Though I’m the first to pounce on our politically correct society, I’ll also espouse my outrage as I see fit, and Harry Hamlin’s Halloween costume deserves The Dishmaster’s wrath. The star stepped out as notorious Sex Pistols star Sid Vicious, with his wife, Lisa Rinna, posed as Nancy (the wife Vicious allegedly murdered before later dying of a heroine overdose). The duo jointly apologized with a standard, “I didn’t intend to hurt anyone,” and there’s remaining debate about whether it’s actually offensive to don a sign of the Holocaust in an effort to be authentic. After all, Sid wore a swastika, so Harry simply had no choice. But if Prince Harry couldn’t get away with it, this Harry certainly can’t.
There’s a larger, shockingly obvious reason that Harry Hamlin’s costume causes controversy, and it’s sad I’ll have to map it out, since you’d think adults would act as such. There’s no humor associated with a symbol that represents one of the most painful times in our history. Yes someone else wore it and it’s simply a costume, but that doesn’t make it right. I realize Hamlin doesn’t advocate it’s intention, but that’s irrelevant. Wearing such a wretched image also keeps it in our consciousness, decensitizing society to its horror. I’d say the same about the use of the N word (in any context, no matter who speaks it) and to the use of black face. We should know better. And lastly, I am Jewish. That either makes me a biased observer or uniquely qualified to comment. You decide.
