# Soup Nazi in Germany **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178 "2016-01-04T20:30:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/41 "2016-01-07T01:44:49Z")
[quote=“terentii, post:40, topic:742178”] Here is the **sketch** , courtesy of YouTube: [/QUOTE] Talk about being a language Naz- ah, forget it . . . ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/42 "2016-01-07T01:55:45Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > Talk about being a language Naz- ah, forget it . . . I should have started that sentence with **[To be read in a German accent]**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/43 "2016-01-07T02:41:44Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > The (American) English expression “nazi” (i. e. an individual who is obsessed with something, pedantic, strict, uncompromising) cannot be translated into German. Sure it can… it translates to “Deutsch” or maybe “Deutsche”. 😃 (seriously… the prissiest, most nit-picky people I’ve known have been Germans) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/44 "2016-01-07T02:53:13Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > The (American) English expression “nazi” (i. e. an individual who is obsessed with something, pedantic, strict, uncompromising) cannot be translated into German. Many, if not most German speakers do not immediately understand the literal translation _Suppennazi_. In this specific case it seems like the Soup Nazi’s nickname could have been translated as something like “Soup Dictator” (Suppendiktator?) and preserved the meaning. The character was the “ruler” of his own soup stand, made and harshly enforced his own rules, and everyone was awed by or frightened of him. This wouldn’t work with other instances of “Nazi” as slang for someone who strictly obeys/enforces rules set by someone else, but the Soup Nazi was owner and operator of his soup business. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/45 "2016-01-07T03:08:42Z")
I was part of a multi-national think tank (well, it might have been soccer players at the local bar), and we got talking about humor. The Dutch guy said the Brits and the Americans are the masters of humor. The Yank said that American humor is really just British humor crossed with some Yiddish. The Belgian agreed, postulating that Monty Python Plus Woody Allen Equals Hilarity. The German guy said “It’s well known that Germans really don’t have a sense of humor…” No one disagreed with him (not even the Canadian who wanted everyone to feel better). We all felt a little bad for him, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to say “Oh, that’s not true…” ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/46 "2016-01-07T04:43:45Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Germany censors swastikas don’t they? I remember there was some issues about the game series Wolfenstein being available in Germany, either it wasn’t allowed or all of the swastikas were removed or something like that. Asked and answered already: > [@Shakester](#): > > People tend to overstate the effect of the anti-Nazi-symbol laws. They’re mainly to give the authorities something to charge far-rightists with if they don’t have anything more substantial. TV shows and movies and so on can apply for exemptions, as can museums etc. > [@Shakester](#): > > For example, [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strafgesetzbuch_section_86a#/media/File:Me163.jpg) is a Nazi-era German warplane in a German museum with correct markings including swastikas. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/47 "2016-01-07T06:52:46Z")
Also, Germans usually don’t “get” self-deprecating humor. Lots of self-deprecation, but not in a funny way. This is especially true with regards to German politicians who take themselves extremely seriously. This often leads to awkward situations when they meet their counterparts from Britain or the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/48 "2016-01-07T07:42:17Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I wonder - does Germany have \*any \*mainstream Nazi humor? It is extremely rare. One example for a mainstream German entertainer who was (he is semi-retired) able to pull off politically incorrect humor and Nazi references was [Harald Schmidt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Schmidt). ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/49 "2016-01-07T09:01:27Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I wonder - does Germany have \*any \*mainstream Nazi humor? As Donnerwetter said, it’s rare, but it’s not exactly unheard of. One of my favourite examples is from _Ladykracher_, a popular television sketch comedy series. The sketch is called [Süßer Nazi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VULGONLGJIw). Here’s the plot (spoilered for the benefit of those who speak German): Two single women are sunbathing in a park, and notice a sweet-looking male sunbather not far from them. They discuss whether to make contact with him. One of them is hesitant because she thinks his red towel marks him as an obnoxious soccer fan. The other woman thinks it’s ridiculous to judge someone by their towel and calls the man over. He stands up and we see that he has an SS tattoo and that his towel has a Nazi flag print. The funny part is that the women don’t comment on this at all; they’re simply relieved that he’s not a soccer fan after all. He later reveals that he’s unemployed and under a restraining order, which is also no problem for the women. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/50 "2016-01-07T09:20:41Z")
