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The tag is so offensive that LA CityBeat readers are gasping for breath today, wondering how it even made it past the publisher to the printer, much less the streets. In this week's "Travel Issue"-- in a piece titled, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" the subhead reads:
"Did you know that Hitler managed to give every German man, woman and child a yearly vacation at either the mountains or the sea?"
But those following the CityBeat drama note that, while this inflammatory anti-Semitic pro-Hitler subhead indicates the publication turned yet another ugly corner, this is another gaffe (albeit the worst) in a steady succession of the bizarre, crude, and tasteless that has become a CityBeat signature, ever since the firing of longtime editor Steve Appleford in March. (To date, CityBeat Publisher Charles Gerenscer and consultant Michael Sigman have not stated their reasons for Appleford’s removal.)
First they brought on former OC Weekly Executive Editor Steve Lowery. He quit in a week, staying only long enough to leave behind his short snappy legacy -- a sophomoric but otherwise unintelligible editorial titled: “Abortion. Yeah.”
Enter Rebecca Schoenkopf, a.k.a. Commie Girl, ex-OC Weekly columnist who quit that publication shortly after it was acquired by New Times Media (amid rumors she was about to be fired) It quickly became apparent that Schoenkopf’s obsession with gratuitous content and sticking her finger in a wall socket equals -- if not exceeds -- Lowery's.
So far Commie Girl has tackled subjects ranging from her vagina, her vagina, her vagina, (“…that’s the kind of feminine, ladylike, womanly, nurturing, vagina-bearing American I am. I can cater the bacon, put it up on a tray. Also, I can menstruate – a little something I’d like to see Russ Stanton try,” wrote Schoenkopf in her first editorial.) Then there was the editorial featuring Schoenkopf peeing in a cup. To go with that, she strung together a series of meaningless sentences for a cover piece that actually sounded like it would work till you read it called, "My Mama The Communist." (On her blog, Commie Girl posts stuff like how she had a dream in which "Hillary Clinton fingerfucked me.”)
Four-year-olds playing with matches? Well, judging from the Letters to the Editor, there is such a thing as too much controversy. Reactions by CityBeat readers have been overwhelmingly negative, outraged, or just dismissive. "If you just read it, it’s really bad, but if you drop a tab of acid and read it ...it’s brilliant,” wrote reader Daniel McVey.
"It's obvious she thinks it's cool, but I think she sounds like a frustrated middle-aged suburban housewife on crack," observed one CityBeat writer. "Gonzo's out, but when it was good, she wasn't it. And now she’s crossed the line to antisemitism, which is beyond the pale and requires an immediate public apology.
“It’s gone from bad to worse over there in such a short time. But even before Commie Girl crossed over into what I feel is blatant racism, my thinking was, okay start giving this paper away with a Woodstock T-shirt and free a bag of weed."
Original photo by Aidan McMichael via flickr.
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"this inflammatory anti-Semitic pro-Hitler subhead"
How the fuck is mentioning Hitler anti-semitic?
Yeah, I think you're taking the point too literally - my guess is that they couldn't get away with saying "Even the F8cking nazis got vactions that rocked. WTH is wrong with us?"
Of course mentioning Hitler isn't anti-semitic.
But when Hitler's army rounded up millions of German men, women, and children in the 30's and 40's they weren't going off to "vacation at either the mountains or the sea."
Not only the mountains and the sea - some of them even got to go to Paris!
It is just blatantly inaccurate. "Hitler managed to give every non-Jewish, nondisabled, non-gay-or-lesbian, nonCatholic, blue-eyed blonde German who was not busy invading and enslaving nearby countries, breeding his master race in Lebensborn, performing scientific research on live subjects, guarding the camps, extracting gold teeth, making tanned skin lampshades or overseeing the digging of mass graves a yearly vacation at either the mountains or the sea."
Accuracy is imperative in journalism.
when i was walking to the bus this morning, i noticed an elderly woman went to a city beat rack and took EVERY city beat out with her. I didn't know what to make of it, this could be a clue...
