Offensive children tshirt

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Was at soft play earlier with my sister and our respective dc. My dc are white British, sisters are mixed white British/Jamaican.

As we were leaving a black woman came up to my sister and had a go at her, telling her that her sons top was offensive and that she should be ashamed of herself for putting it on him as it is racist because it had ‘cheeky monkey’ written on it. It’s just a bog standard long sleeved tshirt from Asda. My sister told the woman to mind her own business and we left. My sister is furious, she doesn’t think she’s done anything wrong, and the fact this was all done in front of the dc is getting to her as she had to explain to her 6 year old he wasn’t racist. But it’s got me thinking if she would have said something if it was one of my white dc wearing it?

Would you think it was offensive/racist if you saw it? And does it make a difference the race of the child wearing it?

Well just off the top of my head, I see associations with jungles, drums, black people having ‘rhythm’ and all the stereotypes that go with that that are linked to black people and racist attitudes towards them. Why on earth would anyone have someone dressed as a gorilla playing the drums? It’s just like those idiots think that’blacking-up’ is fine

I am 100% with Capricorn on this.

Normal people who are not racism wouldn't even be able to make that connection.

Well, unless those "normal people" include people who had been compared to monkeys in the past, and didn't like it, Ttbb. It's easy to make that connection if you've been the object of that abuse, or seen it directed against your family, friends, or others.

Considering the gorilla was doing a Phil Collins song there’s no connotations to being black and you’re really reaching.

I don’t know a single person outraged by the Cadbury’s advert years ago, the majority of my mates are black.

What? In what world would a gorilla playing the drums be racist? What did your friends find racist about it? It didn't offend me in the slightest, why on earth would it?

^^ I didn't entertain it tbh. It was a Facebook rant. And btw I said I seen black people saying it not me pp unless that wasn't clear.

I'm wondering what other animal could play the drums. But then I can't remember the line from that ad or why an animal was playing anyway.

A thread full of whitesplaining, yay

Please enlighten us as to what you mean @notthefordtype

Really - please do

Whitesplaining?

I would have thought it was pretty self explanatory.

But it is disingenuous to state that there is no history of black people being called "monkeys". As I said- ask any black footballer.

Or ask the Obamas.

"Or ask the Obamas."

Oh yes, I had forgotten that. What was it "great to have a proper First Lady, not an ape in heels" ........

I acknowledge that horrible comparisons of humans beings to monkeys by racists are awful.

But the term 'cheeky monkey' as an affectionate term for a child has been around for decades and is not connected to that at all.

I used to use the term cheeky monkey for children but I needed to switch when I worked in a setting with a lot of black children, other staff pointed it out to me and explained the history. It was completely unintentional but it was causing offence. Once I had my own children I’ve started using it again.

I'm sure DS has a top with this on

Didn't cross my mind if I'm honest

Exactly right allthebubbles same here

Although i dont think ive ever used the phase

I have compared my children climbing to monkeys but again would be careful about when and where i said it

NoNoCharlieRascal

Was that in a small town in Devon by any chance? I remember hearing a similar thing about a teacher there

Ahh that's lovely Miaow, the cuntiest thing I've heard all day, well done you!

No Day not in Devon.

The parent didn't take any offence btw, she couldn't understand the fuss. It was a general term of endearment used for all children.

To those saying they wouldn't dress a black child in this t-shirt: If black parents (or parents of black children) have to start examining every item of clothing / toy they buy their DCs for potentially racist connotations, just in case a passer-by sees something offensive in it, that in itself is a form of racism isn't it? It becomes one more (admittedly trivial) liberty that they (we) don't have. Because as long as the slogan isn't overtly offensive - swear words, swastikas etc - a white child can wear a shirt with any animal / generic image on it. But a black child is supposed to analyse it for historically racist overtones?

"But the term 'cheeky monkey' as an affectionate term for a child has been around for decades and is not connected to that at all."
But not a massive hardship not to use it, surely?

I’d forgotten about the MO issue as well - not because I thought it didn’t matter but because it was so unutterably vile,I put it out of my head. Can’t some of you see that the association between monkeys , apes etc and black people is all part of the narrative of black people being sub human and basically well monkeys, apes etc? There are thousands of names to call children affectionately - why not just avoid this particular one because for some people in some situations it hurts.

It is about context and intent.
Making monkey noises at a black footballer is clearly racist. A little child wearing a cheeky monkey t shirt, regardless of race, is not racist.

Gilligans that’s sort of what I was getting at in my OP - that if it were my (white) child she probably wouldn’t have batted an eyelid but because my DN is mixed race its playing up to a stereotype.