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Life has got to be pretty good if people are finding the time to bicker over shit this inconsequential.
Welcome to living in the first world in 2018. We have very few real problems, no shortage of food and access to multiple news sources 24 hours a day. With this lack of real problems in the 1st world, the news channels go looking for news to fill the time/space.
Add in social media where everybody can voice their opinion and this is what we get.
Me too but it seems to be the most common theory is that it’s pidgin Chinese. I’m not convinced that makes it racist or offensive given it just means hurry up.
I wouldn't have thought it "racist", but I can imagine if it was historically used to Chinese slaves then offence may well be taken.
It's not inherently racist, although like anything it can easily be used in a racist manner.
Has anyone on the thread claimed it is inherently racist? I may have missed it but if so we'll have to start picketing soft-play centres called "Cheeky Monkeys" across the nation.
I wouldn't have thought it "racist", but I can imagine if it was historically used to Chinese slaves then offence may well be taken.
Was it though? I reallly couldn’t find much on it.
just as racist if they had used a white kid?
No, even if there is a history dating back thousands of years of its use a derogitory term.
Was it though? I reallly couldn’t find much on it.
I dunno, we need the contributor who posted about it to elaborate on his conversation really.
I the meantime I'm gonna play it safe.
Have Scouts banned woggles yet?
A young kid who might have even got a kick out of the comparison to being his favourite animal or something being told he shouldn't wear it because if the colour of his skin.
This.
I have a young son and I'd guess about ten percent of his tops have a monkey on them as does his first bike[1] and a large percentage of his toys. The monkey image is ubiquitous in children's clothes and ubiquitous as a term of endearment.
Sacking him from this photo shoot and replacing with a lad of different ethnicity would have been mental and racist.
Telling black kids they can't wear monkey clothes is mental and racist.
He looks great in that top and I expect his parents/relations do call him a little monkey just like all other kids.
I really hope he never hears about this fuss, and I really hope that any publicity over this doesn't stop kids wearing any top they want or playing with any toy they want.
I also hope advertizers don't stop hiring non-white kids in case they attract this kind of bad publicity over some imagined faux pas.
[1] When I put that bike on freecycle do the STW race police think I should advertize it as 'no black children please'???
H+M mega-dumb - me calling my kids monkeys has little bearing on the item of clothing and picture in question.
But uber-cool-singer-HM-model dresses like a binman (pre-empt apologies for any offended binmen).
How many of you would be happy to walk up to a black person in the street and say to their little kid "awwww you`re a cute little monkey arent you?"
I hope everyone would. I'd be mortified if anyone treated my lad differently on the grounds of race. I'm equally horrified that people are analysing the racial background of kids so they can talk to some of them differently.
But it is in common usage in a non racist or offensive manner and has been for years.
Good point. Is monkey really a racist term in this context? I've never heard it used in a racially derogative way, wheras in and out of nursery and school I hear it all the time as a term of endearment for a child. The dictionary doesn't mention any negative connotations at all.
If JoJo Maman Bébé can flog truckloads of stuff with monkeys all over it it can't be that racist, whatever the relative percentages of DNA the child wearing it is made up from.
Always referred to mine as 'cheeky little monkeys' as a term of endearment.
Don't do it now because they're too big and too old.
I had no idea 'little monkey' was a racist term. I thought it was to do with being restless/mischievous. Pretty sure my mum used to call me one, in fact...
'Little monkey' in isolation isn't racist, but in the context of the H&M cock-up it most certainly could be seen to be racist.
Bloody hell.
I had no idea who "The Weeknd" was, not in a typical STW inverted down with the kids way, just simply hadn't heard of the chap so just gave him a quick google.
So calling women b* and referring to people as the 'n'word is perfectly acceptable, but a t-shirt saying coolest monkey in the jungle isn't?
What a *.
Talentless insipid gobshite looking for publicity.
johndoh - Member'Little monkey' in isolation isn't racist, but in the context of the H&M cock-up it most certainly could be seen to be racist.
Perhaps by someone who was starved of oxygen at birth.
[quote=outofbreath ]I've never heard it used in a racially derogative way
You've never heard it? Well that's OK then
Perhaps by someone who was starved of oxygen at birth.
Stay classy.
kenneththecurtain - MemberI had no idea 'little monkey' was a racist term.
It isn't.
ransos - MemberStay classy.
You're right.
My Uncle was mentally disabled due to oxygen starvation at birth and he wouldn't have been stupid enough to find offence in that t-shirt.
I'll think of another way of putting it. 🙂
Perhaps by someone who was starved of oxygen at birth.
Knife > Heart
When i worked for Evans cycles, We had concession store within a larger Blacks store in York.
They (Blacks) put up large posters in the store of a 6-7 year old girls building a sand castle, with the slogan "Summer made Sexy"
I still think that was a lot worse than this balls-up by HM.
My nephews are really into jungle animals and i would buy them this hoodie if i saw it.
Singlespeed_Shep - MemberThey (Blacks) put up large posters in the store of a 6-7 year old girls building a sand castle, with the slogan "Summer made Sexy"
It's no wonder racism exists if the blacks are trying to sexualize our children.
t's no wonder racism exists if the blacks are trying to sexualize our children.
