Auschwitz Museum Berates TikTok Users For ‘Roleplaying’ As Holocaust Victims
Image via Shutterstock
A new trend of roleplaying as Holocaust victims has hit TikTok, upsetting many from inside and outside the Jewish community. The Auschwitz Museum has now spoken out about the videos.
The museum, located on the site where over a million Jewish people were executed in gas chambers, called out the trend as “hurtful and offensive.”
“Some videos are dangerously close or already beyond the border of trivialization of history,” the establishment said in a statement. "But we should discuss this not to shame and attack young people whose motivation seem very diverse. It’s an educational challenge,” it added.
The trend features users with makeup mimicking burns and ragged clothing to reenact victims in the Nazi death camps. Some users also included the Star of David badge in their personification.
Though a number of TikTokkers have defended their videos as being attempts to raise awareness for the historic event, the museum added that “not every social media activity can commemorate the Holocaust.”
“It always demands respect towards the victims, proper language and context as well as factual accuracy,” the museum highlighted.
The 'victims' trend on TikTok can be hurtful & offensive. Some videos are dangerously close or already beyond the border of trivialization of history.
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) August 26, 2020
But we should discuss this not to shame & attack young people whose motivation seem very diverse. It's an educational challenge. pic.twitter.com/CB4Ve2uRUK
@tiktok_us did these girls really cosplay a holocaust victim and narrative for a tik tok.. such a callous mockery of the genocide of millions of jews and other marginalized groups, i feel sick #Holocaust #tiktok #holocaustchallenge (more to follow) pic.twitter.com/ZeDeddkRQ8
— Patricia🏳️🌈✡️ (@Mowgli_Lincoln) August 18, 2020
[via Dazed, cover image via Shutterstock]
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