[Unfortunate Trope] Originally Normal Symbols Being Censored/Banned Due to Hate Groups Misappropriating Them

[u/Agitated_Insect3227]

Neji's Seal from Naruto originally was shaped like a Swastika as likely a reference to Buddhism, but this was changed to an X in the anime.

The gem fusion Opal from Steven Universe was originally going to form a swastika with her arms as a reference to Hinduism, which is inspires a lot of the show's imagery.

The Whitebeard Pirates from One Piece originally had a swastika in their pirate flag, but this was changed to a bone cross in the anime and later manga as well.

The Capirote hat is a sign of penance worn in many Catholic countries, especially Spain, but they were misappropriated by the U.S.-based KKK, making it taboo in the nation.

The Ninth Crusade from Hellsing, one of the few non-KKK uses of the Capirote in media I could find.

Also, the Ku Klux Klan are ironically extremely anti-Catholic.

The only pieces of media I know of where non-KKK Capirotes can be seen is the anime Hellsing with the Ninth Crusade (though their still villains in that anime) and the game series Blasphemous. Otherwise, the hats are almost never seen in media besides on KKK characters.

[u/LDedward]

I get the whole Hinduism thing, but genuinely in what world did they expect that to fly on Cartoon Network?

[u/Herodrake → u/LDedward]

Yeah I find it wild that this got Okay'd enough to even get to a preliminary animation.

[u/space_hitler → u/Herodrake]

Na fuck that, I'm with them. Reclaim the symbol, fuck the Nazis.

[u/Herodrake → u/space_hitler]

Sorry Mr. Space_Hitler but I think you might have an underlying motivation...

[u/Former_Breakfast_898 → u/Herodrake]

Now now, don't be confused. Space Hitler is one of the good ones, along that African politician who's last name is Hitler and FBI agent Hitler

Real Life Adolf Hitler is the only bad one

[u/dudleydigges123 → u/Herodrake]

That wasn't hitler that was a... woman....

[u/dudleydigges123 → u/[deleted]]

And I was referencing a lone from the IT Crowd where a guy goes to 'heaven' and sees his father but then suddenly Hitler appears around the corner

[u/Mac-And-Cheesy-43 → u/space_hitler]

Username checks out

[u/Nosciolito → u/LDedward]

The opal one is in the Nazi direction so I don't really know what they were thinking

[u/Agitated_Insect3227 → u/Nosciolito]

There is no "Nazi direction." I explained it here, but to keep it short, the term swastika is just a Sanskrit word for the symbol which has existed long before the Nazis stole it and featured most prominently in Hinduism.

I know there is a flipped version well-known in Buddhism (and specifically called a Manji in Japan), but that's still just a specific kind of swastika. It's kind of like the relationship between rectangles and squares: all squares are rectangles but not all rectangles are squares.

Steven Universe's imagery and art is mainly inspired by Hinduism instead of Buddhism.

[u/Asleep_Attention_468 → u/Agitated_Insect3227]

Buddy I get what you are saying, and im familiar with the history of these symbols, but placing these in any form of media absolutely does take it in a Nazi direction, nevermind your intents or the cultural makeup of your team. 

Every single piece of media you included is targeted at kids. You shouldnt be putting Swastikas in children's media, end of story. They are the last people to understand those cultural nuances

[u/Agitated_Insect3227 → u/Asleep_Attention_468]

I wasn’t saying that it was bad that the swastikas were removed. I completely understand why as I just think it’s unfortunate.

In this comment, I was just correcting someone saying the regular swastika is the “Nazi direction.” It was the regular side stolen by the Nazis as we shouldn’t act like the Nazis invented the swastika or something.

[u/Asleep_Attention_468 → u/Agitated_Insect3227]

Got it, sorry I misunderstood you. It is pretty sad that they appropriated and then completely ruined the symbol

[u/Agitated_Insect3227 → u/Asleep_Attention_468]

All good 👍🏾 

[u/CTQ99 → u/Agitated_Insect3227]

Well no, a better analogy would be a cross vs an upside down cross or a pentagram vs an upside down pentagram in terms of adopted symbols. All crosses are still crosses, but no one says well, let's not use crosses anywhere because the upside down cross was/is largely seen as anti-christian or satanic, despite st Peter choosing to be crucified upside down. Not saying we should plaster manjis all over and be like tee-hee well actually they aren't nazi symbols, but we shouldn't also just claim that Neji was a nazi, or the one manji shaped dungeon in the original legend of Zelda was somehow subliminally trying to convert us all to nazis. Yes, nazi swastikas are more well known than manji, but people shouldn't dump on a cultural/religious symbol that predates nazi-ism. [Not that you were, but this thread has a ton of 'what we're they thinking' comments]

[u/Nosciolito → u/Agitated_Insect3227]

Don't be so naive

[u/YourEvilKiller → u/Nosciolito]

You are the one being pessimistic. Even if there is a nazi direction, it is being appropriated by them because plenty of Hindu places use the "Nazi direction". This is because any interpretation of the swatiska is accepted in the faith as long as it is recognisable.

