'Soup Nazi' joke is no longer funny, a restaurateur learns

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

EVERETT — The “Soup Nazi” might have been funny in a November 1995 “Seinfeld” episode, but not in real-life Everett in 2021.

Andrew Ho was planning to open a new restaurant under the name The Soup Nazi Kitchen on Hoyt Avenue downtown within a month. He put a sign up Tuesday afternoon. The sign mounted over the doorway featured a stern-faced female cartoon character holding a ladle and a whip.

By Wednesday morning, someone had spray-painted curse words near the door and shot out windows with a pellet gun.

And social media exploded with angry comments.

Wednesday morning, Ho was downplaying the outrage.

But by late afternoon, he was convinced to take Nazi out of the name. A man he hired climbed a ladder and blacked out the offending word with a paintbrush.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/soup-nazi-joke-is-no-longer-funny-a-restaurateur-learns/

Good God get a grip people. Guess not enough people are familiar with Seinfeld.

[hlthe2b]

1. Well, it probably wasn't wise to wait more than 25 years from the cultural reference

Had it been introduced then and still around, I think they'd have been ok.

But, given the rise of White Nationalism in this country, I think this reaction could/should have been anticipated.

[Croney]

2. I'd never eat at a place with that name, and I'm a Seinfeld fanatic.

Even in the episode, the owner was a jerk. Now that only us older people remember why we laughed, it's hard to justify using that word for anything except evil.

[MenloParque]

3. Was never funny

Sorry, even back in 95 I never thought this episode was funny at all. In 2021, this doesn’t even remotely work at all.

[madaboutharry]

4. Someone should have told him it was a bad idea before he made the sign.

It just isn’t funny out of context.

[Dale in Laurel MD]

5. There's a place in the town where I live

called the Mad Cow Grill. It always gets great reviews, in spite of the name. The one time I got up the nerve to eat there I thought it was ok, but overpriced for what you got.*

*No, not so much as indigestion.

[Martin68]

6. I suppose humorous references to Nazis is not good form under any circumstances, but

Seinfeld's schtick has actually become a fair widely-used meme. I've seen the term used facetiously as "grammar-nazi" and others.
https://www.glossophilia.org/2015/07/from-soup-men-to-grammar-nuts-is-the-name-nazi-ok/

And then there's the "Hitler Downfall" meme, that I have aways found funny.
https://theconversation.com/how-hitler-memes-made-their-way-around-the-world-and-into-the-fair-work-commission-courtroom-127314

According to Wikipedia: The episode inspired an actual soup chain, Soup Nutsy, which opened in 1996 in New York City. Though it had no official connection to, or endorsement from, Seinfeld or its creators, it included specific Seinfeld references such as describing two of its soups as "Jerry's Favorite" and "Kramer's Favorite", respectively.[22] In 1997 it was bought by Franchise Concepts.[23] A few of its locations remain in Toronto, Ontario in Canada.[24

[BigmanPigman]

7. Is the film The Producers going to be

considered offensive now?