Would you consider this racist? H&M advert

[BornInSydneyy]

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.

Can’t say anything these days

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.

If people can't read and comprehend the fact that the sweatshirt says "coolest monkey in the jungle" and not see the racist connotations when it's modelled by a black child then I might just lose the will to live.

Ljlsmum
But you’re not a black person or child who has been subjected to racist insults.
Sometimes mixed race people who have grown up with relatives making “jokes” about skin colour try and pretend it’s not happening.
Also in my personal experience racists usually pick on soft targets ie women and children

I have lost the will to live. How many times does it need repeating that the sweatshirt doesn’t say “Cheeky Monkey”. How many times does it need repeating that POC have been subjected to being told to go back to the jungle and taunted by vile monkey impressions? How many POC on this thread have to repeat that they find the advert racist? How many times will people keep sayIng “So we cant call our kids cheeky monkeys any more .” If it’s such a stretch of the imagination to see why there is a problem with the ad then nothing is going to convince otherwise.

NotACleverName
I don't dispute the issues of putting a black child in that top.

The advert was poor.

I do dispute the idea that the top itself is intrinsically racist.

May I ask, has MN always been this bad? It's always been a bit dodgy on racism, which I always found out of keeping with the erudite feminist analysis, but I thought it was better than this.

Wow, nearly 24 hours later we still have dimwits not understanding what the issue is.

PonderWoman

And dimwits still coming out with the "I think you will find it is you who is racism" line when anyone has an issue with it.

do dispute the idea that the top itself is intrinsically racist

Again...i don't remember seeing this

(Still a big thread...)

Ljlsmum It's brilliant that your dh who is mixed race has no problem with the ad personally but that doesn't make it any more acceptable for H&M, a multinational clothing retailer trading in 68 countries (incl. e.g South Africa with a very recent racist past) around the world, to be insensitive to issues of racism and inappropriate representation in the marketing communications.

I can totally see why your dh would roll his eyes, people are different and have different priorities and sensibilities. Maybe your dh didn't want to be reminded of racism at that point in time because he is busy and focused on more immediate things in his lives or maybe he doesn't like to dwell on things.

That's fine but it is very difficult to argue that portraying a black in a sweater that says "coolest monkey in the jungle" is not one bit controversial, because, bloody hell, it is.

Man Utd striker Romelu Lukaku hits back at H&M 'racist' hoodie advert
news.sky.com/story/the-weeknd-ends-ties-with-hm-over-racist-advert-featuring-black-child-11200833

It is possible to think that putting a black child in a monkey themed top and a white child in an explorer one was a monumental balls up due to history and the fact some racists use monkey as an insult, whilst also thinking the existence of a monkey slogan top in itself isn't racist without being a dimwit.

I see the issue with the advert.
I don't see an issue with a child's top having another stupid slogan on it.

portraying a black boy*

I’ve only yet read to page 4 but bloody hell im astonished. The advert is hugely inappropriate and I’m staggered that people can’t see it.

rufus
I've just been scanning it.
I probably stopped reading properly when someone said 'oh i'll go and see my black children or as people on here say monkeys' and wondered what the hell had the thread turned into.

There'a a bit on twitter i think from scrolling through where people have suggested the top is racist rather than 'here are the issues with an advert'.

Griddle, there are no racists on MN. They all live in harmony where they have never heard, nor uttered a racist word. they love their golly dolls and like a chinese or a curry at the weekend. Just wait for a thread about muslims - then watch the frenzy.

I was reading somewhere before that the actual design was photoshopped onto the young boy after the shoot (it was on my laptop I’ll try and find it again) if that’s the case I think it’s even worse!

PonderWoman

I wonder if the righteous crusaders against racism can see the difference between a fantastically bad bit of marketing (because it touches upon sensitive topics) and a deliberately mocking racial trope

I wonder if the righteous crusaders against racism can see the difference between a fantastically bad bit of marketing (because it touches upon sensitive topics) and a deliberately mocking racial trope

'The righteous crusaders against racism'?

Why are you mocking people who identify and call out racism?

Fair enough maisy

I just couldn't remember it at all

I'm not on twitter ...probably the best thing

I am a PoC who has encountered racism both directly and indirectly.

I understand that there are people who have looked at the ad and not made the connection. That’s fine - I don’t criticise them for that.

What I cannot even begin to comprehend, however, is people who then have it very clearly explained to them why the ad is racially insensitive and therefore offensive to a lot of people and who then Still.Don’t.Fucking.Get.It.

I am so utterly depressed by the attitudes I have seen displayed on this thread. How can people be this wilfully obtuse? If you aren’t offended by the ad and the connotations of what it depicts, I guess that’s your privilege - but how dare you tell me that I am wrong to be offended by it? How dare you dismiss the experiences and perspectives of all of us who DO find the ad offensive? Just who the fuck do you think you are??

burblish

I am a PoC who has encountered racism both directly and indirectly.

I understand that there are people who have looked at the ad and not made the connection. That’s fine - I don’t criticise them for that.

What I cannot even begin to comprehend, however, is people who then have it very clearly explained to them why the ad is racially insensitive and therefore offensive to a lot of people and who then Still.Don’t.Fucking.Get.It.

I am so utterly depressed by the attitudes I have seen displayed on this thread. How can people be this wilfully obtuse? If you aren’t offended by the ad and the connotations of what it depicts, I guess that’s your privilege - but how dare you tell me that I am wrong to be offended by it? How dare you dismiss the experiences and perspectives of all of us who DO find the ad offensive? Just who the fuck do you think you are??

—————

This is the kind of post(er) I was referring to: shouty, self-righteous, unable to distinguish between racial insensitivity and deliberate racism

You’re not wrong to be offended burblish, who’s said you are?

Zara are you really telling a PoC how they should feel?

POC aren't supposed to protest dont you know. They are supposed to be grateful and overlook the follies of their white masters. POC were supposed to accept black kid as dehumanised and white kid as the colonial master 'survival expert'. Something that is such a massive deal to POC was not even a consideration for the 'brains' behind this. White privilege in action.