A drag queen in Philadelphia says she “stands by” a recent Nazi-inspired costume and performance.
Drag performer Satine Harlow, whose real name is Eric Ziker, is under fire for wearing a costume emblazoned with a swastika during a Monday-night performance at local gay bar ICandy.
Harlow wore a pink windbreaker with a swastika on the back and a black Nazi SS officer cap. According to one audience member who was at the performance, the host told the crowd that Hawlow’s costume “was satire and based on a musical.”
Harlow performed the number “Springtime for Hitler” from the musical The Producers.
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“When I saw the musical number,” the audience member said, “I realized Satine was inspired by the Broadway musical The Producers. But when I checked Satine’s Instagram page, how they promoted themselves was a different story.”
Naturally, people weren’t so pleased with the post.
“What the f*ck kind of bar allows THIS type of sh*t to walk in the door let alone get onto the stage?” one commenter wrote.
On his Instagram story thread, Ziker defended the costume, implying that he, a gay Jewish man, was being ironic:
Are people really freaking the f*ck out about a Jewish gay man doing an iconic number from a musical? Jesus Christ. Lighten the f*ck up. It’s drag. We’re professional, some of us, pigs in wigs. Breathe. I stand by what I did…and if you disagree, unfollow me because you have no sense of humor.
He also changed his Facebook profile picture to include following message about “political correctness”:
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DCguy
I have one question about the article. There is the section that says……
““When I saw the musical number,” the audience member said, “I realized Satine was inspired by the Broadway musical The Producers. But when I checked Satine’s Instagram page, how they promoted themselves was a different story.””
————
I was wondering what they meant when they said, that the instagram page was a different story.”?
Nowuvedoneit
Oh I’m a gay Jew I can’t possibly be stupid and unaware how a picture of the swastiska and captioned “Heil Hitler”, was going to be taken any which way but ironic.
Nope sorry you’re sexuality and Rae don’t preclude you from being stupid.
Nowuvedoneit
^race
He BGB
Well, we’re talking about her. There’s no such thing as bad publicity.
Polaro
She should not have gotten fired for this. It’s satire. She’s not a Nazi. Most of this is overreaction, which is dangerous in itself.
Polaro
It’s always tricky when you play with Nazi themes. Best to leave this to professional satirists. Or, better yet, not at all.
Ummmm Yeah
She performed a scene from a play. If that makes you scream, you are far worse off than her.
Ummmm Yeah
Sounds anti-semitic to me. She’s a jew.
Cylest Brooks
The comment you’re referencing was deleted for violating Queerty’s comment policy.
PinkoOfTheGange
James please stop yelling.
Lazy costume, a Marlene Dietrich riff of a double breasted dinner jacket and not much else would of been a better show.
Hussain-TheCanadian
Personally I dont understand it when people dress up as Nazis; I dont understand when some white folks do it, I don’t understand when some Jews do it, I just dont understand the appeal.
Most white folks won’t do well under the Nazi party anyway, it seems this fact is unknown to many who romanticize the Nazi era; Nazis have nothing to do with “whiteness”, most of the people they murdered were white Europeans.
I just find the whole dress up aspect bizzare.
Kangol
The original 1967 film The Producers was a hilarious comedy aimed to send up Nazism and sleazy Broadway producers, with lots of stereotyping of all kinds (including two outrageous gay characters.) The original film caused some uproar, but it has stood the test of time, because Mel Brooks’s script and Zero Mostel’s and Gene Wilder’s performances are pitch perfect. The subsequent versions, including the more recent Broadway musical, aren’t as funny and felt recycled, but they’re still well done. If anyone is going to excerpt a song or sene from this musical, they should be very clear what they’re doing. Otherwise, people are going to read it as a pro-Nazi performance. Giant swastikas in public are repulsive under any other circumstance. And certainly the Nazis were not kind to Jews or to gay people, including gay Aryans, so they really should be cordoned off as radioactive.
dwes09
She sang a song from a the fictitious musical Springtime For Hitler, from The Producers, a farce. It is difficult or impossible to satirize what is already a farce, so Satine is likely as clueless and dull as you.
Polaro
Fired on what grounds? Misunderstood satire? He is not a Nazi.
sectbrawn
This low budget drag queen is just sad. A black electrical swastika sloppily taped to the back of her cape? No wonder the only gig she can get is on a Monday night.
girldownunder
This is sad. I mean, really dreadful.
To be mean accidentally is one thing, but to go out & to proclaim your hate? Just , no.
Polaro
I’m not sure what story you read, but it wasn’t this one.
James
Ummmmm Yeah and dwes09, Who gives a crap if she was performing some scene from a musical, PEOPLE DO NOT FIND HITLER FUNNY.
Cylest Brooks
James, please review Queerty’s updated comment policy, here: https://www.queerty.com/queertys-comment-policy
I have removed several of your comments for violating this policy. Queerty values your input and participation; please ensure that future comments are in line with our policies.
ShowMeGuy
That “swastika” isn’t the Nazi’s swastika.
Hitler culturally misappropriated the real, ancient swastika and turned it around backwards to make the Nazi swastika.
And yes, if you can’t tell difference then you probably think a BMW logo is a peace sign.