Amazon pulls New York subway ads with Nazi insignia and Imperial Japan's rising sun

The whole it's offensive refrain is hackneyed and cynical.

That said, uhm, the ad goes too far.

With the context of the story it makes a little more sense, but it's still absolutely baffling how they could think people would possibly accept it, even in light of the fact that it's a fictional television series' promotion.

Without any context whoever dreamed this up should be fired pronto!

That said it sounds like an interesting idea for a show, cant imagine it showing up in Japan tho!!

As a New Yorker born and raised, and as Jew, I do not find it offensive at all. I fully believe in the freedom of expression and the arts, and NY is where the arts happen. This poster is not reality, but it could have been. However, I do not think the Japanese would have shared America. They would have faced off, and only one would have won. I am interested in seeing this made for TV movie. Shalom

Brainwashed crybabies with their almighty double standards and vampire-like inability to see their own reflections in the mirror again I say.

Those screaming about Trump's freedom of speech yesterday will either be silent today or complain.

On the whole, those flags are not even real. If any message is conveyed, its a reflection of your own mind. But like I say, I don't expect these people to actually see that simple truth.

I totally despise the horrible creatures that were Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. And I totally support what I at least view as American principles of liberty, rights and tolerance. But these are merely pieces of cloth. They don't impress me much. If anything, they represent somethings to THINK about. Getting knee jerk over them is the anti-thesis of THINKING.

Philip K. Dick stories are some of my favourites. Who else could have thought of a title like 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' (which of course was used by R. Scott in Blade Runner). Look at how many good movies have been made from his books and stories.

Still, Amazon went too far with these seat designs.

the refugee: Totally agree. America is about freedom of expression. Amazon should have held their ground.

"... an America in which slavery is legal and Jews hide under assumed names" is fiction?

Freedom of whatever only goes so far but they could have stood their ground and risked a boycott. The Almighty Dollar carries some serious clout, especially around Black Friday. Amazon is keenly aware of that.

Eh, well nazi and imperial flags on an American train isn't such a good idea. Amazon had to have known they would get taken down, just a publicity stunt to advertise the show.

I agree with iradickle. Amazon was probably expecting the knee-jerkers would set up a cry, for extra publicity.

I think this "ad" was pretty stupid. Amazon was advertising "TMITHC" on the radio app I listen to every day at work way before they tried this advert. Guess they think they don't have enough viewers?

Aside from that, I love the alternate reality that it represents, but it was also based on the author's perspective in the 1960s... I would have expected much better "realistic" fictional portrayals and political and dramatic situations as well as the end result if Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany had won WW2 had this series been created later.

The rising sun isn't really a rising sun, and the Reichsadler doesn't actually have a swastika on it. I've seen VWs driving around with the same eagle but with a VW badge in the circle... people don't seem to find that offensive. Maybe it's just Americans feeling hurt that there's a story where they lost the war...

I believe in freedom of speech but showing 2 symbols that are some of the most reviled in history and could possibly move survivors to panic attacks and hysteria, probably shouldn't be displayed in a public subway train of all places where it's closed off and claustrophobic already

the refugee: Totally agree. America is about freedom of expression. Amazon should have held their ground.

Freedom of speech works both ways, you know. It isn't your right to say whatever you want and then not have to listen to what others say in response. The add campaign was in poor taste and ill-conceived, consumers reacted negatively, the adds were pulled. Censorship doesn't even come into play here.

The whole it's offensive refrain is hackneyed and cynical. That said, uhm, the ad goes too far.

I hate the whole political correctness thing as much as the next guy, but "PC" has become a sort of bogeyman of late. Sometimes things actually are offensive.

There seems to be a bit of confusion as to what freedom of speech is. While it's often thought to be the right to say anything you want, whenever you want, it's actually the freedom to not be prosecuted for the things you say.

No Common Sense.

It is science fiction revisionism at its most thought provoking. I have the book sitting on my shelf at home and it is a bold novel! Unfortunately, the film's advertising is rather garish and offensive ....

