Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:59:45 -0500
To: <puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] The Third Reich Had a Puppet Theatre/So did the


The Nazi government actually created the Reichsinstitut fur Puppenspiel,
which promulgated Kasperl handpuppet theater with a Nazi edge.  The
anarchist impulses of Kasperl were tamed, and the villains of the puppet
shows became Jews and other Nazi scapegoats.  Exaggerated anti-Semitic
features were of course part of these Nazi puppets, and the performances
were also very much targeted for kids.  I believe some of the Nazi
Kasperl shows are on display at the Munich puppet theater museum.

Catriona Kelley, in her book "Petrushka and the Russian Carnival Puppet
Theater" likewise talks about how Petrushka was used by the Soviets.  I
am sure that Punch and Guignol played similar political roles during the
World Wars in Europe.

john bell

-----Original Message-----
From: puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org
[mailto:puptcrit-bounces-AT-puptcrit.org] On Behalf Of Alan Cook
Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 11:16 AM
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: [Puptcrit] The Third Reich Had a Puppet Theatre/So did the
SovietUnion

Before the rise of Hitler there already was a puppet tradition in
Germany & Austria (not to mention a thriving toy industry). Before
Stalin there was Petroushka. Along with that were sculptors,
playwrights, painters, musicians and other artists---not a few perished
under these totalitarian regimes. The governments tried to harness the
arts for propaganda (a word which once referred to the dissemination of
information, but since the "information" was all a BIG LIE the word
"propaganda" quickly took on a new meaning.)

One can look at Hitler as a failure---a mediocre artist whose talent did
not equal his ambition so everything was based on lies, greed,
megalomania, collective clinical nacissism. Stalin and Hitler had huge
egos (variations on the theme of super race or I'm better than everybody
because I say so)

The amount of destruction of great architecture, books, paintings
collectively called "the lost treasures of Europe" was staggering.

What kind of legacy is that?

Sadly, the BIG LIE technique is not limited to any one country. Lee
Atwater used it successfully to elect George W Bush, and the USA is
hardly the better for it. We have not offcially been in a RECESSION, and
now it turns out we have been in a recession for the past 11 months.
Some of us knew it all along. The big lie is meant to divide and take
over power, but the result is just another big mess. When organized
religion becomes a participant in the BIG LIE it becomes corrupt In
California we saw that with Prop 8 last month.

By their fruit shall ye know them.

ALAN COOK


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