Ask Reddit 1919 Edition

Meme found on redditThis meme above is a somewhat dark historical joke that references Adolf Hitler’s early life before he became the dictator of Nazi Germany.

Here’s the deal:

Context of the meme

• The Reddit post imagines: “If Reddit existed in 1919, what kind of questions would be asked?”
• FOOdBasics jokingly says: “Help me decide if I should go to art school or get into politics?”

Historical reference

• Adolf Hitler, in his youth, aspired to be an artist.
• He applied twice (in 1907 and 1908) to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, but was rejected both times.
• After failing to get into art school, he drifted for years and later entered politics in the chaotic years following World War I, eventually becoming the leader of Nazi Germany.

The joke

The humor (dark as it is) lies in imagining a 1919 “Reddit” user (Hitler) casually posting a question about his career path:

“Should I go to art school or get into politics?”

Knowing how history turned out, the implication is that everyone would have begged him to pick art school, since his political path led to World War II and the Holocaust.

Why 1919?

That year marks the founding of the German Workers’ Party (DAP), the group that Hitler soon took over and turned into the Nazi Party. It’s right when his political career began.

So, in short:

• The meme is a satirical “what if” joke.
• It references Hitler’s failed art ambitions and his later catastrophic political career.
• The punchline is the irony that history might have gone very differently if he had “chosen art school.”

Books on the subject:

• Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris
• Hitler: Ascent, 1889-1939
• Hitler and the Power of Aesthetics
• Adolf Hitler’s Paintings & Artworks
• Hitler’s Last Hostages: Looted Art and the Soul of the Third Reich