Primary: Becoming Adolf by Rich Cohen
Secondary: Shouting Fire by Alan M Dershowitz
Writing process:
To use Becoming adolf to identify different types of stereotypes; the perception of
(essentially) everything being skewed/swayed towards negative connotations.
To use shouting fire as a secondary resource. Backing up information presented within
as well as presenting the idea that people’s insecurities or misconceptions may lead to the
victimization of others.
Heil Das Schnurrbart!!!
(Hail the Mustache)
Our dear author, Rich Cohen, had decided one day to become Mustache buddies with
one of the most infamous people on this earth. The Toothbrush mustache, commonly known as
the Hitler Stache, has become almost universally unused throughout the world. (P) A Style that
has become suffused with hate of a dictator and synonymous with genocide. Cohen decides to
wear it, discovering exactly why this specific cut of facial hair has becomes "not just a symbol
but a totem of the dictator. A voodoo Doll" (BAE pg. 73)
To understand how these coarse fibers have caused so much pain is to understand who
this man is. We must ask the question, Why is he hated? Cohen describes it aptly, " Because
it's soaked up to much history." This mustache is no longer a style at this point, it has become
Hitler. However because of this, It has absorbed not only Hitler’s Negative emotions and energy
but all of this man's history. Cohen doesn’t make light of Hitler’s actions, rather highlighting how
they overshadowed all of his other accomplishments, turning his stache’ turned into a sponge of
hate.
In our society today, we place tremendous importance on fashion and social standing.
Who wants to be looking like one of the most infamous people in the past century? Many
configurations of fashion have arose, and People constantly strive to find a unique look to own
that few manage to perfect. Those icons, pinnacles of human adoration or detestation,
distinguished because of well… their distinguishing actions. (P)
However, a better question to ask may be, how well known is a given person? We know
about Hitler, we learn damn near everything about him in grade school. He's a boogeyman,
“conceived in the trenches, born in defeat. He inhaled mustard gas and exhaled Zyklon B” (BAE
pg.72) We know every act of murder he was responsible for, every mine he detonated, but do
you know how many works of art had he painted? (P) Little known fact, Hitler was also human.
Our society and education system has near completely glossed over Hitler’s other few
accomplishments. Some may refuse to acknowledge them, but nonetheless they happened,
and to believe otherwise would be ignoramus. Inversely, refusing to acknowledge the horrible
acts that occurred on his command is just as ignorant
Ask yourself, how many different styles seem to be standing out in your head. How
many people do you know that groom their facial hair? How many of those people committed
genocide? How many won a grammy, or are on that sports team, etc... Their acts in history is
what our brain is linking towards, not the person themselves. We remember Lady Gaga and
Doc Brown as the characters and styles they owned, but how many of us remember the lives
behind those faces? We remember Hitler's war, genocide, politics, and mustache as his
contribution to society
During Cohen’s romp as Hitler he was largely avoided. Not many called him out on it, but
he could see that they were largely uncomfortable around him. But “as far as I’m concerned, he
can keep it. You are wearing the worst story in the world right under your nose.” (bae pg 76.)
We see several other types of abusive situations as obvious as Hitler's stache in our everyday
lives. In this era, nearly everything has meaning to some other culture than our own. It would be
quite hard to avoid stepping on anybodies toes. Yet even during his juxtaposition as Hitler, not
one time did Cohen report violence or aggression.
We are able to see in Alan Dershowitz’ Shouting Fire the confusion of misinterpreted and/or
reckless words and actions. (C) Dershowitz argues that the instance “shouting fire” was used in
was “insulting’ and ‘stupid.” However, it is Justice Oliver Holmes that did indeed provide a
solution. By “uttering words that may have all the effect of force” (BAE PG. 291) Holmes sees
the connection between a verbal alarm and causing a general panic. When "cleverly
substituting"(bae pg 290) this alarm as a, say, toothbrush mustache, we see that the amount of
panic caused, was minimal.
This is not always the case however, as we currently live in a very PC (politically correct)
country. While Dershowitz creates a convincing argument against a particular case, a
toothbrush mustache, or other equivalencies, " shouting fire" is a very apt description. Using
Judge Oliver's process we are able substitute different alarms and analyze the resulting panics,
we would see many, many, disturbing revelations. Some might take great offense to a
Toothbrush stache', others might become enraged at the sight of a Care Bear. Some still may
be driven towards acts of violence by just about nearly anything.
Fashion, style, words, actions, all have more in common than we may even believe, In a world
of interconnected cultures we have so much that we cherish, and as much if not more that we
scorn. (C) Something as simple as a mustache may have tremendous implications in another’s
faith or culture. Other fashions or styles that we assume to be cool or hip may in fact be a
sizeable insult.
Cohen, Rich, and Alan M. Dershowitz. The Best American Essays College Edition. Ed.
Robert Antwan. 6th ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011,2008,2004. Print.
Cohen (pg 67-76) Dershowitz (pg. 289-295)