Uh, yeah.
Look, I don't begrudge anyone thinking of CityBeat as a sensationalist D-grade tabloid, because that's pretty much what it is, give or take Andy Klein. But it's just a wee bit knee-jerk to react to an off-hand attempt at humor that references Hitler (whose name is basically just shorthand for "worst human being ever"), as inherently anti-Semitic, or to take it to task for accuracy, given the context. This wasn't a report on der Fuehrer's political or social achievements. It was a Travel issue that tossed off a Hitler joke.
Andy, sorry, I still don't get it.
So, we can never, ever mention Hitler, Stalin, whomever else, in context other than what horrific beings they were? Talk about sweeping under the rug.
The thinking that since Kazan named names which were already named and known, that you will not watch and dismiss his brilliant films because of it?
Elise, jesus, what kind of treatment were those groups you mention were getting in THIS country at that time, or have you forgotten?
Even as a jew, I couldn't care less about a Hitler mention. Move on, people.
I'm much more pissed of by President Bush's saying Obama and Democrats are equivalent to a Nazi sympathizers. As if that's not enough, he does it while speaking in the Knesset.
As for City Beat, yea it's stupid and offensive. But then again, I never read it anyway. To me, the publication's purpose is simply to provide newsboxes where taggers and sticker artists can display their work.
Yeah, Hitler gave the Jews a free vacation too: a nice train ride to the crematorium after he'd stripped them of all human dignity. Go on with your bad self, Adolf.
"Elise, jesus, what kind of treatment were those groups you mention were getting in THIS country at that time, or have you forgotten??
Some of them better than others. But at least we weren't gassing them and putting them in ovens.
Some Hitler jokes might not be as offensive, but considering the kinds of "vacations" so many were getting, it is in especially bad taste. Especially under the carefree title, "Oh, the places you'll go!"
It's sophmoric humor but it's not anti-semetic in intent.
Come on, save your outrage for real injustices, there are more than enough.
I dont think that the intent was anti-Semetic. I just think that it was a poor attempt at crappy humor. Just dumb all around.
Well, hello, LAist! My goodness. I would like to clarify a few things in your completely non-scandalous or salacious or out-of-context or inaccurate account.
A) I was at OC Weekly for almost 12 years, until Feb. 2007, and I did not quit "amid rumors [I was] about to be fired." That little bit of info was made up whole cloth about a month ago, by an obsessive web-stalker whose work you can see in the comments of any of my LACityBeat stories, and who I promise has never had any knowledge of OC Weekly or its workings. Using her blog tidbits as your source (and it was your source, and you know it) is iffy at the very, very best, as you can see from the start she's a wackjob. If I closed one eye and squinted, I could see actual malice.
B) Not pro-Hitler, promise, though I am often very critical of Israel (as is, you know, a lot of Israel), so there are a lot of people who'd say I'm anti-Semitic, and yes, Jews like me can be. But next time I mention Hitler (and the thing about vacations was true, but why let that stop anybody?), I will be sure to write "Evil Hitler managed evilly to send every German man, woman and child on annual vacations to the mountains or the sea, with evil." I have now renounced him AND denounced him. Cool?
C) Never wrote about peeing in a cup. Wrote about anarchists on MayDay brandishing bottles of pee, and then lamented that I was such a bad Socialist that I hadn't filled even one vial with my own urine. See? A difference! NOT peeing in a cup!
D) Yes, I do like writing about my vagina. As I explained in that editorial, I'm a feminist in the Judy Chicago style -- but of course you didn't quote any of that part, because people might have seen it actually had a point, whether or not they agreed with it. And I am very happy I menstruate, and think, philosophically and politically, we should be much more open about it. Why should half the population hide its biology? Maybe you're one of those squeamish guys?
E) I'm always available for comment, should you decide to email me or pick up the phone. It's so much more journalisty that way!
Yours,
Rebecca Schoenkopf
While it's a catchy lede, it's not accurate.
