The New York Times baffled the Internet Friday after asking its readers, would you kill a baby Hitler?
We asked @nytmag readers: If you could go back and kill Hitler as a baby, would you do it? (What’s your response?) pic.twitter.com/daatm12NZC
— NYT Magazine (@NYTmag) October 23, 2015
According to the ‘poll’, some 42 per cent of the magazine’s readers said they would indeed use a time machine to murder “baby Hitler,” while 30 per cent flat out said no. Twenty-eight per cent were undecided. The poll came a day after Back to the Future day, paying tribute to the time travel theme. Predictably, responses to the survey on social media were plentiful, with the #BabyHitler hashtag still trending on Twitter at time of publication. From what we could gather, many took the question seriously and provided insightful answers.
@Slate a baby is a baby and Hitler is Hitler, a baby is not yet Hitler! I would educate the baby n prevent it from becoming Hitler! @nytimes — Aimable Uwimana (@AimableUwimana1) October 26, 2015
Most people, however, saw that the tweet was absolutely ripe for parody, and relentless ridicule ensued:
websites right now #BabyHitler pic.twitter.com/N3bKuFckZl
— Matt Bors (@MattBors) October 23, 2015
This #BabyHitler is far more inoffensive then the racist white #Dutch #blackface celebration #zwartepiet pic.twitter.com/abM0v3Xrdo
— Bally Sabroso (@DJSabroso) October 25, 2015
He can’t be killed #babyhitler @nytimes @JoeMande https://t.co/wqwG8wzSlT pic.twitter.com/5FkijPFbxL
— The Birthday Boys (@thebirthdayboys) October 23, 2015
#BabyHitler was freakin’ adorable #sorrynotsorry pic.twitter.com/xvLIG74kUA
— Wife with a Pumpkin (@apurposefulwife) October 24, 2015
This Baby Hitler thing today, so cray cray #NYT #BabyHitler pic.twitter.com/6UR91dFfI7 — Yelton Manor B&B (@YMBBastepaway) October 23, 2015
Not sure I’d kill #BabyHitler, but I’d at least make sure he got circumcised by a doctor with shaky hands. — Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) October 23, 2015
You guys! NO! #BabyHitler pic.twitter.com/hIy5ERogTr — Daniel Radosh (@danielradosh) October 23, 2015
I like that the New York Times is posing the questions my sister and I asked one another when we were 5 #babyhitler https://t.co/TeI6ro1hU7 — Hadley Freeman (@HadleyFreeman) October 23, 2015
best #babyhitler tweet ever https://t.co/5KVc1F8tLt — Cathy Young (@CathyYoung63) October 23, 2015
Given the chance, I would kidnap Baby Hitler and chain him up in the basement like Chunk from “The Goonies.” Baby Hitler? No. BabyRuth. — Brad Willis (@BradWillis) October 23, 2015
“If you could go back in time would you kill a baby–” “Yes.” “…Hitler.” “Right yeah. I knew you were going to say that.” — Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) October 23, 2015
If anything, Anna Kendrick pointed out that the tweet might have been a blessing in disguise.
Thank you @nytimes for giving us the easiest last-minute Halloween costume ever. #BabyHitler ? — Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47) October 23, 2015
Eventually, the New York Times responded to the madness with a single tweet:
lol
— NYT Magazine (@NYTmag) October 23, 2015
One of the most revered media agencies of the 21st century, folks.