Becoming Adolf

Tucked in amongst the perfume strips and Ralph Lauren ads of Vanity Fair, I found an actual article. And it was a corker.

Part cultural history, part personal essay, and all laugh-out-loud hilarious, Rich Cohen’s Becoming Adolf is a flat-out awesome read. Let’s just say it’s not your average article about a New York Jew who grows a Hitler mustache in an attempt to diffuse its symbolism and undeniable power.

As is the case with so many incredibly smart people, Cohen isn’t afraid to be downright dumb. Check out this bit and tell me you don’t want to read the rest:

I cut my beard on a Friday. I did what everyone who has ever cut a full beard does: I took it through every configuration. Like passing over the stages of man, or watching cultures rise and fall until the face of Hitler emerged. I went to the closet. What would the Führer wear on a sunny day? It does not matter, I decided. Because I am Hitler—whatever I wear, Hitler is wearing. A dozen Hitlers passed through my mind: Hitler in a sport coat; Hitler in a lab coat. Hitler in a Speedo; Hitler in a Camaro. I shook myself and said, “Get it together, Hitler—you’re losing your mind!”

Highly recommended.

Read it