All factory workers had the legal right to a paid vacation, under Hitler, and most got it through "Strength Through Joy" program. Subsidized by the state, workers were transported on cruise ships (Party members only!) and special rail lines. The tourists were also great advertisments for the Nazism, as they were shipped off to North Africa and Southern Europe.
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/year9links/nazigermany/leisure.pdf
Kate, thanks for that, but I disagree with your assessment of my accuracy. From the textbook you provided: "For those who could not get a place on a cruise ship [the cruise ships were reserved for Party members, like you said], there were walking holidays in the mountains for 28 marks a week, or, in winter, skiing holidays in Bavaria [...] The KDF offered affordable but enjoyable holidays. It made people support the Nazi regime even more."
And here's what I wrote: "Did you know that Hitler managed to give every German man, woman and child a yearly vacation at either the mountains or the sea?
Give a man two weeks’ R&R, and you can get away with just about anything."
So, when do I get to call that textbook pro-Hitler? Okay, it's late. I'll go away now. My suburban housewife crack isn't going to smoke itself!
Yours,
Becca
"Evil Hitler managed evilly to send every German man, woman and child on annual vacations to the mountains or the sea, with evil."
See, now for some reason that Hitler joke works. Very subtle difference, but it works.
And I am 100 percent behind your vagina.
Oh my god, someone said something somewhat-not-really-controversial. I don't know how I can take any of you seriously.
Hogwash!
Just mentioning Hitler is not anti-Semitic.
Here are my Hitler-radar qualifications:
-I am a Jew Jew Jew.
-I have family living on a Kibbutz in Israel that was bombed, which I stayed at, during said bomb attack.
-My entire family on my mother's side was murdered by Hitler.
-I have big, curly Jew hair.
Enough?
Thinking that just mentioning "Hitler" is anti-semitic is the kind of knee-jerk reactionary nonsense that allows extremists and tyrants to strike fear and loathing into the hearts of their countrymen.
It's poor judgement, and hurtful to the other onerous situations in which anti-Semitism needs to be addressed.
Give me a break.
I'm the so-called 'cyber-stalker' (for the record, she picked the fight with me on LiberalOC.com). Come check out my site, TheCentristOC.com and learn more about CityBeat's precious messiah. You have no idea what's she's capable of.
However, I don't think we should all be beating up on Rebecca for the Hitler remark when there are so many other things that she's said and done that are much more controversial than this (and have largely gone ignored).
Besides, she's Jewish. I don't agree with her views, but if that's how she values her own people, so be it. If she wants to make Hitler look good, that's her business, but to call her anti-semitic is like calling a black person racist for using the 'n'-bomb. She's not racist. She's just an overrated, unintelligible moron.
Seriously though, come to my blog and see for yourself. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg and her career is the Titanic.
SMS
I've been involved with alternative media for a long time, and for two years was a biweekly columnist for Citybeat. And its lobotimization really breaks my heart. Granted, I am close to Citybeat's founding editors, but, love it or hate it, those folks pulled rabbits out their asses every week to do what they did on a laughable budget. Appleford and the others who founded the publication can't be blamed for the fact that alternative weeklies have simply run their course as viable, credible, profitable businesses (unless you're an established frontrunner, like the Weekly). My old boss at the LA Reader, James Vowell, understood this a dozen years ago, and got the hell out, lest he be squashed.
The bottom line is this: Southland Publishing cares only about profit. The woman now serving as "editor" is merely a cheaply salaried tool who is in way over her head. She's there because she said, yes, I can ensure that Southland doesn't lose money. But there are consequences. The junior-high-level shock value writing may have played in OC, but it's obvious by the crap she's spewing out that she knows about and has little respect for L.A. readers. The arrogant, stupid Southland people who allowed a monkey to run their shop are getting what they deserve.
BTW: I'm Jewish, and though I wasn't fully offended by the Hitler thing, I thought it was a cheap and desperate attention getting device.