Edit: I'll leave the comment for what it is, but after thinking on it a bit I feel that this is not something worth arguing over. While I do think there should be more nuance in these things, the fact of the matter is that PewDiePie acted racist and I do disagree with that. And he doesn't need (or perhaps deserve) random internet people to defend him against other random internet people. I guess I'm just in 'hating the media' mode but that's another discussion best not conflated with an issue such as this one. So my apologies for raising a stink.

> Growing up, as far back as primary school, we would do the Hitler salute, quote the man, or make jokes about jews or gas chambers.

>> If that kind of disgusting behavior has been normalized then it really does need to be called out. Dutch and Swedish culture aren't beyond criticism.

I don't disagree with that at all. I find that the Dutch in particular often seem to value breaking taboos and as a result can be needlessly insulting or hurtful. I'm not a fan.

> Other popular edgy topics include loud homophobia, and ironically anal fixation. It was mostly the guys who did this, but it was rampant nonetheless (and IMO not indicative of deep-seated isms).

>> As a gay person I can tell you that it's not very comforting to know that loudly homophobic people don't consider themselves to be homophobes. You might want to consider the effects of your actions on other people from time to time.

Did you read the part where I changed my ways as I realized the effects such jokes could have? I can't help but feel that you've simply decided that you disagree with me and are now not even bothering to actually read my comments. Or otherwise maybe I've not expressed myself well, in which case I (honestly) apologize.

> including overt endorsement of the Nazis and gas chamber jokes. As far as I can tell none of us are anti-semites or fascists.

>> So your Jewish friends are all laughing along with you at the gas chamber jokes?

Yes, and quite often they're the ones who started it. Furthermore, my (fellow) gay friends make more and harsher 'gay jokes' than my straight friends. But all in the right context.

And again, I'm describing the state of things, not promoting this kind of behavior.

>> edit: I was foolish enough to take the word of you and other posters regarding the wording of the initial WSJ article. In fact, the article does not say that PewDiePie is anti-semitic, and it mentions that he was "joking". So I really have no idea what you guys are complaining about.

I can't speak for other posters, but I was 'complaining' about this:

>> I'm not sure I really buy his explanation for this anyway. Sure, the various bits of Nazi propaganda that he puts in his videos are framed as being part of jokes, but why choose to put Nazi propaganda in your videos on several different occasions? He at least seems to have some kind of unhealthy obsession with it.

You argue that his behavior is not 'normal' (as in, the norm), and then proceed to question the truth of his statement, basically insinuating that he's actually a racist.

I merely wanted to point out that, 1) in my experience as a middle class white guy from Holland, this behavior is rampant and in fact quite 'normal' (as in 'the norm'), and 2) he panders to exactly the age group who is insensitive for its own sake (and dumb enough not to consider any consequences) and responds positively to these immature jokes.

I guess I was just bothered by the fact that people are judging his person instead of his behavior, when in context there's no need to jump to such conclusions, and when in a broader context such polarization doesn't seem the least bit productive to me.

(So just to be clear: my preferred world is one where not a single person is hurt in any way by another person's 'joke', and I'm doing my best to at least make that a reality in my own life.)