A very tasteless decision by Amazon, but probably a very calculated one. I suspect that Amazon expected this type of reaction, and were hopeing for the extra publicity that it would generate. It just goes to show that the corporate world is constantly willing to sink to new depths in order to elicit reactions from the public and garner the attention that they seek.

Ever seen SS GB and Fatherland? Same concept, only not set in America.

But back to the symbolism used, as I said, there are echoes of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan in this ad, but they are NOT the flags as used by those regimes... people basically see what they want to see. The rising sun for example has US stars in it and the rays and sun are blue rather than red... it's re, white n blue. Then there's the Stars n Bars with the Reichsadler replacing the stars... but it appears to have a Maltese Cross in place of the Swastika... so unless people find the eagle itself offensive I personally think it's an over-reaction.

Would this cause offence in countries that were actually attacked by the Third Reich and Imperial Japan during WW2?

Very poor taste. It denigrates the US flag and is provocative to some.

Seems like a mega corporation like Amazon would know better.

Amazon should know better, especially everything has to be politically correct nowadays. You even need to change Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays juts to avoid offending people with other religious.

What a stupid idea!

Boycott Amazon.

Is this the same Amazon that banned the confederate flag a little while ago?

Does anyone know when Man in the High Castle will be released on Amazon Prime in Japan?

The Man in the High Castle is an amazing book - essential reading for anyone interested in Japan and WWII, which I dare say covers a lot of the posters on this site. It sounds like the show is mainly set in Nazi-occupied eastern America, but the majority of the book takes place in Japanese west coast America; Philip K Dick writes about how the occupying Japanese business, military and political communities develop a penchant for collecting American pre-war memorabilia such as antique revolvers and zippo lighters, and one of the main characters is an American antique dealer who we see fretting over his customers according to their status, worrying about showing the correct levels of humility, dwelling on his place in the hierarchy, simultaneously admiring and resenting the Japanese; another character is in the business of making fake antiques, but also produces some jewellery which is considered to have wabi sabi and therefore be valuable. PKD writes a very believable alternate reality and makes many great observations; the one thing he gets wrong is his idea that the I-Ching plays an important role in Japanese culture - being central to the story, this rather undermines it imo.

I hope the show is worthy of the source material. As for the advertising, it's a touch OTT but it's supposed to be thought-provoking like the story is - and as others have pointed out, it doesn't include any swastikas and the Japanese sun shouldn't be offensive at all... unless those complaining are also offended by the current Japanese national and military flags? Though frankly I find it pretty gross to use the entire seating space of a subway train as advertising in the first place!

@shonanbb

I do not think the Japanese would have shared America. They would have faced off, and only one would have won

That's actually a major plot point in the book. The peace between the two powers is uneasy, as the Japanese seek to stick to their Asia-Pacific sphere but the Nazis push for a war with the Japanese which they believe will bring them world domination. One of the characters is a high ranking Japanese, another a Nazi agent, and they are involved in some political intrigue surrounding Nazi plans to nuke Japan. No idea if this is included in the show

"... an America in which slavery is legal and Jews hide under assumed names" is fiction?

Sad that this comment has received such a negative reaction. Those ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it. Which brings me to my next point about this "What if..." novel..... The primary reason anti-semitism abated in America was video scenes of Holocaust survivors and victims. American, and others, had no policy of accepting randome fleeing German Jews. They were about as welcome as Syrian refugees today! And that is why we now have Israel. And segregation was a staple of American life before, during and well after the war anyway.

Again, I find it sad that comment was got such a negative reaction. I cite ignorance and denial for it. Pathetic.

The TV show is great, well written and put together. That said in my opinion the advertising has gone too far in this case. Freedom of expression is fine but it needs a sense of proportion, it's just advertising a tv show.

Perhaps they knew that the advertising would get pulled, and that they'd get lots of free advertising as a result, such as on this thread. I now want to see it. Bezos is a genius.