Clothing giant H&M are receiving a colossal backlash today after a “racist” ad on their website went viral.
Full story below…
An outpour of outrage tore through the net today when an image surfaced of a young black model wearing a hoody with the term “coolest monkey in the jungle” splashed across the front.
Many have rightfully condemned the company for (at best) racial insensitivity and (at worst) outright racism.
For, it’s mass understanding the plight Black people have experienced over the course of history – including the dehumanizing comparison to monkeys.
A spokesperson for the company issued a statement apologizing. It read:
“We apologize to anyone this may have offended.”
For many, though, it’s too little too late. And it’s totally understandable to see why.
Said image would likely have had to go through several clearances before making its way into the public domain. So how was this “allowed” to happen?
Also, when looking at the juxtaposition of which child is wearing which version of the garment, it’s also incredibly telling (note the different phrases).
Ultimately, this is problematic from every possible angle.
If a genuine mistake, it represents an almighty screw-up and is still unacceptable. As in 2018, there’s no excuse to be so blissfully unaware of historical connotations.
Don’t even want to begin to think about it being deliberate because the thought of that is even more painful than the ad itself.