Presentation by Marshall Fowler

 Does soup nazi exploit?  Is it funny?  More harm than good?

 The word nazi, in today's society, is spelled with a lowercase n except in the most strict sense. This suggests a decrease in the importance, and significance of the word.  The word nazi is now associated with fanatic individuals.  Many believe that once the meaning of the word nazi strays from its origins that the original meaning will be pushed out of our collective memory making the lesson less important.

 Social norms of the 90’s gave us permission to laugh at individuals who made fun of themselves.  The term “soup nazi” is an ironic parody meaning that it is funny because it is used to describe something much less serious  This will no longer be funny when the more serious meaning is forgotten rendering the metaphor outdated. This would be much worse than the laughter it receives.

 The people of the United States have become much less innocent and much less naive over time because of the introduction of technology. This technology will not allow one to forget events that happen.  Some individuals are offended by its use.  Comedy is seen as an art, and art is seen as a way of preservation.  Using this metaphor often keeps the thought in ones mind even if the word has a slightly different meaning someone will not be able to understand the metaphor if they do not understand the history behind it.

 The author believes that while the use of nazi as a metaphor comparing the tragic events of World War II to a fanatical individual brings about more good than harm. While it does offend some it will help to preserve the memories and lessons learned from thoes tragic times