Missed the edit window, but I wanted to add that the video I just posted should put to rest the misconception that Germany always censors cultural depictions of swastikas. That sketch was shown on prime-time network television in 2010. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/51 "2016-01-07T09:55:30Z")
In 2010, a scandal erupted when German TV sports presenter [Katrin Müller-Hohenstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katrin_M%C3%BCller-Hohenstein) used the expression “_innerer Reichsparteitag_” (= inner reichs party rally, referring to the Nuremberg rallies of the Nazi Party) to describe how lucky/emotional a striker ([Miroslav Klose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miroslav_Klose)) must have felt after he scored a nice goal in a World Cup match (at that point, Klose had been unsuccessful for quite a while). It was an innocent, off the cuff remark. For those of you who understand German, here’s a clip (the infamous reference comes at 0:21): All hell broke lose on the day she said this. The head of public broadcaster ZDF formally apologized, one politico from ZDF's governing body called it a “violation of the state treaty” (the legal framework for public broadcasting in Germany), a number of commentators in newspapers were shocked, appalled and deeply offended. The incident almost sank Ms. Müller-Hohenstein's career. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/52 "2016-01-07T14:15:40Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > All hell broke lose on the day she said this. The head of public broadcaster ZDF formally apologized, one politico from ZDF’s governing body called it a “violation of the state treaty” (the legal framework for public broadcasting in Germany), a number of commentators in newspapers were shocked, appalled and deeply offended. The incident almost sank Ms. Müller-Hohenstein’s career. In America, the equivalent would be “That’s some nappy-headed ho’s there!” :eek: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/53 "2016-01-07T14:24:24Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > In this specific case it seems like the Soup Nazi’s nickname could have been translated as something like “Soup Dictator” (Suppendiktator?) and preserved the meaning. The character was the “ruler” of his own soup stand, made and harshly enforced his own rules, and everyone was awed by or frightened of him. > > This wouldn’t work with other instances of “Nazi” as slang for someone who strictly obeys/enforces rules set by someone else, but the Soup Nazi was owner and operator of his soup business. The humor was that the guy was willing to turn away customers who displeased him. He was doing a slow burn when Elaine was banging on the countertop…and when George dared to ask for bread, they snatched his order away. There are not too many people in business who WANT to alienate customers. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/54 "2016-01-07T14:27:55Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > In America, the equivalent would be “That’s some nappy-headed ho’s there!” :eek: :smack: No, no, no, what Katrin Müller-Hohenstein said was only in passing, actually witty and absolutely benign. “Nappy-headed whore” is just nasty racism. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/55 "2016-01-07T14:50:51Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > No, no, no, what Katrin Müller-Hohenstein said was only in passing, actually witty and absolutely benign. “Nappy-headed whore” is just nasty racism. I doubt Don Imus would agree with you. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/56 "2016-01-07T16:22:01Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Missed the edit window, but I wanted to add that the video I just posted should put to rest the misconception that Germany always censors cultural depictions of swastikas. That sketch was shown on prime-time network television in 2010. It seems to be ok to use swastikas in “works of art.” IIRC, when the film _Inglorious Basterds_ was released in Germany, promotional materials such as posters could not include swastikas but the movie itself (i.e., the “work of art”) could. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/57 "2016-01-07T16:42:05Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I doubt Don Imus would agree with you. That’s what makes racists so annoying, their lack of self awareness. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/58 "2016-01-08T16:32:35Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I wonder - does Germany have \*any \*mainstream Nazi humor? Although completely unintentional, in a real meta, ironic way the most mainstream German Nazi humor has been the dearth of [Hitler _Downfall_ parodies](https://www.youtube.com/user/hitlerrantsparodies) on YouTube. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/59 "2016-01-08T16:59:57Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#): > > Although completely unintentional, in a real meta, ironic way the most mainstream German Nazi humor has been the dearth of [Hitler _Downfall_ parodies](https://www.youtube.com/user/hitlerrantsparodies) on YouTube. Dearth? I don’t think that word means what you think it means. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2016, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178/60 "2016-01-12T07:05:30Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > No, many were repatriated to the US under Operation Seltzer Bottle (the lesser-known brother of Operation paperclip). Including nearly the entire cast of Hogan’s Heroes. 😃 You just won the Internetz. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-nazi-in-germany/742178.md?page=4)