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‘Warped and deranged’: Hitler Valentine’s Day products withdrawn from sale

By Tony Moore

Valentine’s Day gifts featuring images of Nazi despot Adolf Hitler surrounded by love hearts were withdrawn from sale on Sunday by an apologetic online business.

The Spicy Baboon website sells a range of T-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads and similar products emblazoned with cheeky images.

The controversial Valentine’s Day image, which was removed from sale by an online company on Sunday.

The controversial Valentine’s Day image, which was removed from sale by an online company on Sunday.Credit: Spicy Baboon

One image of Hitler with a rose between his teeth, surrounded by love hearts, and with the phrase “Be Mein” below it infuriated leading anti-hate campaigner Dr Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission.

“Anyone who ... believes there is no way to express love than through Hitler, it’s a very warped and deranged mind,” Abramovich said.

He said there was no case for the image being considered satirical, or that enough time had passed for Hitler to be classified as a source of humour.

“Would we have the same conversation if the image was of a child molester, a serial rapist, or someone who murdered women?” he said.

“Why use a monster such as Hitler – who was responsible for the extermination of six million Jews, including 1.5 million children, the gas chambers of Auschwitz, the execution of families in open fields, and the crushing of babies’ skulls – to express love?

“To associate him with Valentine’s Day is a profound insult to the memory of the victims. When I saw it last night, I was speechless.”

Abramovich asked for an apology and for the product to be immediately withdrawn.

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Spicy Baboon owner Scott Mackenroth apologised and said the company originally thought so much time had passed since the Holocaust, the image would be seen as cheeky fun “between couples”.

“We were never trying to glorify that man in any way. It was meant to be a joke between people, and we obviously have a different sense of humour to some,” Mackenroth said.

He said he received calls from upset customers on Saturday and Sunday, and the management team decided to remove the products after Abramovich’s concerns were raised with them.

“I even had one lady personally call me from Sydney inviting me to Sydney to go through some museums to learn of Hitler’s impact. I told her I really appreciated that,” he said.

“We had not had that sort of perspective before. On reflection with the team, we are in the process of removing the product from the site. It will no longer be for sale.”

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Mackenroth said the young company, which began after he and others lost their jobs during COVID, was not aware of the depth of feeling that remains in the community concerning Hitler and the Holocaust.

“This is obviously far more offensive to people than we had originally thought, and based on the experiences of people who have had a direct impact, we agreed to remove the products.”

Mackenroth, a distant relative of respected former Queensland deputy premier and treasurer Terry Mackenroth, apologised, saying: “We didn’t want to offend anyone. We just want to bring some humour to the world.”

In an unrelated incident on January 10, neo-Nazi imagery and brochures were dropped in letterboxes in Auchenflower and Paddington.

On January 19, counterterrorist police charged three men after discovering a cache of Nazi banners, stickers and leaflets.

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/warped-and-deranged-hitler-valentine-s-day-products-withdrawn-from-sale-20230129-p5cgaj.html