Nathan Fielder Slams Paramount+ as Nazis After Show Removes Episode Over ‘Antisemitism’ Concerns

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In a 2015 episode of the humorous reality series “Nathan for You,” Nathan Fielder initiated an outdoor clothing line called Summit Ice. This action was prompted by his discovery that the Canadian company producing his preferred winter jacket, Taiga, had paid tribute to Holocaust denier Doug Collins. Being Jewish himself, Fielder responded by establishing a rival brand and pledged all profits towards Holocaust education.

Fielder aims to get Summit Ice jackets into retail stores by enlisting a rabbi’s help to create a captivating store display that highlights the brand’s message. In keeping with the quirky style of “Nathan for You” (a show that ran on Comedy Central from 2013-2017), their sales pitch is unconventional and features the clothing displayed behind a replica of the Auschwitz gate, complete with fake swastika flags and a lifelike mannequin in an oven.

Just as anticipated, the shop proprietor turned down Fielder’s proposal, and responded, “Perhaps you should focus on a different endeavor, as this doesn’t seem to suit your skills.” However, against all odds, Summit Ice gained popularity among its fans, eventually becoming a humorous in-joke. In the initial eight weeks alone, it generated an impressive $300,000 in sales for the company, with the earnings being donated to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. A decade later, Fielder has likely amassed millions of dollars towards Holocaust education initiatives.

In a fresh installment of “The Rehearsal,” his HBO comedy show where fact and fiction are often intertwined, Fielder refers to Summit Ice as his most significant accomplishment. He employs it as an illustration of something seemingly trivial that can, surprisingly, make a difference in the world.

Apparently not everyone supports Fielder’s approach.

On last weekend’s airing of “The Rehearsal” (beware of spoilers), the comedian disclosed that towards the end of 2023, he found out that the episode of “Nathan for You” which showcased the Summit Ice tale had been removed from Paramount+, where the Comedy Central series is available. (“Nathan for You” can also be streamed on Max, along with “The Rehearsal.”)

As a movie enthusiast, I can confirm that the specific “Nathan for You” episode you’re referring to is currently unavailable on Paramount+. This seems to be due to a “standards review,” as reported by an insider source. However, you can still enjoy this episode if you subscribe to Max instead.

Fielder claims he reached out to his contacts at Paramount+ regarding the removal of an episode, and they confirmed it was a deliberate choice based on “sensitivities.” Here’s a representation of his email exchange with Paramount+. According to Fielder, the streaming service explained: “A decision was taken by Paramount+ Germany to eliminate the episode in their region following discomfort with content that addresses antisemitism, in light of the recent Israel/Hamas conflicts.

Fielder explains that when Paramount+ Germany took action on an episode, other European branches of Paramount followed suit and also removed it. This decision quickly escalated, with the mindset of Paramount+ Germany spreading worldwide, ultimately erasing all Jewish content that made them uneasy. (He illustrates this process by displaying a map showing the rippling effect, drawing a comparison between the Paramount+ brand and the spread of Nazi ideology.)

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve found myself taken aback by an unsettling observation. It appears that when searching on this particular streaming platform, Fielder claims that there’s an apparent “erasure” of Jewish content. The results show 50 hits for “Nazi,” 10 for “Hitler,” yet zero for “Judaism.” Curious to verify this, I conducted a similar test using the username EbMaster, and indeed, the results mirrored Fielder’s findings. Among the search results for “Nazi” and “Hitler,” there were a mix of World War II documentaries, sports events like March Madness games, and film titles such as “Minari.” The only result for “Judaism” was a 2022 short film series from Showtime called “Spotlights.” A search for “Christianity” yielded two documentaries, while “Islam” generated 50 results including popular shows like “Love Island,” “Fire Island,” and “Monkey Island” – perhaps due to typos. It’s clear that this streaming platform’s search engine could use some fine-tuning.

In “The Rehearsal,” the central idea is that individuals can tackle life’s difficulties by practicing them in intricate, highly realistic environments. To illustrate this concept, Fielder constructs a duplicate of Paramount+ Germany’s offices and recruits an actor to portray a streaming executive. This was done because Fielder felt he had been overly submissive during his early communications with Paramount+, as they were also the home of his Showtime series “The Curse,” which hadn’t yet been renewed for another season. Consequently, he sought a second opportunity to engage in conflict.

Fielder admits in the show that since he wasn’t familiar with Paramount+’s German offices, he had to make an educated guess about their appearance.” This version maintains the original meaning while using simpler and more conversational language.

Regardless, I stroll into this colossal structure, adorned with towering Paramount+ signs (ringing a bell?). To get to the bottom of why the Summit Ice episode was removed, I have a chat with an executive who sports a thick accent. He lays it out for me in words he’s penned himself: “In contemporary Germany, we can’t abide by any visuals that might stir up hatred or provoke violence against any segment of society.” (Written by yours truly)

Afterward, Fielder instructs the actor to ad-lib, even though it’s quite improbable that this scene wasn’t already scripted. The “Paramount+ executive” then criticizes Fielder for allowing his biases to lead to an “insincere” approach to resolving conflicts. He remarks, “You set up this office to resemble a war room and dressed me like a Nazi. You claim to seek feedback, but you’re not genuinely interested in obtaining the Paramount+ viewpoint or the German perspective.

When the actor accuses Fielder of being a “person holding a grudge who uses his TV program to tarnish us,” this statement essentially counters Fielder’s metaphor. It should be noted that, according to sources, Paramount+ was not informed in advance about this storyline by the show or HBO. Typically, content involving real corporations undergoes legal review before release within HBO, as it is customary for satirical content.

EbMaster reached out, but Paramount+ chose not to respond about the matter. A representative for the company refused to provide additional information, such as their stance on Fielder’s portrayal of Paramount+ as Nazi Germany, the reason behind the episode’s removal from their standards, or if it will be reinstated on the platform in the future.

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2025-04-28 06:18