A YouTube parody video entitled “Hitler finds out he didn’t make Union president” was taken down after several members of the Oxford Union whose names featured in subtitles of the video, including Union President Izzy Westbury, expressed that they were offended by it.
The video showed a clip from the 2004 war film Downfall, which shows the final ten days of the Fuhrer’s life in a Berlin bunker. The changed subtitles depicted Hitler’s rage upon finding out he had lost the Union elections to Izzy Wesbury.
The video did not seem to target any particular individual although it mentioned the names of several standing committee members and ex-officers. Though there is no suggestion that the character represented by Hitler is directly intended as an attack upon either of the losing candidates at least one Union officer reported that the video had caused offence within Union ranks.
The statement released by the Union stated that, “The Union deeply deplores racist slurs or tasteless personal attacks and even if the perpetrator perhaps thought it amusing, the Union absolutely does not.
“As far as we know, and just as we would expect, no one on the Union committee had any input into this video. All committee members are aware of the high standards of behaviour required of them, and the rules by which they are bound.
“We would like to stress that the Union has no control over what members of the University or the general public say or write about the Union.
“The Union is widely regarded as a bastion of free speech, and in this tradition we would not want to unduly control or stifle what people say, be it complimentary or critical.”
The video was originally posted by a user named “rajivspielberg” which led many Union members to point the finger at Rajiv Dattani, a member of the Standing Committee.
Dattani however, absolved himself of all responsibility in a statement to Cherwell on Monday 10 October.
“I most certainly did not create this video. “I believe that most Oxford students would realise that the creator of this video would not be foolish enough to use their real name.
“This is especially true of a member of the Oxford Union, given it contravenes with [Union rules] which would leave them liable for disciplinary action.” The rule contravened labels “violent conduct or other behaviour on the Society’s premises liable to distress, offend or intimidate other members” as misconduct.
Dattani continued, “I would not like to speculate as to who it was made by, but I believe that the video is highly inappropriate, and hope that the creator realises this and removes it from Youtube.”
Since then, the video has been taken off the website.
Another Union insider confirmed that “Rajiv Speilberg” was a running joke amongst Union officers because “he may or may not have filmed a tribunal”
An ex-officer told Cherwell it was funny that, “the Union is about freedom of speech, and there’s been a witch-hunt to stop this video.
“I just think it is ironic that on the one hand they invite Nick Griffin, and on the other try to penalise some one who just released a video that is actually quite funny.”
Ryan Kemp, a second year St Peter’s historian who watched the video commented ““I thought the Hitler video was fantastic. Satire is the best form of humour and I think it appears to a lot of people that the Union consumes its members lives and quite possibly their souls as well.
“The video tapped into the cringy parasitic atmosphere effectively, and was popular as a result.” Despite the amusement the video brought to some viewers, one German student, Richard Pollack, who was on Secretary’s Committee last year suggested that the video caused racial offence to German students, telling Cherwell, “I find the video representative of a generally relaxed attitude towards Nazi jokes in Britain, at the receiving end of which, I have frequently found myself.
“A potential housemate once voiced concerns about the gas bill going up, if he lived with me. While it may be due to my apparent lack of humour, I nevertheless fail to laugh at the implicit comparison of an accomplished Union officer with the twentieth century’s most atrocious mass murder.
“I would be delighted if the debate around the video increased awareness of the fact that the substantial number of German students at this university is rather unamused by these offences, which occur on a daily basis.”
The video showed a clip from the 2004 war film Downfall, which shows the final ten days of the Fuhrer’s life in a Berlin bunker. The changed subtitles depicted Hitler’s rage upon finding out he had lost the Union elections to Izzy Wesbury.
The video did not seem to target any particular individual although it mentioned the names of several standing committee members and ex-officers. Though there is no suggestion that the character represented by Hitler is directly intended as an attack upon either of the losing candidates at least one Union officer reported that the video had caused offence within Union ranks.
The statement released by the Union stated that, “The Union deeply deplores racist slurs or tasteless personal attacks and even if the perpetrator perhaps thought it amusing, the Union absolutely does not.
“As far as we know, and just as we would expect, no one on the Union committee had any input into this video. All committee members are aware of the high standards of behaviour required of them, and the rules by which they are bound.
“We would like to stress that the Union has no control over what members of the University or the general public say or write about the Union.
“The Union is widely regarded as a bastion of free speech, and in this tradition we would not want to unduly control or stifle what people say, be it complimentary or critical.”
The video was originally posted by a user named “rajivspielberg” which led many Union members to point the finger at Rajiv Dattani, a member of the Standing Committee.
Dattani however, absolved himself of all responsibility in a statement to Cherwell on Monday 10 October.
“I most certainly did not create this video. “I believe that most Oxford students would realise that the creator of this video would not be foolish enough to use their real name.
“This is especially true of a member of the Oxford Union, given it contravenes with [Union rules] which would leave them liable for disciplinary action.” The rule contravened labels “violent conduct or other behaviour on the Society’s premises liable to distress, offend or intimidate other members” as misconduct.
Dattani continued, “I would not like to speculate as to who it was made by, but I believe that the video is highly inappropriate, and hope that the creator realises this and removes it from Youtube.”
Since then, the video has been taken off the website.
Another Union insider confirmed that “Rajiv Speilberg” was a running joke amongst Union officers because “he may or may not have filmed a tribunal”
An ex-officer told Cherwell it was funny that, “the Union is about freedom of speech, and there’s been a witch-hunt to stop this video.
“I just think it is ironic that on the one hand they invite Nick Griffin, and on the other try to penalise some one who just released a video that is actually quite funny.”
Ryan Kemp, a second year St Peter’s historian who watched the video commented ““I thought the Hitler video was fantastic. Satire is the best form of humour and I think it appears to a lot of people that the Union consumes its members lives and quite possibly their souls as well.
“The video tapped into the cringy parasitic atmosphere effectively, and was popular as a result.” Despite the amusement the video brought to some viewers, one German student, Richard Pollack, who was on Secretary’s Committee last year suggested that the video caused racial offence to German students, telling Cherwell, “I find the video representative of a generally relaxed attitude towards Nazi jokes in Britain, at the receiving end of which, I have frequently found myself.
“A potential housemate once voiced concerns about the gas bill going up, if he lived with me. While it may be due to my apparent lack of humour, I nevertheless fail to laugh at the implicit comparison of an accomplished Union officer with the twentieth century’s most atrocious mass murder.
“I would be delighted if the debate around the video increased awareness of the fact that the substantial number of German students at this university is rather unamused by these offences, which occur on a daily basis.”
