H&M clothing chain latest target of racial hysteria

The online outrage caused by the Swedish retailer’s pick of a black child modelling a hoodie with the words ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’ emblazoned on the front, has forced the company into an official apology

Many users on Twitter went as far as calling for a boycott over H&M’s alleged racism. However, Luke Gittos, law editor of Spiked magazine, believes the controversy is overblown and reflects a kind of outrage mentality online.
Source

Clothing chain H&M recently added some new jungle-themed clothing to their website. One child modeled a shirt that said "survival expert" while another child modeled a shirt that said "coolest monkey in the jungle". The problem? The child wearing the shirt that happened to have the word "monkey" on it was black. Now people across the internet are outraged and calling for a boycott of the company for being "racist". H&M has apologized and removed the picture of the black child from their website.
To the black people who may be reading this: When you get outraged by things like this, it makes you look like you have an inferiority complex. If you're that triggered by the word "monkey" on a jungle-themed children's shirt that you want to boycott a company, then there might be something deeper going on in the back of your mind somewhere. If you want people to take racism seriously, then stop nonchalantly throwing around the "racist" accusation at every possible opportunity. It's like the boy who cried wolf. Eventually it's going to become so ridiculous that nobody is going to listen any more.

The people who constantly see racism where none exists are often the racists themselves. I'm white, and all I see is a little kid wearing a shirt. I don't care what color he is, and I'm certainly not thinking "Ha! That black child is less than human because his shirt has the word 'monkey' on it!".

C'mon man...

I don't even know what to say to this one.

You have to see this from the perspective of a black person who has been referred to as a monkey as a racial slur for generations.

All I can do is shake my head at the lack of awareness.

That said; are we sure this is racist or just blind, deaf, and dumb?

That is what's wrong with US, its all about black vs white.

There's practically little jungle left already, more like nationwide slums.

You can't make this S*** up some times.

The people who are calling this out are the real racists for associating "black" with "monkey". Everyone else sees an adorable kid

a reply to: trollz

I grew up in a racist town as a brown man, and even I'm getting sick and tired of all the accusations of racism. I get why they're mad, but it sucks that all they see here is racism. My niece's nickname is "monkey", because she really loved to hang onto everyone's arms when she was young. It's weird to think that since she's brown, it's ok to call her monkey, but if she were black, then it would be racist, even if it was for the exact same reason.

originally posted by: trollz

The online outrage caused by the Swedish retailer’s pick of a black child modelling a hoodie with the words ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’ emblazoned on the front, has forced the company into an official apology

Many users on Twitter went as far as calling for a boycott over H&M’s alleged racism. However, Luke Gittos, law editor of Spiked magazine, believes the controversy is overblown and reflects a kind of outrage mentality online.
Source

Clothing chain H&M recently added some new jungle-themed clothing to their website. One child modeled a shirt that said "survival expert" while another child modeled a shirt that said "coolest monkey in the jungle". The problem? The child wearing the shirt that happened to have the word "monkey" on it was black. Now people across the internet are outraged and calling for a boycott of the company for being "racist". H&M has apologized and removed the picture of the black child from their website.
To the black people who may be reading this: When you get outraged by things like this, it makes you look like you have an inferiority complex. If you're that triggered by the word "monkey" on a jungle-themed children's shirt that you want to boycott a company, then there might be something deeper going on in the back of your mind somewhere. If you want people to take racism seriously, then stop nonchalantly throwing around the "racist" accusation at every possible opportunity. It's like the boy who cried wolf. Eventually it's going to become so ridiculous that nobody is going to listen any more.

The people who constantly see racism where none exists are often the racists themselves. I'm white, and all I see is a little kid wearing a shirt. I don't care what color he is, and I'm certainly not thinking "Ha! That black child is less than human because his shirt has the word 'monkey' on it!".

You have to be completely numb to the historical context of the oppression of black people and the racial slurs used against us to post such inane drivel as your OP.

Look, I am a pretty conservative poster and black. I get sick of all the black victimology. However, while I am sure H&M didn't intend to offend anyway, it was clearly a faux pas of epic proportion. Even Brian Gumbel would have been like WTF looking at that advertisement.

Yes, the kid is cute. Yes, little kids can act like freaking monkeys. It is what little kids do. However, black people have been frequently called apes and monkeys as slurs so we are extremely sensitive to it.

These kinds of mistakes happen all the time because some of these companies have no people of color in positions to point out the faux pas.

At this point, I have to believe that the only thing this tells us is that we have a ways to go before we're over all of this.

