddhist temple is.
February 16, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Laughing so hard that the feral kitties in my backyard are now looking oddly at me through the patio door. “I like your safety pin earrings!” Awesome!!
February 22, 2011 at 10:22 pm
I’ve been lurking on this site for like a month, but I finally caved and got an account just so I could worship at the feet of the genius who came up with this. April, comedy didn’t exist until you came along. I got my ex to watch this video (he was here to see the kids), and Mr. Keepin-It-Gangsta laughed so hard that he looked like he could barely breathe. I’ve watched this like 10 times, and it’s STILL hilarious. “It always takes three to five days!” LMAO You’re a goddess.
March 2, 2011 at 9:08 pm
Genius. Laughed & cried so hard I got an asthma attack. I can’t remember ever laughing so hard at a video, hell, at anything!
I was thinking of creating account, as I was just turned on to Regretsy two days ago. After seeing this,I HAD to open account. That video should get an award.
March 5, 2011 at 8:17 am
calm down people, it’s just a WHIRLIGIG
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-RED-AND-WHITE-POLKA-DOT-WHIRLIGIG-QUILT-D18-/390281176197?pt=Quilts&hash=item5ade922485#ht_11745wt_994
March 12, 2011 at 11:49 am
“among other things”
June 30, 2011 at 12:23 am
My high school actually had a Navajo swastika in the tiles on the floor of the main entrance. It was covered by a rug but there was a plaque that explained why it was there. It was pretty hilarious.
December 9, 2011 at 4:28 am
I just discovered Regretsy following the Paypal incident, so I know this is a bit of an old post but LOL! I havent ACTUALLY laughed out loud at anything in such a long time. Im getting very funny looks in the office. Love it.
I created an account just to give my kudos to this vid. My poorly-constructed multi-coloured sequinned hat (with real swarovski crystals) off to you all.