By Jesse Fink
February 29th 2008 @ 1:22am
Gumprecht’s only offence is naivete
As if the Central Coast Mariners didn’t have enough headaches following Sunday’s controversial and spiteful A-League grand final.
They now have to contend with the ridiculous prospect of Andre Gumprecht, an affable, popular bloke up Gosford way, being put through the wringer by the Football Federation Australia’s disciplinary committee for wearing a so-called “Hitler” costume to the club’s Mad Monday celebrations.
Gumprecht is a shattered man. He told Sydney’s Daily Telegraph on Wednesday: “It was a big mistake and a stupid mistake. I’m just devastated. It’s really sad that I’ve offended communities and I’m very disappointed and feeling sorry. I would like to apologise to everyone out there who was offended by my actions and I will do whatever it takes to make it up to them. If they want me to go to their house and apologise in person, I will do it.”
Contrite enough, FFA? Clearly not. Gumprecht was compelled to explain further.
“Being a German, it’s very sad, but when you talk about Germans in Australia or anywhere, then straight away people call you a Nazi or Hitler, because that’s the only thing they know about Germany… I’m educated, I know what happened to the Jewish people. It’s the worst thing that ever happened and the German community has made sure nothing like this will happen again.
“Growing up in East Germany, you go through a very hard schooling and they let you know about every single bit about German history. They make you watch a movie when you’re about ten, it’s compulsory for every student.
“Those documentaries are very graphic. They don’t hold back. We saw dead people and how people starved to death. I remember half the class leaving the room vomiting. It was shocking.”
By late afternoon Wednesday, Gumprecht had even taken the step of writing an open letter to the German and Australian people, which he signed off by saying: “I unreservedly apologise for my apparent insensitivity and lack of forethought.”
Give the poor guy a break! Leave it there, FFA. But no, the book is gonna be thrown at Gumprecht with an almighty thud and after he’s been appropriately shamed and ostracised we’re all going to be somehow empowered and ennobled by the federation’s piety.
When are people going to realise that continuing to outlaw such silly things only makes them more potent as symbols?
Mel Brooks, a Jew, has been taking the mickey out of Hitler for years, as did Charlie Chaplin, who was rumoured to be Jewish, well before him. And who can forget Louis de Funès in the classic French comedy Le Grand Restaurant?
In late 2006, rather famously, a kid in Brooklyn called Walter Petryk turned up at his high school’s Halloween celebrations dressed as the Nazi dictator. The school authorities asked him to remove the costume. He refused. Even his Jewish stepfather Harold Bloom, who lost relatives in the Nazi genocide, supported his right to free speech.
“If he had wanted to advocate my genocide, I wouldn’t have allowed it,” he said. “That wasn’t the spirit in which he was doing this at all. He was doing it in the spirit of Monty Python and Mel Brooks.”
Apparently, though, according to the FFA, it’s not okay if you’re German or any other nationality to lampoon Der Führer, which would be news even to some Germans.
Wasn’t defusing the potency of such symbols a large part of why the World Cup was held in Germany? Wasn’t it about acknowledging the past, accepting it and simply “moving on”?
Was not a German comedy about Hitler, Mein Fuehrer: The Truly Truest Truth About Adolf Hitler, released in Germany just last year?
As Der Spiegel said about that film and others like it (try Downfall) in breaking down the Hitler myth: “[It] makes him more everyday, perhaps easier to understand, in any case smaller. The ultimate way to shrink a myth is to make it laughable.”
Precisely. Something more people should do and more regularly if we ever hope to consign the horrible little one-balled blighter to where he belongs: history. Instead, by enshrining his myth, the people who want most to break it down – Holocaust survivors, Jewish community groups, politicians, and so on – are protecting it.
Belittling a historical figure does not mean belittling historical crimes. And the hypocrisy of such do-gooders is breathtaking. I’ve seen partygoers routinely dress up as Stalin, Hirohito, Genghis Khan, Charles de Gaulle, Osama bin Laden, Spanish conquistadors and sundry nasties of yore, but does anyone bat an eyelid?
Something like this I regard as questionable, but a swatch of cloth above Gumprecht’s nose?
He looks like an idiot. He’s German. He’s supposed to be laughed at. Wouldn’t it be better if we all just laughed at him (or at the very least pitied him for his choice of costume) instead of reacting with politically correct indignation?
And I haven’t even mentioned his teammate Tony Vidmar yet, who made the misjudgment of turning up to the club’s event as Morgan Freeman’s “God” character from the Jim Carrey movie Bruce Almighty (his nickname at the club is “God”). Freeman is black. Vidmar is white. White guy turns to boot polish to get into character. Quelle horreur!
The simple fact of the matter is Gumprecht could have been better advised, no more. A federation with an Israeli-Australian as its chairman was never likely to look upon his choice of costume favourably. Wearing a Hitler outfit doesn’t make Gumprecht a Nazi sympathiser any more than it does me for defending him. He’s just a footballer dressed up as Hitler.
Get some perspective, FFA. And lighten up.
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(14)
Midfielder said | February 29th 2008 @ 8:33am | Report comment
Jes,
Very strongly agree with you, and taking the micky is done by everyone, we have a germany guy in our over 35 team, nay over 50 many of us, but anyway we have done the germany hilter thing at times.
Kazama said | February 29th 2008 @ 9:14am | Report comment
I think the reaction to Gumprecht’s mistake is a sign of the times. IMO we live in a society were people take every little thing too seriously and everyone’s first reaction seems to be “press charges.” If you make a mistake these days, regardless of you are, someone will be out to get you.
And let’s not kid ourselves, there is no such thing as ‘free’ speech. You might be able to do and say what you like, but it’s going to cost you.
