ABSTRACT
In the run up to the American presidential election in 2016 a whole raft of comedians mocked Donald Trump, but this did not damage his power base. Any transgression via satire and comedy could be used to reassert the status quo. Trump was no long considered a joke when he started to implement his policies. This chapter considers comedy, Nazism and neo-Nazism in film and media, with reference to theorists on transgression, such as Chris Jenks and Julia Kristeva, and novels and televisions shows that gained media attention. Taste is key to any discussion of comedy. Surf Nazis Must Die (Peter George, 1987) is a prime example where all forms of taste are contested, both in terms of content and aesthetics. With laughable production values, ludicrous dialogue, and an insane plot, the film is wrong on many levels but still works. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, this is a comedy revenge story of black empowerment. Leroy’s mama (Gail Neely) goes after the gang of neo-Nazis who have murdered her son. The film succeeds in indicating how absurd Nazi-related belief systems are, with the neo-Nazis doing Hitler salutes on surf boards.
