But it shouldn't be taken to an extreme, because there would never be an end to what connotation any person feels from every word. But I also understand that it's not often that easy: if a black guy has had bad experiences being called monkey, you may want to avoid using that term.
Me refraining from calling my nephew a monkey would be their victory. In fact, I believe they want to associate a racist connotation, and they succeed when we recognise it. Racists call black people monkeys, so they associate a racist connotation to the term.
Nothing of that appears in the ad, and I believe there was no intentional racism in the ad unless proven otherwise.Ĭonnotation. Racism is defined as the belief in the superiority of one race over another, which often results in discrimination and prejudice towards people based on their race or ethnicity. I think there are two things at stake here: I could have call my black nephew a monkey and it wouldn't have crossed my mind that it had racist connotations. Then I saw that it seemed to be a big thing in the US. I saw it in the news (not from the US), and not many people outside the regulars to this stuff paid attention.
She noted that if every garment were sold for just three kronor more (0.3 euros, $0.37), those workers’ salaries could be doubled.This week's controversy is H&M ad where a black kid is wearing a shirt that says 'The coolest monkey in the jungle'. Lisa Magnusson, editorialist at Swedish paper of reference Dagens Nyheter, meanwhile played down the scandal, saying people should be more upset about the working conditions of the labourers in Asia who make H&M clothes for pennies. “In some cases, in order to create a buzz, companies like to stretch their communication and commercials beyond borders," Ossiansson said, adding: “It’s risky." I see a Young King!! The ruler of the world, an untouchable Force that can never be denied!" the athlete said.Ĭanadian R&B singer The Weeknd, who collaborated with H&M on its spring and autumn collections last year, meanwhile severed his contract with the company. “Enough about y’all and more of what I see when I look at this photo. NBA superstar LeBron James expressed his anger on Instagram on 9 January, hours after the garment was removed from u got us all wrong! And we ain’t going for it! Straight up!" James said, including a photo of the same ad but with a crown superimposed on the boy’s head, and the text on the hooded sweater replaced by a crown. The company tried to quash the criticism by apologising and withdrawing the ad and the item from sale. “It signals that the company has problems to cope with, both in terms of how their business should develop with regard to e-commerce and the digitalisation in our society, as well as in their communication," she said. Its online catalogue featured an advertisement of a black boy sporting a hoodie with the words “Coolest monkey in the jungle" written on it.Īccording to Gothenburg University marketing professor Eva Ossiansson, the gaffe is a sign that H&M has lost its Midas touch. Some observers have questioned whether he’ll soon be shown the door, though his father Stefan Persson, the chairman of the board, has ruled out such a move.Īs if the company’s earnings weren’t problematic enough, H&M last week found itself in the middle of a social media storm, accused of racism. E-commerce, for all our brands, is definitely a part of the company that is going very well and is profitable," insists Persson, heir to the company founded by his grandfather Erling.Īt 42, he has headed the group for eight years. “That, combined with worse sales figures than expected, has affected investors’ faith in the company."Ĭhief executive Karl-Johan Persson rejects that analysis. “They have failed in describing their vision for the e-commerce business and how they plan to compete with truly digital companies," Bornold said. The company will publish its full-year earnings report on 31 January. H&M, which also owns the brands COS, Monki, Weekday, Cheap Monday, Arket and H&M Home, said in December it would be closing stores, but didn’t specify how many or where. Not only have H&M sales almost never declined, but the drop was bigger than analysts had expected. In December, the group announced a 4% drop in fourth quarter sales from the previous year, to 50.4 billion kronor (5.0 billion euros, $6.22 billion). “It’s (been) one of the toughest years for H&M," Joakim Bornold, an economist at the investment bank Nordnet told AFP, noting that the company’s stock price has fallen by 35% since January 2017. H&M is one of the most well-known brands in the world, with global brand consultancy Interbrand ranking it the 23rd best known company worldwide in 2017-ahead of Ikea and fashion luxury goods manufacturer Hermes.īut lately, H&M has struggled to lure shoppers into its 4,553 stores around the world, and has been slow to develop its online offering.
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