H&M Racism storm

[Robbo]

People on social media have called H&M "racist" for showing a black child modelling a hoodie that says 'coolest monkey in the jungle.'

Some are calling for a boycott of the brand over the picture, while others defended the retailer.

H&M has said: "We apologise to anyone this may have offended."

People on Twitter described the image published by the Swedish chain as inappropriate and offensive.

The photograph was being using in the children's section of the UK site and some people weren't happy.

Dexter Neptune wrote: #BlackTwitter h&m is cancelled won't see anymore money from me.

Another user compared the image to one of a white child modelling a hoodie with the words "jungle survival expert."

Others questioned how no-one spotted that the image may be offensive.

Someone else wrote: "No doubt the H&M monkey hoodie photoshoot was organised with completely innocent intentions but in today's outrage society you have to triple check everything you do."

People also defended the clothing brand, some said it was an innocent mistake and others said the brand isn't racist.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/artic...ises-over-racist-image-of-black-boy-in-hoodie

I can easily see why this has been taken the wrong way, but surely the intention of the store was that children are often referred to as 'little monkeys' or similar.

I suspect a few P45's will be handed out in the marketing department!

 

[spoffle]

And it's also racist to suggest the black kid can't wear certain clothing. Black people aren't monkeys, even if people use it as a racial slur. It's people looking for things to be offensive.

 

[Marky]

Possibly controversial view here, but I immediately thought it to be a bit racist that people would be offended by this. I've always heard kids be called "little monkeys", just because the kid in this picture is black, the very fact that anyone would call it racist, is almost racist in itself... :/

 

[Rifte]

And it's also racist to suggest the black kid can't wear certain clothing. Black people aren't monkeys, even if people use it as a racial slur. It's people looking for things to be offensive.

I completely agree, however its an epic fail by H&M to even acknowledge that this could be taken the wrong way before they put the photos out there.

 

[Spook187]

Here we go again, my God you can't say anything these days with out the racist card being played, Yawn.

 

[Psymonkee]

Ugh! Does everyone get worked up over everything now?

<insert Clerks 2 clip here> :/

 

[adolf hamster]

are people really getting annoyed about this? all i see is a kid in a green hoodie

 

[wolfie138]

y..a..w..n...

 

[413x]

So sad.
Why would anyone do this maliciously. Lose job etc etc.

As said, it's those who are looking for something racist that see the racism in this.

Reminds me of that southpark episode

 

[DIABLO]

Perpetually offended society.

 

[D.P.]

Epic failure by H&M marketing department but pretty meaningless really.

 

[HAz]

who's is this weekend guy that's jumped on the bandwagon for more air time and said he wont work with H&M now?

 

[Craterloads]

Unfortunately monkey / gorilla are well documented terms used to racially abuse black people.

Whilst I don’t believe the ad to be malicious in intent but would say it is extremely tone deaf.

Not suprised a bunch of right leaning white men on ocuk are like “OMG EVERYHING RACISTS, perpetually offended” etc but yeah H&M are probably right to apologise and pull ad.

 

[Diddums]

Generation of pussies.

 

[Whitewater]

Possibly controversial view here, but I immediately thought it to be a bit racist that people would be offended by this. I've always heard kids be called "little monkeys", just because the kid in this picture is black, the very fact that anyone would call it racist, is almost racist in itself... :/

I thought this too. It only becomes a problem when the child’s race is considered and the phrase given a more sinister meaning.

 

[Robbo]

Possibly controversial view here, but I immediately thought it to be a bit racist that people would be offended by this. I've always heard kids be called "little monkeys", just because the kid in this picture is black, the very fact that anyone would call it racist, is almost racist in itself... :/

Exactly, it was always going to be taken the wrong way, but those taking it the wrong way are - to a degree - being racist themselves!

It’s a farce, but was bound to happen.

 

[shadow_boxer]

Unfortunately monkey / gorilla are well documented terms used to racially abuse black people.

Whilst I don’t believe the ad to be malicious in intent but would say it is extremely tone deaf.

Not suprised a bunch of right leaning white men on ocuk are like “OMG EVERYHING RACISTS, perpetually offended” etc but yeah H&M are probably right to apologise and pull ad.

Agree

 

[Tunney]

Here we go again, my God you can't say anything these days with out the racist card being played, Yawn.

I’m sure that it was thoughtlessness rather than racism that led to this photo but it’s still a racial slur.

Check out the darkest parts of the Daily Mail comments section, Twitter or Reddit. It’s a slur that’s still in use today.

 

[Zatoichi.uK]

When you see everything through the lens of race...

 

[PlacidCasual]

The grievance industries have built massive machines to crush all opposition and they find ever smaller nuts to break with ever larger sledgehammers. Stupid, yes, racist I really doubt it. Unless they can prove the intent behind the advertising was deliberately to imply the link between black people and monkeys/jungle then this is so much cattle manure.

“a good indication of societal decadence is when it prefers to obsess over fictional offences rather than real ones”

“Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.”