Retail giant in ‘racism’ storm over image
SWEDISH clothing retail brand Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) has come under fire and faces accusations of racism following the release of an image from its boys’ fashion range.
The uproar started late on Sunday evening when Twitter users noticed that it was advertising a green hooded top that read “coolest monkey in the jungle”, which was being modelled by a young black boy.
Some Twitter users demanded an explanation for how this could be allowed to happen.
It is understood that as of yesterday morning, the United Kingdom H&M site, which had posted the advert, withdrew it and the image of the boy in the garment could not be found.
Amelia-May Woudstra, from H&M group’s press and communications department, said: “We sincerely apologise for offending customers with an image of a printed hooded top that was published on selected global online channels. The image has been removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale in South Africa.”
Some Twitter users were taken aback and demanded answers from the retail giant, with @CWatkinsTV saying: “Uh oh, @hm. Can y’all explain why a black boy was selected to model a hoodie that says, ‘coolest monkey in the jungle’? Someone didn’t think this through.”
Other Twitter users had stronger reactions and opinions on the matter, with Twitter user@bkmsang claiming that H&M was using racism as an advertising ploy.
She tweeted: “I’m starting to think ‘these people’ are being racist for publicity! This is racist and insensitive. This beautiful boy doesn’t even know what @hm is making out of him! A whole team shooting and no one saw what’s wrong with this.” #hm #h&m #boycotth&m #racist #GoldenGlobes2018
@SeedAforika said: “We always start the new year on a racist note … last time it was Penny Sparrow and now it’s H&M @hm. Nothing new … it’s exhausting.”
Other users were enraged enough to demand a boycott of the clothing brand, with @ fola_toye saying: “H&M is a racist company, boycott their products.”
However, other users were just as quick to jump to the brand’s defence, with @ kieranpatel98 saying: “This whole thing about H&M is stupid … it’s not at all racist, it’s simply a kid modelling the hoodie. The only thing that makes it racist is people viewing it as the stereotype of black people being deemed monkeys. Views like this are what keep stereotyping and racism alive”.
This is also not the first time that the H&M group has been accused of racism. In 2015, ahead of the opening of its Sandton and Cape Town stores, the group had to do damage control after implying that black models did not present a “positive image”.