Bryan Ferry's Nazi gaffe
The face of M&S and voice of Roxy Music outrages Germany in newspaper interview
By Sophie Goodchild and Julia Belgutay
Published: 15 April 2007My God, the Nazis knew how to put themselves in the limelight... Leni Riefenstahl's movies, Albert Speer's buildings, the mass parades and the flags - just amazing. Really beautiful
Bryan Ferry in 'Welt Am Sonntag'
When Marks & Spencer recruited singer Bryan Ferry to be the face of its menswear collection, it believed his reputation as rock's "king of cool" would help them to boost sales.
But customers and management of the retailer, founded by Russian-Jewish refugees, will be alarmed to learn that the elegant singer has admitted he draws inspiration from the aesthetics of Nazi Germany.
Ferry, the lead singer of Roxy Music, has caused outrage at home and abroad for remarks he made to a German newspaper about his admiration for the work of Leni Riefenstahl, notorious for her Nazi propaganda films, and the architecture of Albert Speer.
In an interview withWelt am Sonntag, the 61-year-old also acknowledged that he calls his studio in west London his "Führerbunker". "My God, the Nazis knew how to put themselves in the limelight and present themselves," he said. "Leni Riefenstahl's movies and Albert Speer's buildings and the mass parades and the flags - just amazing. Really beautiful."
One German correspondent on the website of Freundin, a German women's magazine, writes: "This can't be called intellectual humour and it tests even my tolerance when you hear such stupid, crazy and dangerous waffling."
The Labour peer and former war crimes investigator Greville Janner said: "It is deeply offensive when people think they can joke about the Nazis. Riefenstahl was part of the Nazi movement and the Nazis were murderers. And the mass parades he refers to make me vomit. Marks & Spencer should have a serious rethink about employing him."
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Topic - My Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls SACD goes into the trash. - Duilawyer 07:12:17 04/15/07 (19)
- Re: My Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls SACD goes into the trash. - patrickU 05:05:01 04/17/07 (0)
- Give me a break . . . . - lazarus28 20:53:14 04/16/07 (7)
- Re: Give me a break . . . . - patrickU 05:04:19 04/17/07 (6)
- Paul Verhoeven . . . - lazarus28 14:30:48 04/17/07 (5)
- Re: Paul Verhoeven . . .Is....From...Holland... - patrickU 00:49:55 04/18/07 (4)
- he is? - lazarus28 04:09:05 04/18/07 (3)
- Re: Yes, he is. - patrickU 04:20:12 04/18/07 (2)
- Re: Yes, he is. - lazarus28 12:00:27 04/18/07 (1)
- Re: Yes, he is. - patrickU 12:28:39 04/18/07 (0)
- Re: Don´t worry--- - patrickU 10:32:03 04/16/07 (0)
- Re: My Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls SACD goes into the trash. - Berlin 13:14:20 04/15/07 (5)
- Re: My Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls SACD goes into the trash. - gkargreen 14:16:03 04/16/07 (1)
- It might even be to late,... - Mr_bill2 15:16:56 04/16/07 (0)
- Better throw away the Stones Albums as well - Pacman 14:44:17 04/15/07 (1)
- Re: Better throw away the Stones Albums as well - gkargreen 14:21:30 04/16/07 (1)
- Re: My Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls SACD goes into the trash. - Mr_bill2 14:15:18 04/15/07 (0)
- Unfortunate comments - Quint 11:39:23 04/15/07 (2)
- Re: Unfortunate comments - patrickU 10:34:55 04/16/07 (0)
- good points; I admit I did not trash Boys and .yet. nt - Duilawyer 13:05:10 04/15/07 (1)