Hahahaha 😆
😀
I'd best get to the pub before I'm put on the naughty step.
Has nobody thought to ask the monkees opinion on this? I want to know what Peter, Micky, Davey and Michael think about it.
They would be racist but they're otherwise occupied.
Just seen this thread.
My take on it?
The advert guys are a bit naive when they put that lad in that particular hoodie!
Whether you consider it racist or not, stupid not to have even CONSIDERED that it has huge potential to be an issue!
Doh!
That said, I've never heard of the The Next Fortnite guy anyway??!! Lol 😀
On some occassions I call my kids "little shits" and I would buy this:
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The other day I was talking to a Middle Eastern guy about the Marathon Plus tyres. The silence that fell after I've said "they're almost bombproof" was a bit awkward. I decided to carry on as usual. Anyway. Racism and all the others. I was called racist names and at some point I've realised it's not my problem but the poor person's that are trying to offend me using the simplest way possible. If people wouldn't care about the "race card" would there still be racism? I used to call a friend of mine a certain name when I was a lot younger and a tad more stupid. One day he ignored all the crap I was naming him. The fun was over. Never called him a bad name again, wasn't even considering substitutes.
chakaping - Member
Was it though? I reallly couldn’t find much on it.
I dunno, we need the contributor who posted about it to elaborate on his conversation really.
Hello!
Re: my "chop-chop" gaffe
I think it's all been covered really. I said it to her because it's something I do say from time-to-time, like the way that somebody might sometimes refer to a child as a cheeky-monkey. I'm happy that this is not inherently racist language, and saying it does not instantly make me a racist - but your own opinion may differ.
However, as soon as I said it (and she pulled a "WTF!" face), I realized that I'd just said it to an ethnically Chinese person - and (although I didn't know for sure) the phrase was probably rooted in racism, or at least colonial-era language.
I immediately apologized, explaining that I said it without thinking. She was quite cool with it, but explained that she was bullied mercilessly growing up (she was the only non-caucasion in her school) and this was one of the expressions that was used to taunt her.
So I think there's a clear parallel between this and the "little monkey" incident - neither are inherently racist, but they do come with lots of racist undertones - and so should probably be avoided.
Would call a black child a cheeky monkey? No. I wouldn't say "chop-chop" (again) to a Chinese person either. It'd be great if those phrases didn't carry racist undertones..... but the sad truth is that they do. Ignoring/not realizing that might not make you a racist - but it does make you a touch insensitive (or as me and my friend agreed: a bit of a muppet)
However, as soon as I said it (and she pulled a "WTF!" face), I realized that I'd just said it to an ethnically Chinese person - and (although I didn't know for sure) the phrase was probably rooted in racism, or at least colonial-era language.
That's one hell of a hunch!
An individual might have got annoyed at "chop chop", but I don't believe it is generally recognised as offensive:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chop_chop_(phrase)
On the other hand,I think you would have to be living under a rock not to be aware that "monkey" is extremely insulting when directed at black people. I know next to nothing about football, but even as someone who doesn't follow the sport, I'm well aware of the nasty stuff that some black players have faced, like monkey chants and people throwing bananas.
As other people have noted, it is difficult to believe that H&M published that photo. I'd have expected someone in the process to have spotted the problem pretty quicky.
That's one hell of a hunch!
Ha! Not really...... from her face it was pretty evident! I had honestly never considered it before - but it felt wrong as soon as I'd said it.
On the other hand,I think you would have to be living under a rock not to be aware that "monkey" is extremely insulting when directed at black people. I know next to nothing about football, but even as someone who doesn't follow the sport, I'm well aware of the nasty stuff that some black players have faced, like monkey chants and people throwing bananas.
You dont need to be football fan to know this, just google "Michelle Obama Monkey" and you will see that this sort of thing is still prevelant in todays society.
So the model's mum is yet another person in the chain who surprisingly didn't spot the obvious problem. Maybe it's something to do with being involved in fashion that impairs your common sense and general knowledge?
“Terry Mango”..... awesome
So the model's mum is yet another person in the chain who surprisingly didn't spot the obvious problem.
Or maybe she just thought it's a non issue..
Or maybe she just thought it's a non issue..
This. ....and she's right.
This. ....and she's right.
But not according to everyone.
[quote=trailwagger ]You dont need to be football fan to know this, just google "Michelle Obama Monkey" and you will see that this sort of thing is still prevelant in todays society.
Given I've been posting links to comments by John Barnes, I should note that I'm not a football fan at all (I had to do a bit of googling around to find the name of the player - I only knew there was a well known black England player who'd made such comments).
Ironically, no I don't...
Or maybe she just thought it's a non issue..
This. ....and she's right.
Maybe? The quote in the story says quite clearly that she thinks it's a non issue. That doesn't mean she's right though, does it?
That doesn't mean she's right though, does it?
Of course it does, otherwise she would have to be offended about something she isn't offended about.
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Just for clarification* it's the same as the podium girls not providing the definitive opinion on whether having podium girls is a good thing.
*yeah, I know it's probably not providing clarification for those who don't understand why the podium girls' opinion isn't definitive 😉