You know, I hate that I even have to write about something this insipid at all, but there’s a bunch of social media talking about this, including a TikTok video that has a million and a half likes, so it’s so I feel like it’s widespread enough that it needs addressing. And, fair warning, all of this is deeply stupid, full of rumor and unproven accusations, and the only outcome of it at all is harm. The harm that will come from this is to Jews, and as a member of that tribe, I feel like I need to address why, because it’s not obvious. And it has nothing to do with what these videos or social media posts are allegedly about, which is the claim that the Porsche logo, when spinning, resembles a swastika.
That’s not a thing. The TikTok video has the caption that “Porsche kept this a secret for 80 years” which I can all but guarantee they did not, because you can’t have a secret for something that is very much Not A Thing.
Here’s the TikTok; and, yes, when shot with a camera with a refresh rate of 60 frames per second or whatever, the image formed by the spinning logo does resemble a swastika, sort of:
@roppversioon
But the idea that this was intentional in any way is absurd. Human eyes don’t work like digital cameras, and were you to look at a spinning logo on a hubcap, you would just see a circular blur. It’s no coincidence nobody in the past 67 years (the logo first appeared on hubcaps in 1959) noticed this until recently, because for the vast majority of that time, nobody was watching spinning wheels via a digital camera.
Porsche did not design a logo with the intention that, when spun and viewed via a specific frame rate, resembled a swastika. I’ll have even more reasons to back this up, but before we get to that, let’s get to the part where this becomes harmful for Jews. Not because it resembles a swastika – lots of things resemble swastikas if you start looking, from ancient Greek meander patterns to wrought iron fences to probably some bird footprints. Whatever, it’s fine, visual homonyms are just something that exist, and Jewish people, like anyone else, understand that.
No, the problem is because there are social media posts that are suggesting that “Jewish groups” are “calling for a full boycott of Porsche” as a result of this and I have yet to see any evidence at all that this has happened. I’ve been looking, but there’s nothing. Here’s such a post:
View this post on Instagram
Again, I haven’t found any evidence at all that any Jewish groups are calling for a boycott of Porsche, but the suggestion that there are such groups doing so is what is causing the harm. The suggestion that there are Jewish groups upset enough about this non-event to suggest a boycott is causing backlash against Jews and these imaginary, unnamed groups. Just read some of the comments in these posts (I don’t feel like reposting them), and you can see what I mean. They range from understandably dismissive to outright anti-semitic, and it’s all because of a non-problem and a made-up reaction to that non-problem.
This all just diminishes when there are real concerns that Jews may have with things happening in the world, a world that right now, I’m not thrilled to report to you, feels a little more hostile to Jews than usual, for a wide variety of complex reasons I’m not really qualified to get into here. But I hope you’ll trust me when I tell you things don’t feel great. And this sort of thing does not help at all.
Plus, here’s the real kicker. That Porsche logo? The famous crest with the antlers and the horse? That only is a thing because Porsche’s first importer to America, Max Hoffman, suggested that Porsche needed a logo like that. And Max Hoffman was a Jew.
So, this very logo that these idiotic videos and posts are claiming was designed to reveal a secret swastika was a logo suggested by a Jew. Make that make sense.
The truth is the Porsche badge is an adaptation and combination of the Stuttgart coat of arms and the Württemberg-Hohenzollern coat of arms. It’s no secret; just look at the damn thing. It’s obvious. And it was not chosen because when spun, it looks like the symbol of a horrible regime. Nobody was thinking about how it looked when spun around at high speeds, because who the hell does that?
So, if you encounter any of these dumb posts while you’re online, just happily looking for interesting car things, I’d like to ask you to remember a few things: the Porsche logo does not harbor any decades-old secrets that are only revealed when spinning, there was no agenda to hide a swastika in the logo, there are no Jewish groups outraged or suggesting a boycott of Porsche, and if you see comments from people lamenting about how Jews are trying to play victim or ruining good things for everyone or whatever, know that what you are seeing is the real result of all this idiocy.
The problem isn’t that Jewish groups are somehow offended about something that doesn’t exist. The problem is people have made up that they are and are passing it off as genuine, and the end result will just muddy the waters and make actual concerns feel less important and easier to ignore or sneer at or fuel even more hatred.
This is all so very stupid, and I hate that I felt I should write about it, but here we are. I appreciate you for listening. Or reading. Eye-listening.
Top photo: TikTok screenshots
This is exactly what the internet is optimized for today. Going viral = $$$. Posts that are erroneous, offensive, intriguing, and outrageous all drive engagement.
It’s a game even this website has to play, even with all the content being well written and researched, you at least have to drag people’s attention from the latest social posts “I spent months teaching this crow to shit on Jewish people! You won’t believe what happened” (I just made this up to be clear).
I hate this stuff but no sane person should be remotely surprised by it. I try to maintain my sanity by staying off Instagram/TikTok/FB but until we regulate this crap or the masses start avoiding enshitified platforms nothing will change.
Happy Hump Day everyone!
Reminiscent of how people would play vinyl records backwards and claim to hear satanic messages (that weren’t even there)
People were idiots then, and are idiots now.
The big difference there is that saying there were satanic messages just helped sell the music. Yeah, my mom banned rock n roll in the house, but that just made it more appealing. This is actually harmful to a group (Jews) who aren’t even involved in the whole thing.
And yes, people will always be idiots.
Thank you for writing this. I had no idea that people were spreading this. I think we all have much bigger things to worry about.
I feel that if you spin something at specific speeds, and certain frame rates, you could make a lot of things look like a lot of different things. Like a heart, a circle, a weird blur.
I was thinking about my favorite car butts…I appreciate this site.
Oy. 🙁
And up next on Sick Sad World, G-string grandmas!!
Ewwww, gross
La la laaa la laaaaaa.
I had to question if I was on Reddit when I read this comment. Lol
Luckily people who grew up with the internet seem to understand seem to understand what trash the internet is. Social media is like a rapid-fire National Enquirer at this point to them.
Unfortunately people my parents age seem to think this shit is real all the time.
I did lol that this article is now tagged with “swastika”. Y’all gonna have a tag for everything.
Friend of mine has the theory that we jumped timelines when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series and things have gone to crap since. This only lends credence to that.
I’m not 100 percent certain that particular 2016 event is what I’m going to blame. But I can’t argue with the choice of year.
How about breakdancing at the Olympics?
And someone did the bunny hop, which is hysterical!
I mean, you could probably spin lots of things and sort of see a swastika if you really focus on trying to see one there. Which is what someone must have done. I wish I had that much free time.
Some car companies ensure that their wheel logos are all vertical at car shows.
I thought that was stupid, but even the idea that anyone is staring at rotating logos is a new level of dumbidity!
If you want to worry about something, the terrorists in NYC weren’t using dummy bombs, but TATP, a potent explosive. They just screwed up the recipe somehow.
The mayor of New York city, CNN and the BBC have expressed support for the jihadists.
That is concerning.
This just makes me want to insert the meme/gif from SpongeBob when the guy ask Patrick asking if he just blew in from stupid town.