Dear Hollywood: A Refresher Course on Hitler

If only Paris Hilton, Jesse James and Oliver Stone had read this first…

So, you're a celebrity Paris, or a notable Jesse or a famous Oliver. And you're wondering: Say, should I have some fun with Hitler?

Well, should you?

Let's review:

1. Are you Mel Brooks? At the very least, are you in a road company production of The Producers? No?

2. Are you a character on Mad Men? Are you making a comment on our unenlightened past? Or—be honest, now—are you just being modern-day stupid?

3. Are you on YouTube? Are you posting, "Hitler Reacts to News that Paris Hilton was Accused of Doing a Nazi Salute?" Are you making, "Hitler React to News that Oliver Stone Was Called Out for Cribbing from the Anti-Semite Playbook?"

Assuming you don't care the Downfall meme is getting old, you should be OK—provided your satire is more Mel Brooks than Jesse James, which, no, didn't play like satire, and sounded nothing like "Springtime for Hitler."

4. Are you Hitler? Well, it's not the preferred answer, or career move, but if you are, then at least your actions make sense, as it were.

5. Are you Mel Gibson? Same answer as above. Although to be fair, not even Mad Max has dropped the F-word (for Führer) on Oksana Grigorieva. (Of course, the day is young…)

The bottom line: We're not Mel Brooks, so we're going to quit while we're (hopefully) ahead.

And so should you.