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Original poster

Would you consider this racist? H&M advert

999 replies

BornInSydneyy · 08/01/2018 21:12

A young black boy wearing a jumper that says -

“Coolest monkey in the jungle”

I genuinely can’t understand how anyone thought that was acceptable.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
Ghanagirl · 09/01/2018 19:51

MistressPage okay as a black person you’ve never experienced racism?
I find it hard to believe but if so good for you.
I’m just pointing out that despite being born in Home Counties I have and now living in London unfortunately both myself and my incredibly beautiful children have!
That’s a fact and whatever you’re experience is (and to be honest I think either you’re not black or you’ve normalised this racist behaviour) it’s not my experience and I will never except myself or my children being subjected to racist abuse if that’s unacceptable to you then you’ve got issues

Gilead · 09/01/2018 19:53

I don't think it's racist- I think it's a phrase that lots of parents or adults say about children. What if you saw a black family buying the top for their son or daughter- would you put your seemingly racist thoughts onto the parents and say " oh I don't think you should buy that" ? I think you'd look like the racist for making the connection that the family had not. I bet most of the people shouting it's racist are white.
Did you read the bloody thread?

Nope. I think it's just people reading too deeply into stuff tbh. Surely they're the ones making assumptions
Obviously you didn't either.

Heartoffire · 09/01/2018 19:55

I think if you are a black persons who hasn’t experienced racism ever you may be minimising things like women who say they have never been sexually harassed or had at least one sexist remark made to them or groped.

Na don’t believe it.

Ghanagirl · 09/01/2018 19:56

Still waiting for MUMSNET HQ to take a stance against racism, I’m guessing it’s not going to happen...

AppleTrayBake · 09/01/2018 19:56

There are too many *Mistresses' on this thread. Grin

I didn't mean you MistressDeeCee

Heartoffire · 09/01/2018 19:57

most of the people shouting it’s racist are white

No just right. Black and white. It’s vile.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 09/01/2018 20:00

apple

I was getting very confused!!!!

Halebeke425 · 09/01/2018 20:01

My dad was one of only a handful of black kids at his school in East London at the time and he recounted a story to me about how the white kids used to sometimes say stuff like 'oi monkey go back to the jungle and swing from a tree ' or something to that effect and one day he replied 'the only person I ever saw swinging from a tree was Tarzan and he's white' to much laughing and hilarity from his peers, and my siblings and I used to find it funny. This thread reminded me of that story.

It wouldn't occur to me that the ad was being racist by portraying a black boy in a jumper with a monkey on because my mind doesn't go "black people = monkeys". I just saw a cute boy in a cute jumper. If someone was calling him a monkey because he is black then of course that is racist. It sounds like you are suggesting black children can't wear clothes with monkeys on. My children, like any children, love monkey stuff, so do my little brothers and cousins and they're young enough actually that they've most likely never heard the word monkey used towards them in a racist way so wouldn't even make that connection. I have been on the receiving end of racism and didn't make that connection until seeing this thread.

When you can just see a boy in a top and not hone in on his skin colour and what message you think it's sending, then your mind is truly free of racism and prejudice. The fact that some of you can't and just think 'monkeys = black people = inappropriate' is truly offensive.

BertrandRussell · 09/01/2018 20:02

"Bertrand that's clearly a VERY different scenario and yes that I would find offensive."

Why? It's just a monkey- monkeys are cute........

MaisyPops · 09/01/2018 20:04

Whilst waiting to pick up my beautiful black children or in Mumsnet speak “Monkeys”
Who on this thread has said black children are monkeys?

Many people have said they call their child/ren a little monkey. That is not at all the same as saying all black children are monkeys.

I call my nephew a little monkey. It's an affectionate expression. He's lively and wriggly. I've one friend who describes her wriggly baby as a worm or a bean (I don't get the bean one mind!).

If we are now going to say that any expression of cheeky monkey of any child of any race is racist then I might just want to lose the will to live.

It was a poorly judged advert. A large company really should have seen why iy could be an issue. I can see entirely why it's been pulled. But some of this thread is getting a bit daft.

