Strange Web Trends: Nazi Re-Subtitles

Viral video mashups often play off of jarring juxtapositions. The Brokeback parodies, the animated Soulja Boy remixes, and even the basic webcam lip-synch videos rely on an internal and intrinsic contrast. But these oddball combinations pale in their scope when held up against numerous videos of the same rancorous scene from the film The Downfall, each with a re-subtitled treatment.

Hitler Gets Banned (His Ultimate Downfall)

The film tells the story of Adolf Hitler’s final hours at the end of World War II in a bunker in Berlin. The scene in the film depicts Hitler’s self-deception as he learns that the German war machine has crumbled and Allied forces are quickly closing in; his cinematic tantrum is on par with “Angry German Kid’s” video game-induced fit.

Hitler: Bloodthirsty Dictator, Die-hard Cowboys Fan

The first of these Aryan mashups I could find was posted a little over a year ago and showed Hitler flipping out over his recently stolen car; it received unimpressive video views. But with the help of some Digg love and X-Box fans and critics’ strong opinions on Microsoft’s draconian anti-modding policies, the video of Hitler’s canceled X-Box Live has earned over two million views. More recently, Cracked.com, the online arm of the long-running humor magazine, posted Hitler’s sports fan frenzy following the Cowboys’ devastating loss in NFC championship. The video has garnered over a million views since its posting a mere week ago.

The Downfall of HD-DVD

A key to this strange web trend is the ease of creating your own version. Adding a new set of subtitles is exceedingly easy and allows the author to take the clip in absolutely any direction they want, as you can see from the variety of themes. From modded X-Boxes to the high-def format wars to the Cowboys defeat, Hitler’s wrath is equally vehement.

The videos are a sort of discordant pop culture. Hitler’s hyperbolic furor works because we all know how adamant fanboys and sports fans can be. Seeing history’s leading megalomaniac strangely humanized in a road rage-esque outburst puts the world’s important figures in a humbler light. Conversely, it puts the frivolities of modern day drama and format wars in an appropriately cowing context.