this post was submitted on 27 May 2026
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Today I Learned (TIL)

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Nothing surprising given how terrible Trump is, but nonetheless.

He also was present at a Ku Klux Klan demonstration in 1927.

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[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 50 points 2 days ago (4 children)

It’s a toothbrush mustache, and more than one historical person wore them, Charlie Chaplin who Hitler likely copied was one of them.

[–] gramie@lemmy.ca 13 points 2 days ago

The toothbrush mustache became popular because it was the only kind that would fit under the gas mask. I believe that's why Hitler had one, he was a corporal in WWI (and was temporarily blinded by a gas attack).

[–] ArmchairAce1944@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago

Oliver Hardy (from the Laurel and Hardy series) also wore one. Without it he looked like a giant baby.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

No Hitler did not likely copy Chaplin, he much more likely kept the "toothbrush" from his WWI army days, when it was common because it fit under a gas mask.

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

He was known to be a Charlie Chaplin fan, there’s not proof to either side. It’s not like we can ask him or he let us know for sure. We can speculate though.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

And that's what social media is all about - opinions in a vacuum based on minimal information and defended as if it were a matter of life and death.

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

And in my original comment I never stated it as a fact, I said likely, since we can’t know for sure.

And are you trying to mock me for just defending my point when you attacked it? That’s… quite the interesting tactic.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Yeah. That's all true. But would you say that Micheal Jordan briefly had a Charlie Chaplin mustache? Or would you say Micheal Jordan briefly had a hitler mustache?

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 24 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The difference is that one of them wore it before it got labeled as a Hitler moustache and the other did it after

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social -5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

and? Things can get tainted by millions dying in tacit relationship. Just like the swastika has been a symbol for centuries before.

[–] cmbabul@slrpnk.net 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

The mustache for sure can and has, same thing with names, how many Adolfs yall know?

Chaplin is obviously blameless unless he had future sight, but the thing about the Jordan attempt was that anyone that has even kinda followed Michael Jordan knows that he only did it because he thought he was a big enough icon to overcome the stigma of a Hitlerstache

Clearly his ego had grown too large

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I know zero Adolfs, and would question their parents.

[–] starlinguk@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I know one. He's 104.

Fun fact: in many countries outside the Western world, Hitler is treated as just some dictator.

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I would also question people naming their kids after any dictator or famous terrible person, especially one directly responsible for the Holocaust.

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why are you assuming they are naming their kid for that particular person?

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm not. I said, "question". What part of asking questions makes you think assumption?

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Why would you even question it if you weren’t being prejudice? Lol.

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social -1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So you just fundamentally fail to understand any of this conversation, then? Fucking pathetic losers ignoring history... You DO what they say about people like you, right?

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 day ago

Oh I’m understanding it quite well, you’re prejudiced, it’s that simple.

We’re not ignoring history, I think a large portion of people know we need to leave unneeded stigmas behind.

It’s a name, and a face covering, what’s so evil about that? Adolf type names are common in other countries, just because you don’t know one doesn’t mean it isn’t done lmfao. What a take.

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago

A toothbrush mustache, anything else shows prejudice.

[–] ZombieCyborgFromOuterSpace@piefed.ca 37 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So did Hardy from the comedy duo Laurel & Hardy, or Charlie Chaplin.

It was a style of moustache that was very popular for a time until Adolf Hitler came along.

[–] rabidhamster@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 2 days ago (6 children)

Just like the swastika was fucking everywhere for decades before Hitler usurped it. I've got an early 1900s Sears catalog with swastika watches, pins, clocks. All when Hitler was basically a toddler.

Point being: Fascists always steal culture, they never create it.

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago

The chuds stole Pepe from us

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Was it the swastika? Or was it a mirrored swastika?

The mirrored one WAS a sign of peace and inclusiveness.

Then one asshole changed everything.

[–] rabidhamster@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago

Wish I could double-check. It's on the other side of the country from where I live these days!

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I always hated that I’ve found the swatstika frustrating appealing as a shape. Why’d they have to ruin such an interesting geometric symmetry?

[–] BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago

Are you the gay kid from Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Right? It's such a great design, dead simple yet evocative.

[–] plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That’s not entirely true, they created plenty of unique sigils too, the SS bolts for one.

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago

Gotta admit, them nazis had pizzazz

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[–] Chais@sh.itjust.works 8 points 2 days ago

In Germany we like to call it a "Rotzbremse," which translates to snot brake.

Also evicted Woody Guthrie from his house, and got a diss track from him.

[–] Nangijala@feddit.dk 1 points 1 day ago

Trump's mother just looks like Trump in drag.

[–] LovableSidekick@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Pre-war soul patch.

[–] crusa187@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

And the Trump family business wasn’t originally real estate, no. Fred Trump made his fortune with brothels.

shitbirds of a feather.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So your comparing owning a brothel is the same as what Hitler did. OK.

[–] crusa187@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 days ago

Not in the sex worker empowerment sense, but yes, in the way he subjugated those deemed lesser, I am.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 days ago

I mean this is unfair what time was this photo taken. Since he was alive before WWII. And then you have the point did people of that time call it Hitler mustache like did everyone just shave it off after WWII. Or was it newer generations who called it that?

[–] BillyClark@piefed.social 7 points 2 days ago

In Fred Trump's defense, there were a lot of famous people with toothbrush mustaches back then, and Fred Trump simply wore a toothbrush mustache because he was a huge fan of Adolph Hitler.

[–] Greg@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

TIL people think Hitler invented the toothbrush moustache

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.cafe 2 points 2 days ago

He didn’t invent the name Adolf either, but definitely killed it.

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social -3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Np, just ruined its iconography. Why are you so dense as to fail to understand that? Want to defend it?

[–] Greg@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

lol, I can think Hitler and Trump are awful people AND point out stupid arguments. Stop making stupid arguments.

[–] LurkingLuddite@piefed.social -1 points 2 days ago

So dense it is. Sad.

[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I heard it was a WWI response to the necessities of gas masks, following a period of artistic facial hair

I’ve no doubt that this guy isn’t one of humanity’s greatest, but it’s not indicative of anything - well, beyond the war at least.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 days ago

Just a moustache.

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