Stadhuset Harvard was criticized for a joke about Holocaust victims and a photo of Anne Frank in a bikini

Harvard Lampoon, «Harvard lampoonist» student humor magazine from 143-year history, among whose former authors are John Updike and Conan O’brien, and one of the most iconic satirical publications in the United States. Recently his track record there is a new item — an insult to the memory of Holocaust victims.

In the room which were published on 12 may 2019, you will notice the title: «who Left us before his time: Virtual technology has shown what it might look like Anne Frank, if not dead.» Below is a photo of a woman in a bikini glued to her body using photoshop his head to Frank, and under the picture is written: «Another reason why the Holocaust sucks.»

The response was immediate: dozens of students and human rights activists have condemned the publication for trying to sexualize a 15-year-old girl and a victim of the Holocaust, and change.org on the same day there was a petition demanding that the leadership of Harvard called «lampoonist» to the answer. To date, it was signed by 544 people.

«To insinuate that the value of the life of Anne Frank, which we remember for her courage and durability, is solely about looks and body is just humiliating. — wrote one of the students, Jenny Baker, on Facebook — <…> Can you try to be funny, not turn the murder of a teenage girl and the genocide of an entire people into a sex joke?»

Facebook had twice deleted the post Jenny because contained therein is the screenshot of the photo, as the «violated» the social network.

It was supported by Paulette Schuster, describing a photo as «unfunny, ignorant, inhuman, full of hate, and promotes pedophilia» and Recalling that «last week people around the world mourned the millions killed during the Holocaust.»

Among the criticized journal, Rabbi and Executive Director of Harvard Hillel, John S. Steinberg, sent the wording «lampoonist» electronic letter in which he called the image «obscenity worthy of the Nazis.»

«Your decision to stick the face of Anne Frank to your pictures in pin-up — much more than just bad taste and a provocation <…>, writes Steinberg Is child abuse, who in his lifetime became a victim of one of the worst crimes in the world.»

According to the author of the petition Dana mudannayake the offensive photo is not the only alarm bell that accompanies editions of the Harvard Lampoon, and only one of the proofs «rooted in the publication in recent years of an atmosphere of racism, sexism and elitism». Mudannayake cites the example of one of the recent issues of the journal, which «I analiziroval suicide, 9/11 and the shooting in schools» and notes that the staff «lampoonist» is regularly used racist, sexist and homophobic expression.

«Like <…> prevents women and minorities to engage in satire, exacerbating an already serious problem of discrimination in this field,» she said.

In its official statement, the Lampoon editors apologized for the photo, assuring readers that condemns «any form of anti-Semitism» and promised «to review the work of the newspaper to prevent the publication of such content». Guide «lampoonist» also said that «will develop a system that will improve the quality of publications and the organizational process as a whole» and got in touch with Rabbi Steinberg, proposing to meet to bring a personal apology.

«We are aware of how offensive did, and realize that we need to answer for their actions.»
from the official statement of the Harvard Lampoon

«I hope these students don’t think their mistake was the decision to publish anti-Semitic joke, which upset the Jewish community. he said BuzzFeed News — Their mistake — in a conscious decision to take a photograph of a murdered child and turn it into pornography».

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