As often as we see "SL is virtual, but there is a real person behind that avatar" statements in people's profiles, and as right as they may be, we also have to remember that SL is a game that we play for fun. No one wants any Drama in a game we are playing for fun, and all but the most sociopathic among us seek to avoid Drama. It doesn't always work out that way, even for well-meaning people.
Life is not One Size Fits All. What you think is funny may offend some other person. You, in turn, may take offense to them casting judgement on you. Some third party may want you both to shut the uck fup. There may be some fourth party who doesn't like the way the third party looks, and there may even be a fifth party who jumps in just for the hell of it. The next thing you know, we have a World War going on.
Drama can be born of innocent circumstances. I happen to know a journalist/dancer named, uhm, Tracey who got into Drama once without evil intent. She worked at an island sim where there were certain taboo behaviors were overlooked, but not all of them. A vendor who does business on the island would throw her outfits now and then, with the dancer getting free gear and the vendor getting free advertising. Symbiotic as can be. Sounds pretty drama free so far, right?
One day, Tracey got a new outfit from the vendor, who is sort of in BDSM territory. "GERMAN SLUT" was the brand name. What could go wrong?
There are many sorts of German sluts (and nice German girls, we hate no one here at the SLE). The field is narrowed somewhat if you take into account that the vendor wishes to reach a global market, 99.9999% of whom would be unable to distinguish between different sorts of German sluts. "Bengesko niamso,"as the Gypsies say.
In the end, after the marketers and Roma get through with it, you have three archetypes. "Beer Hall Maiden," which looks like you'd have to be named Helga or Brunhilde to wear it effectively. There is the "East German Stasi Officer" look, which Tracey thought she was getting, and the "Wehrmacht/Rommel" look, which- unfortunately for Tracey- was the immediate ancestor of the East German Stasi look, fashion-wise.
A quick glance would assuage most concerns. There wasn't going to be enough of Tracey covered to offend many people. Bra, thong, garters, stockings, fishnet... and a nifty little hat. Not a swastika to be seen. The kind of outfit a girl could throw on without worrying too much about and hop out onto a dance pole in front of a crowded club.
Unfortunately, the "nifty little hat" had an Iron Cross on it. The Iron Cross is a military decoration that goes back to when Prussia was fighting Napoleon, but it was also popular in WWII. The Germans were busy people during WWII, and it is not a far leap at all from Nazi Regalia to Nazi to Holocaust.
Remember the hypothetical person we were discussing earlier, who comes on to SL hoping to have a good time and avoid any drama at all? Well, he found some drama, dancing right in front of him in a Let's Glorify The Holocaust costume. He is well-versed in Nazi regalia, to the point where he would recognize an Iron Cross, even if it was on a short-but-not-that-
Boy, do people get angry when you dress like a Nazi these days! "The dancer had no idea what she was wearing and had no intent of offending anyone" matters very little in those circumstances. It is never going to be a Great Tip Getting Day if more than one of your customers is saying "Maybe they should toss <you> in an oven." Again, people log on to SL for Drama Free stuff, not to have a Nazi dancing in front of them, making casual small talk.
"Tracey" is logging on to SL right now. She seems innocent enough, but trouble just finds some people...
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