this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2025
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[–] [email protected] 18 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/2/17/14613234/pewdiepie-nazi-satire-alt-right

He has repeatedly and overtly used Nazi imagery, made a multitude of "jokes" like this:

Mr. Kjellberg says the material is portrayed in jest. He showed a clip from a Hitler speech in a Sept. 24 video criticizing a YouTube policy, posted swastikas drawn by his fans on Oct. 15 and watched a Hitler video in a brown military uniform to conclude a Dec. 8 video. He also played the Nazi Party anthem before bowing to a swastika in a mock resurrection ritual on Jan. 14, and included a very brief Nazi salute with a Hitler voice-over saying “Sieg Heil” and the text “Nazi Confirmed” near the beginning of a Feb. 5 video.

[...]

In addition to more overt Nazi symbolism, Kjellberg makes references to the alt-right that are veiled but obvious if you know where to look. In one video from late August, he makes an extended racist joke comparing Harambe the gorilla to Saturday Night Live and Ghostbusters actress and comedian Leslie Jones, echoing the widespread politically tinged, racist harassment that Jones endured last summer, largely from the alt-right.

And in another video from November, Kjellberg overlays a swastika, along with audio of a speech from Hitler, over unrelated commentary about clickbait YouTube channels. He then goes on to refer to BuzzFeed as “a bunch of cucks” — “cuck” being an alt-right buzzword.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 hours ago

Has nothing new has come up since 2017-2018?

[–] [email protected] -3 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Absolutely true for the time the article was written (2017). He changed his ways after the Christchurch attacks which happened in 2019.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (2 children)

He has stated his favourite author is a Japanse fascist who wanted to restore the emperor, Yukio Mishima, who tried to do a coup and killed himself when he failed.

But I'm sure he just likes the guy for his prose, and has no particular fixation or interest in Nazi and fascist imagery and politics.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

When did he state this? Recently?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

Mate, are you really just gonna keep moving the goalposts and doing this subpar jordan peterson fan shit?

Imagine being this pathetically tied to a youtuber, holy shit.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 hour ago

Mate, did "the left" eat your brain that much that you blame completely different person for things they didn't do?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 hours ago

"Keep moving the goalposts"? Mate this is my first comment in this comment chain. And it does make a difference to me personally if someone said something before a very public turnaround 5 years ago, or recently after this change

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I agree with the other things people mentioned, and I don't care that he did it for the money, attention of if he has nazi views (the point that he did it is important). But Mishima is really stretching it. He is really popular outside Japan and has a good prose. Much much nore non nazis like his writing so I wouldn't call it a dog whistle.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

If it acts like a Nazi, Likes Nazi reading, And insists it's not a Nazi.

It's a Nazi.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 hours ago

I agree about that part, just that it shouldn't be used against other people who like Mishima (he is not my cup of tea but some people I know who like him are definitrly not nazis)