Why is comedian Mel Brooks at the centre of controversy? Complete drama explained as Hitler joke reignites debate

Renowned comedian Mel Brooks is at the height of controversy after a comment he made on Adolf Hitler during a promotional event for the revival of The Producers in Los Angeles.

"Hitler was bad to every Jew in the world, but he was good to me"

Brooks' joke was not well-received and was branded offensive by critics and social media users. However, a source close to the comedian, while speaking to media outlets, defended Brooks and noted that the 99-year-old comedian has been making jokes about the N*zi leader for years.

"Mel honestly doesn't see what the fuss is all about. He's been making jokes about Hitler for nearly 60 years and never once meant them in support of the man. To him, comedy is about taking power away from the evil, not giving it back. He just doesn't get the idea of "wokery" - it's like another langugae to him"

Brook's iconic 1967 film The Producers was also in the middle of controversy for featuring the song Springtime for Hitler. The comedian at the time faced backlash from rabbis and Jewish organizations.

Mel Brooks on ridiculing Hitler

Comedian Mel Brooks is popular for making comments ridiculing Hitler for years. The comedian believes that you can take the power away from controversial figures by making jokes about them.

While speaking to 60 Minutes in 2001, Mel Brooks claimed that it was his "lifelong job" to ridicule Hitler since arguing with the fascist leader won't work,

"It's been one of my lifelong jobs to make the world laugh at Adolf Hitler. You have to bring him down with ridicule, because if you stand on a soapbox and you match him with rhetoric, you're just as bad as he is. But if you can make people laugh at him, then you're one up on him."

Brooks's parents were immigrants. He is half Ukrainian from his mother's side and half German from his father's. Mel Brooks is Jewish, and as per the Irish Times, he dealt with anti-semitism among some of his fellow soldiers while fighting in the US army against the Na*is.

The comedian, during an interview with Men's Journal in December 2017, admitted that he understands boundaries and draws the line when making satirical jokes about sensitive topics. Brooks mentioned that his limit on the Hitler jokes is "concentration camps". He revealed that when he included Springtime for Hitler in his film, he received letters from rabbis, who said, "This is execrable."

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