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.

I also think there is definitely something different about this particular top - there are no pictures or anything on it, it’s not cute to look at. It’s all about the words. That to me, makes it more insensitive (and bewildering). I can’t imagine a young child choosing it for themselves.

Julie did you read any of Becles’ links? (Or were they just too hard for you to understand)

NC for obvious reasons. I jokingly called a kid in my class a cheeky monkey for shouting out in excitement. As soon as I had said it his friends looked at him and I realised that, because he was black, my comment could be viewed as racist. I had never thought of it beforehand because cheeky monkey is normal, affectionate term for boisterous children in my (predominantly white, privileged) world. In that instant I contributed to a child feeling uncomfortable because of his skin colour.

My point is, I learned from this. Although it was completely unintentional the comment was, objectively, offensive. So I don't use it anymore, with any child. There are plenty of other jokey terms people can use that don't have racist connotations. Little tinker is my current fave.

I'm shocked some people don't find this racist.

People have been put in prison in the UK for doing a monkey dance at a black football player!

Ah Becles, I hadn't seen your post when I posted.

@80sQueen erm I know what happened to black people throughout history thanks, I don't need a lesson.

I choose to call my kids cheeky monkeys as a teen of endearment for my kids. I hope they grow up with enough wisdom to discern between the two.

You have issues with the advert, fair enough, I don't. Maybe in the year 5998 it will be ok to call kids cheeky monkey and put children in animal tops without there being so much taboo surrounding it. Maybe we've not moved on enough as a collective for it to not be labelled as racist. Like I said previous, it all depends on the intention of the words used. Surely context is everything?

This isn't about trying to minimise racism, it's about where the social boundaries lie between a kid advertising a top and the perception of how that is received. If the white kid wore it would there even be an issue? Or is it only black kids that get singled out?

MySweetAudrina

If it's ok to call a white child a cheeky monkey then it should be ok to do the same to a black child unless of course you think there is more of a similarity between a black child and an actual monkey then you might pause as you might be afraid of offending which feels even more inherently racist.

Perhaps I just like to pay attention to social context, and avoid risking sounding like a racist to a child? What's more important here? Ignoring skin colour, or being pleasant to a child and his/her parents?

Lots of people think racism is as simple as saying "I hate people who aren't white". It isn't. The disadvantages that black people and other ethnic minorities suffer are perpetuated by white people simply not thinking about undertones and not being sensitive to their own subconscious biases. Racism isn't just your awful Uncle Fred who makes racist comments every time a black person is on TV. It isn't enough to settle for being noticeably non-racist next to Uncle Fred! It's difficult, and unpleasant to consider the idea that you yourself might have prejudices, but necessary, if we're to have any hope of eliminating racism in any reasonable time frame.

Listening to black people saying, "that is a word used as a racist insult" is a good start.

You might want to rethink that @JemimaHolm, 'tinker' isn't without negative connotation.

No different than a white child wearing a jumper saying "the most precious snowflake of mumsnet".

There is a huge, massive, cavernous difference in these two terms.

Some people just like to make an issue out of anything, even if there should be no issue to be made!

80sQueen

Good point on reading more about every day experiences of black and ethnic minority people. Thanks to work, I tend towards the academic - dry texts on the political history of the Middle East, say, or Japanese history. I will make an effort to seek out books that show more about every day life. It's not your responsibility to educate me.

Yea I think a tinker is possibly what people used to call travellers so would assume this could also be viewed negatively .

Little tinker is my current fave.
I really think you need to do a little research!

@jemimaholm !!! " tinker" is highly highly offensive

Ofcourse it would not have been an issue if a white child had worn it, white people have never been called monkey as an racial insult, ffs is it so hard to understand the difference.
Even in the year 5998, the historical connotations will still exist.

Some people just like to make an issue out of anything, even if there should be no issue to be made!

Sabs22 and some people mistake their own ignorance of issues for how life is for everyone else! Be thankful it isn't an issue for you, by all means, but you don't get to claim it isn't an issue for other people, who have been hurt by it.

*No different than a white child wearing a jumper saying "the most precious snowflake of mumsnet".

There is a huge, massive, cavernous difference in these two terms.*

What if it is a black person calling a white child "snowflake". Or can only white people be racist.

Mindboggling to me the amount of marketing bods etc. who must have looked at this photo and gone 'yup, that's fine'. No one at any point thought 'hmmm, maybe putting a black child in a jumper that talks about monkeys in the jungles isn't the wisest idea'.

This ad is totally tone deaf. Anyone can see that! I'm not in the UK and don't follow football but even I'm aware that " monkey" is a common enough taunt for some footballers! Of course I call my children cheeky monkeys but that's totally and utterly irrelevant.

Thanks for the info - I've been using it for years and nobody gas ever hinted at a problem. I didn't know what it meant, sorry!

Bloody hell I am naive. Sorry again.

Jemima little tinker would be highly offensive and racist - I wouldn't use it (travelling community) though I know you mean it affectionately

I genuinely think whoever designed the green jumper did not purposely mean for it to modelled by a black child but that said - I think the advert is highly offensive and inappropriate. Disgusting actually as I ha e hears racial slurrs to the effect of the slogan (not in recent years I may add - 20 years perhaps)

I'm amazed at the ineptitude of h and m. How could they be so apparently blind to the bleeding obvious?

It's a weird slogan to put on a top for a slightly older child too, like the one in the photo. Before I clicked it I had imagined something for a tiny child, I suppose because it's a bit of a twee saying for a sweatshirt. Anyway, that's irrelevant.

I wonder if they thought they were being challenging or something stupid like that.

And to the original point agree with others I would doubt it was intentionally racist by hnm and no niether op or the people that think it is racist are " the real racists "

There are negative connotations regarding the wording that mean it's unacceptable to have used a black model for the hoody

When has snowflake ever been used a term of racial abuse?

Oh that's right, never.

In Ireland you would get into more trouble if you called a child a tinker. Travellers are called tinkers here and not in an affectionate way either. Might has well just call all kids little cunty fuckers as they seem to be the only acceptable words to call people on mn.