Maybe another generation or two.

I honestly don't think H & M was trying to be racist.

But it's not like I can't see why it would upset people.

originally posted by: Edumakated
Yes, the kid is cute. Yes, little kids can act like freaking monkeys. It is what little kids do.

So why not just leave it at that? Why can't it just be a cute kid wearing a funny shirt? Why always racism and hatred instead of just kids being cute or whatever?

originally posted by: Edumakated
However, black people have been frequently called apes and monkeys as slurs so we are extremely sensitive to it.

And anybody with a brain obviously knows black people aren't monkeys, so why be so sensitive to such a ridiculous concept? That's why I said it makes people seem like they have an inferiority complex. Being so sensitive to a simple word, especially when that word very possibly didn't even have a negative connotation in the first place, implies weakness of mind. Do you think I get triggered every time a black person calls me a racial slur? No, because I have self-confidence, and my opinion of myself comes from myself, not what words other people call me.

Soooo...

What if he were playing/swinging on "Monkey Bars" on a playground.

Wearing the same shirt?

I'll tell you.

I would die laughing.

originally posted by: trollz

originally posted by: Edumakated
Yes, the kid is cute. Yes, little kids can act like freaking monkeys. It is what little kids do.

So why not just leave it at that? Why can't it just be a cute kid wearing a funny shirt? Why always racism and hatred instead of just kids being cute or whatever?

originally posted by: Edumakated
However, black people have been frequently called apes and monkeys as slurs so we are extremely sensitive to it.

And anybody with a brain obviously knows black people aren't monkeys, so why be so sensitive to such a ridiculous concept? That's why I said it makes people seem like they have an inferiority complex. Being so sensitive to a simple word, especially when that word very possibly didn't even have a negative connotation in the first place, implies weakness of mind. Do you think I get triggered every time a black person calls me a racial slur? No, because I have self-confidence, and my opinion of myself comes from myself, not what words other people call me.

Again, you are not comprehending the severity of how apes/monkeys were used to denigrate black people. Yes, the shirt is harmless by itself. However, on a little black boy, it creates an image that is offensive to those of us with even a passing knowledge of how black people have been portrayed using apes and monkeys.

I think for most black folks, it doesn't warrant marching or some speech by Jesse Jackson. However, it is clearly an offensive picture and whoever approved it should have had more foresight into how it may have been perceived.

Black people are easily triggered by these types of things because believe it or not, it was a big freaking deal and we aren't that far removed from it. My mother drank out of colored water fountains. Sorry, a black person calling you honky or cracker does not carry the same weight of the systematic and legal oppression that the black community faced. This is why you aren't triggered by such things.

a reply to: Edumakated

Yah but why do you suppose his parents allowed him to model the shirt?

a reply to: projectvxn


I know right, in this uber sensitive world we live in quite how a company made this f#ck up is mind blowing,

However lets say the so called mistake was noticed but then the person did not want to point it out as it would be "oh so you assosiate black people with Monkies do you?," that is the type of BS that happens in the European Liberal work space..

The long and short of it is that the person calling the shots is more than likely a 20s something art grade that knows bugger all about race relations in the 80s (when the slur was most prevelent)..

If it was a 60s something white male (it has to be a white male) that has a history of shouting at the "bloody immigrants" that walk to close to "his" wall then there maybe a story here...


RA

I doubt a Swedish person would understand the issue. It is more of an American thing because of our hypersensitive minorities.

Every last one of us are friggin apes, not monkeys!! So wtf if your black and you been called an ape? Own that # and reply "bitch, so are you !"
I don't care how #ing white someone is, or how slanted their eyes are, they are also a damn ape. Sorry people, only God can deny science, because he can wave his pinky finger and everything can suddenly be made of cheese at the molecular level.

I am white, and I AM an ape!

a reply to: trollz

as the civiklised world adresses more and more of its inequality issues - the wingnuts have to scrape the barrel harder and harder to find " something " to be offended by

further - they would totaly loose thier crap if no ethic minority children were in the line up

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
Every last one of us are friggin apes, not monkeys!! So wtf if your black and you been called an ape? Own that # and reply "bitch, so are you !"
I don't care how #ing white someone is, or how slanted their eyes are, they are also a damn ape. Sorry people, only God can deny science, because he can wave his pinky finger and everything can suddenly be made of cheese at the molecular level.

I am white, and I AM an ape!

Well, maybe we all came from monkeys (not apes) but we aren't them now.

Jesus....


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It's a hoodie FFS!