Lizzie48 · 09/01/2018 20:07

I'm afraid the term 'monkey' when used in relation to black people is racist. Sadly, some fans still make monkey noises to abuse black players. It's a fact. We can't pretend that connection doesn't exist.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 09/01/2018 20:09

the fact that some of you can't and just think 'monkeys = black people = inappropriate' is truly offensive

So a black person who is offended by the advert is racist and offensive and they also believe that monkeys=black person

Ok...still confused

Glintysea · 09/01/2018 20:09

Maisy the sweatshirt reads “coolest monkey in the jungle* .

MaisyPops · 09/01/2018 20:09

I'm not suggesting we pretend the connection doesnt exist, more that people suggesting that people on here are saying black children are monkeys when most is 'we use cheeky monkey as an affevtionate term so the term monkey in itself isn't offensive. It's how it's used'.

downthestrada · 09/01/2018 20:12

The jumper didn’t say “cheeky monkey”, it didn’t have a cute picture of a monkey on it. It said “coolest monkey in the jungle”. In the jungle

The white child in the advert was wearing a jumper that said “expert explorer”. It’s not as simple as what people want it to be.

Given that we’ve seen loads of people’s examples of “monkey” related insults, how can it not be clear that this advert is misguided and, whilst maybe not intentional, racist.

MaisyPops · 09/01/2018 20:12

Glintysea
Which is a stupid slogan for a shirt but it's not inherently racist.

Now dressing a black child in it, i can see the issue. I can see why it would be an issue.

But on here it's getting a bit 'any reference to monkey must be racist at any time regardless'.

Rosewatersoap · 09/01/2018 20:12

I think that some people on this thread just have no understanding of how media including advertising operates in the public sphere. They don't understand that images and words are symbols used to create public narratives and that language including signs e.g. words and pictures always exist and are read in a wider social, political and cultural context. These posters don't understand the media sphere and mass communication at all and that is due to a lack of education in this topic.

I wish they introduced serious media studies and theory to the national curriculum.

Ghanagirl · 09/01/2018 20:13

Halebeke425
Such a sweet story but doesn’t negate the fact that me and my children have been called monkey’s!
I’m sorry that some people on this thread find it offensive and upsetting that many black Women and children object to being called monkeys or Apes by racists

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 09/01/2018 20:14

if we are now going to say that any expression of cheeky monkey of any child of any race is racist then I might just want to lose the will to live

I dont think anyone has suggested this

Lizzie48 · 09/01/2018 20:15

I know 'cheeky monkey' is used as an affectionate term for children, I use it for my DDs, but it's not appropriate for an advert. There will be people who will take it as a racist insult, and that can't be ignored. There's just too much history.

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 09/01/2018 20:16

but on here it's getting a bit 'any reference to monkey must be racist at any time regardless'.

I honestly haven't seen this...but its a big thread

downthestrada · 09/01/2018 20:16

I don’t think anyone is saying that we can’t use the term “cheeky monkey”, just that the advert is bad.

So far this thread reminds me of:

When people say we can’t say Merry Christmas anymore, due to offending others.
When men say that sexist abuse is just banter and women need to give it a rest.
When people say they don’t need feminism anymore since it’s all fine now.

Ljlsmum · 09/01/2018 20:17

Gilead- to be honest I haven't read the whole thread but I mentioned the ad to my mixed race husband and he rolled his eyes and said it was ridiculous too. As someone who has experienced racism- I think he has a good understanding of these issues. I don't see that I have to read the whole thread to put my opinion across anyway so don't understand you picking me out to moan about that.

Lizzie48 · 09/01/2018 20:18

And the slogan in the advert wasn't 'cheeky monkey' but 'coolest monkey in the jungle'. That is racist, definitely.

DivisionBelle · 09/01/2018 20:18

“if we are now going to say that any expression of cheeky monkey of any child of any race is racist then I might just want to lose the will to live”

Well maybe actually RTFT and see if anyone is saying that before you start your decline into ultimate oblivion. Would be a shame to get it wrong.