A BC teen's controversial Halloween costume has garnered significant online backlash after images were posted showing the boy dressed as former Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.Some posts showing off the images have garnered close to half a million views at the time of writing, with many saying the costume is disgusting and tasteless, while others are simply calling it an example of "edgy" humour.The pictures and videos, reported to be taken in Langley and Vancouver, show a teenage boy dressed up as Hitler wearing a brown overcoat, a red armband with a swastika, a fake toothbrush moustache, and hair slicked to one side..In one of the videos posted, groups of other teens can be seen laughing and cheering the boy; some even took pictures with the fake Hitler, posing with a thumbs up.However, when the images were posted online, the reaction was deeply divided. "This is absolutely pathetic!" one online user commented, while another called the outfit "deeply problematic" and said that dressing up as Hitler "should never be acceptable.".However, many of the comments, especially under 604Raw's post of the images, are surprisingly positive, with many users actually applauding the teen for his costume."Goddamnit, it feels good to see that," wrote one user. "The kids will be alright," wrote another.Some users pointed out the perceived hypocrisy of those criticizing the teen, noting that dressing up as evil characters is the entire point of Halloween."Isn’t is [sic] funny that you can dress up as any killer up to and including Ghegis [sic] Khan, Stalin…or even the devil but it’s only the Austrian painter that gets them rattled," wrote one user who got over 1,200 likes on his comment.This was not the only instance of Nazi-related Halloween controversy in Canada this year, as a man in Nova Scotia was seen wearing a full Nazi uniform while apparently trick-or-treating with his kids..While both costumes can be seen as offensive, it is not inherently illegal in Canada to dress up as Hitler or a Nazi, although it can be classified as hate speech depending on when or how the costume is displayed.
