H&M Racist Ad Shoot Causes Controversy On The Internet
So recently, clothing retailer H&M has found itself in the midst of a racial controversy after running an ad featuring a black child posing in a hoodie with words “Coolest Kid In The Jungle” written on it.
This racist image on thier website caused a lot of reaction from people, pointing out the term “monkey” as a racial slur, a word which dates back centuries when the black people were referred to as monkeys; they went ahead to feature a white child in the same ad posing in an orange hoodie with words “Jungle Survivor”, this just made the whole act seem not thought out.
This photo sparked a backlash on social media as people are outraged and venting thier anger on the different platforms and this might cause H&M to lose a lot of customers because of the power of the media. Celebrities and critics call for H&M to be boycotted stating that H&M is very racist. Canadian singer, the weekend in a tweet says he’s deeply offended and is parting ways with H&M over the racially insensitive ad.
woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore… pic.twitter.com/P3023iYzAb
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) January 8, 2018
Following the backlash of the racist image, H&M apologized and said it would take the image down in an interview with CBS “We sincerely apologize for this image”, H&M said in an email sent to CBS MoneyWatch. “It has been now removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale in the United States. We believe in diversity and inclusion in all that we do, and will be reviewing our internal routines.” Though the brand claims it was unintentional, some media users say it was not ignorance but an intended act with an agenda while Others took the view that H&M didn’t intend to offend with the image, but that they “should have realized” it may cause offense, with one suggesting it showed the lack of non-white executives.
This incident comes just months after the retailer removed a hoodie bearing the words “Dogfight in Random Alley” from its stores after animal rights organisation PETA complained that it sent a “dangerous” message.
Meanwhile, twitter and Instagram users seem be healing the racial scars by re-touching the image and giving the hoodie and clothing brand a more soothing caption
With the caption of the editor