Hopovski said | February 29th 2008 @ 10:54am | Report comment
FFA should concentrate on far more important stuff. Stop wasting time and money on minor stuff like this.
Why not fine Vukovic for promoting wild parties and brawls with his “Corey Delaney” get-up as well?? Get a life…
Millster said | February 29th 2008 @ 11:12am | Report comment
On the one hand I feel that Gumprecht and Vidmar were stupid. There has been enough drama about other celebrities doing tasteless dress-up (I seem to remember Prince Harry pulling the same stunt) that they should have known better.
BUT… on the other hand 2 things…
1. Sports people have done far worse. There are no implications that they took drugs, got violent, sexually harrassed / assaulted anyone, damaged property, or caused any other form of mayhem. This in comparison to some of the suff you read is relatively tame.
2. I recall just recently a blog here about privacy of sports people and the line between celebrity and sporting performance. This after-season party was a private one, and has nothing to do with their footballing skills or results. Should it be a public issue at all?
cosmos forever said | February 29th 2008 @ 11:54am | Report comment
I thought the new football wasn’t about making decisions based on ethnic origin. By all means throw the book at Grumpy – IF a thorough review of all outfits worn by ALL players in ALL Mad Monday sessions is undertaken and offence measured from a range of cultural viewpoints.
Otherwise this just look a bit like the Lowy’s making all the decisions based on their own personal and cultural background…
PS – why the hell to footballers have to dress up anyway, where did this stupid Mad Monday thing come from?
Rob of Perth said | February 29th 2008 @ 3:07pm | Report comment
On the subject of Hitler, here is one of my favourite videos on YouTube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8nh7gm4jj6c
Jesse Fink said | February 29th 2008 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
Hopovski said:
“Why not fine Vukovic for promoting wild parties and brawls with his “Corey Delaney” get-up as well?? Get a life…”
Hahahaha. I thought Vukovic’s get-up was inspired and rather uncanny, didn’t you?
Hopovski said | February 29th 2008 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
I thought it was pretty funny Jesse. But, as recent form suggests, who would be surprised to see the FFA punish a costume like that?
Hopovski said | February 29th 2008 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
I thought it was pretty funny Jesse. But, as recent form suggests they might, who would be surprised to see the FFA punish a costume like that?
sledgeross said | February 29th 2008 @ 3:53pm | Report comment
Its just the media fishing for a story. Its a non-event and non-offensive unless they run a story. I wouldnt put it past the Tele taking the photos and then ringing around the Eastern Suburbs asking if people are offended by Hitler. Its gutter journalism at its best.
Lets be pedantic about it. He wasnt wearing a Nazi uniform (it was British) and he wasnt wearing a Swastika. I have plenty of mates of German origin who get called Hitler, Adolf and Nazi’s not because they share the same philosophy, but merely becasue, as Andre pointed out, we generalise alot in society. We only really know about Germany from what we learn about WW2, hence we all make that Nazi call.
Midfielder said | February 29th 2008 @ 5:24pm | Report comment
sledgeross
You said ………I wouldnt put it past the Tele taking the photos and then ringing around the Eastern Suburbs asking if people are offended by Hitler……………..thats very funny …………… and maybe close to the truth. Top call
Cpaaa said | February 29th 2008 @ 6:37pm | Report comment
at fancy dress parties are there any other clauses besides,
“dont dress as hitler ”
that i should know about?
what a load of belony
….but the full back page on the daily telegraph of Vukovic as corey delaney was an absolute gem.
i like the guy even more now
….this is great for gumprechts career as well. would anyone boo the guy next time he runs on the pitch. Na.hes a bit of a muscat now i think. a house hold name and a crowd pleaser.
seems like everyone had a good time. at least no one was kicking little fury animals or knocking each other out.
StPauli-StKilda said | February 29th 2008 @ 7:33pm | Report comment
I think the response to Gumprecht’s actions have been fair, and his apology has been appropriate.
With that said, it It is wrong to compare his Mad Monday costume as being of the same artistic sentiment as Charlie Chaplin and Mel Brooks.
Of course there are times to talk about and ridicule figures like Hitler, it’s just that a players piss-up is probably not that forum.
Jesse, you added these comments:
“Growing up in East Germany, you go through a very hard schooling and they let you know about every single bit about German history. They make you watch a movie when you’re about ten, it’s compulsory for every student.
“Those documentaries are very graphic. They don’t hold back. We saw dead people and how people starved to death. I remember half the class leaving the room vomiting. It was shocking.”
Is that meant to make me feel sorry for him?
Because when I grew up watching the same footage, I was doing so with the knowledge that any of those horrible images could have been of a relative.
For all those out there who think it’s boring or just a beat-up, have a bit of heart. You may not make an emotional connection to it, but it doesn’t mean other people can’t be offended.
Ben of Phnom Penh said | February 29th 2008 @ 9:22pm | Report comment
An interesting sign of the times. It seems that as football becomes more popular in Australia the media attention on players in growing as well. This means that players have to be aware of their public persona off the pitch more and more often. It is something that players need to be acutely aware of and an aspect of professional sports that the clubs need to fully understand. Whether we condone the actions of Gumprecht or not the fact remains that the tabloid media enjoys smut and this is a risk that needs to be mitigated by clubs ensuring that players are fully aware that sections of the media will take advantage of situations in order to drum up a sensation. If you are sailing in the grey there will be those who will ensure that you are reported as being well in the black.
Incidentally why is this an issue for the FFA and not the club?
Sadly, given much of the Australian footballing media’s apparent lack of knowledge of Asia, if he had turned up as Than Shwe nobody would have commented.