Madeira and anyone else who feels the same, I do not mean to come off rude, it's not my intention in the least, please believe me. I mean absolutely no ill will. But I must agree that everyone needs to calm down.
We have absolutely *No* evidence stating one way or another that the JoyDivision company named themselves after the Nazi "Freudenabteilung". If they had named themselves Freudenabteilung, then yes, I could understand the uproar. But they didn't. They, of course, named it "JoyDivision". Even on the German translation of their site, it is JoyDivision. Would we be just as horrified if they had named themselves BlissPrecinct? GleeCorp? It pretty much means the same thing, synonym-wise (depending on which definition of division was intended). Had the translators went with one of those options, would there still be such disdain?
I am interested in what you wrote, though: "Personally I think Joy Division is a fine name for a band, they're a melancholic depressing band, named after a melancholic depressing thing, however naming a sex toy company after a group of women forced into prostitution is distinctly unsettling to me."
Whether the band is melancholic or no, such double-standards should not be present. If it's not alright for one thing to be named JoyDivision, then neither should the other. That'd be like saying that, "Okay, these people can't say a derogatory term, however, these people over here can say the exact same thing because they happen to be in the right mood". It's either wrong or it's not.
And I get it, it's because the company makes Sex Toys. The company Spartacus is named for a Greek slave that rebelled against the Roman Republic, and they make BDSM restraints. Unlike JoyDivision, I'm fairly sure that they intentionally named their company that (their logo makes it seem that way, anyway). Are we going to boycott them? Non-consensual slavery is bad too, now. (To answer that, no, I will not be boycotting them or anyone. At least not without the proper information. I refuse to boycott someone/thing based on hearsay.)
Honestly it is not worth people becoming enemies over on here, come on people! We're all adults here, let's at least act like it. JoyDivision is not here to defend, nor explain themselves. If we were in the same position that we've put JoyDivision into, how would we all feel? Personally, I wouldn't want to be called a sexist Nazi just because I decided to call my company a name that happened to be the one of the English translations for a group of women forced into prostitution. Who knows, they may not have known about the association with what the Nazis did. I had never even heard of the Freudenabteilung before now, and I've studied the Holocaust far beyond what the schools taught me.
Besides, Kristi *DID* say to put it to rest. Why stir the stinky swamp of an argument after the fact? All it does it make it smell a whole lot worse, and it doesn't make things better, either.
Sincerely,
Persephone Nightmare
P.S: I emailed the company, just asking them how they got the name for their company, out of curiosity. If I hear back, I'll see if I can't repost in this thread to settle this once and for all.
We have absolutely *No* evidence stating one way or another that the JoyDivision company named themselves after the Nazi "Freudenabteilung". If they had named themselves Freudenabteilung, then yes, I could understand the uproar. But they didn't. They, of course, named it "JoyDivision". Even on the German translation of their site, it is JoyDivision. Would we be just as horrified if they had named themselves BlissPrecinct? GleeCorp? It pretty much means the same thing, synonym-wise (depending on which definition of division was intended). Had the translators went with one of those options, would there still be such disdain?
I am interested in what you wrote, though: "Personally I think Joy Division is a fine name for a band, they're a melancholic depressing band, named after a melancholic depressing thing, however naming a sex toy company after a group of women forced into prostitution is distinctly unsettling to me."
Whether the band is melancholic or no, such double-standards should not be present. If it's not alright for one thing to be named JoyDivision, then neither should the other. That'd be like saying that, "Okay, these people can't say a derogatory term, however, these people over here can say the exact same thing because they happen to be in the right mood". It's either wrong or it's not.
And I get it, it's because the company makes Sex Toys. The company Spartacus is named for a Greek slave that rebelled against the Roman Republic, and they make BDSM restraints. Unlike JoyDivision, I'm fairly sure that they intentionally named their company that (their logo makes it seem that way, anyway). Are we going to boycott them? Non-consensual slavery is bad too, now. (To answer that, no, I will not be boycotting them or anyone. At least not without the proper information. I refuse to boycott someone/thing based on hearsay.)
Honestly it is not worth people becoming enemies over on here, come on people! We're all adults here, let's at least act like it. JoyDivision is not here to defend, nor explain themselves. If we were in the same position that we've put JoyDivision into, how would we all feel? Personally, I wouldn't want to be called a sexist Nazi just because I decided to call my company a name that happened to be the one of the English translations for a group of women forced into prostitution. Who knows, they may not have known about the association with what the Nazis did. I had never even heard of the Freudenabteilung before now, and I've studied the Holocaust far beyond what the schools taught me.
Besides, Kristi *DID* say to put it to rest. Why stir the stinky swamp of an argument after the fact? All it does it make it smell a whole lot worse, and it doesn't make things better, either.
Sincerely,
Persephone Nightmare
P.S: I emailed the company, just asking them how they got the name for their company, out of curiosity. If I hear back, I'll see if I can't repost in this thread to settle this once and for all.