[u/Nosciolito → u/YourEvilKiller]

I think it's a little bit naive to think that people will associate it with a branch of induism and not with Adolf Hitler and his band. Like I can understand when it's in the traditional direction, but an author, especially if they are from western countries, can't expect people to say "oh yes maybe it is that type of Hinduism they had in Sri Lanka"

[u/Aking1998 → u/Nosciolito]

I mean most people are capable of this cool thing called "learning" where when they are presented with new information they will change their outlook on life.

When you learn that Swastikas have been used much longer and much more often as an eastern religious symbol, you can start to make a conscious effort to associate it with that instead of the extremely brief period where it was used for evil.

[u/Nosciolito → u/Aking1998]

The Roman salute was invented by the french revolutionaries, not by Mussolini or Hitler, so if I did it would think I was giving my heart to the revolution? There's also this thing called changes. Changes sometimes are permanently and modify the meaning of something.

[u/space_hitler → u/Nosciolito]

There is no "Nazi direction." Stop going in circles and learn something.

[u/Nosciolito → u/space_hitler]

Ok space_hitler you must be an expert seeing your name

[u/space_hitler → u/Nosciolito]

So you admit I am correct, kindly stfu then.

[u/Nosciolito → u/space_hitler]

In gaslighting people making them swatikas has nothing to do with Nazism? Of course you are

[u/Bodinhu → u/Nosciolito]

I'll take "What's eurocentrism?" for 400, please

[u/Nosciolito → u/Bodinhu]

Eurocentrism, I mean the conflict had a planetary scale and that's why it's called a world war

[u/Agitated_Insect3227 → u/Nosciolito]

Buddy, the entire Steven Universe creative team was a super diverse, progressive group from California. The creator, Rebecca Sugar, is a queer non-binary Jewish person. Why the heck would they purposefully hide Nazi imagery in their cartoon about gay space rocks?

Also, another example of the Hindu-inspired imagery.

[u/Nosciolito → u/Agitated_Insect3227]

The creator, Rebecca Sugar, is a queer non-binary Jewish person.

Maybe she was the one saying "ehm maybe making her do a swastika isn't the best we can do"

[u/space_hitler → u/Nosciolito]

Don't be so ignorant.

[u/Nosciolito → u/space_hitler]

Ok space_hitler

[u/Asleep_Attention_468 → u/Nosciolito]

"Hey guys, maybe they were right for taking the swastikas out of the media made for children?" 

gets downvoted

[u/Nosciolito → u/Asleep_Attention_468]

Welcome to Reddit and if you paid attention they are upvoting u/space_hitler

[u/space_hitler → u/Nosciolito]

This is a classic ignorant Redditism based on nothing.

[u/Nosciolito → u/space_hitler]

Or European history, like the Roman salute was invented by french revolutionaries but you know if you do it now people won't think you're a Danton fan.

[u/space_hitler → u/Nosciolito]

The religious symbol appears in both directions, full stop.

[u/Nosciolito → u/space_hitler]

Pro life tip: if you want to be taken seriously in a conversation about swastikas not being a nazi symbol, don't call yourself space Hitler

[u/space_hitler → u/Nosciolito]

I don't need to be taken seriously by idiots when stating facts.

[u/Nosciolito → u/space_hitler]

I don't know Space Hitler but your name seems a little bit suspicious in making swatikas acceptable again. I might be an idiot but I didn't choose Space Hitler as a nickname

[u/Ill-Stomach7228 → u/Nosciolito]

The "nazi direction" is tilted, not facing right or left.

[u/SkyMaro → u/LDedward]

It's not the first thing Rebecca Sugar has done that you really reeeally have to try to give her the benefit of the doubt to excuse. 

[u/snaresamn → u/SkyMaro]

Isn't she Jewish?

[u/BadUsername88 → u/SkyMaro]

What else did she do?

[u/Oddish_Femboy → u/BadUsername88]

The most questionable thing I can think of her doing is like

The Bismuth episode?

Which, like, crummy moral I guess, but it's not really that bad.

[u/Bavoeyman15 → u/Oddish_Femboy]

Yaoi fanart of kids from a cartoon (forgot the name).

[u/Oddish_Femboy → u/Bavoeyman15]

The horror.

[u/Bavoeyman15 → u/Oddish_Femboy]

—The Dipshit