I would say at worst. My son (he is white) and I always call him a cheeky little monkey. If they had put a white boy in this they would have been critisied for making it obcious it was intended to be rasict otherise they would have used a black boy. Bloody PCbollox as usual. Get over it!
Whatever the reason they did it, they've brought attention and lost possible business partners because of it. That said, they've also gained a fair amount of free publicity as well. I get sick of hearing all these stories as well but like I say, if you are naïve in today's climate you will get pilloried for it. Asking a black person to wear anything with monkey on it is asking for trouble...be that monkey as in a mischievous imp or monkey as in the primate.
I think you are both right and wrong. I'd be amazed if someone with racist intent had thought for one second that they could get away with creating that hoodie. Far more likely that it was someone, as you say, who gave no thought to any racist connotations. I don't think it is PC bollox though. Not when we still have idiots who will make monkey noises at black people, either because they think it is funny or because they have an ignorant and inaccurate view of white supremacy. I hope we can reach the point when innocent comments can be taken innocently, but I think there is, understandably, a hell of a lot more water to pass under the bridge before that day arrives.
I don't understand why any clothing manufacturer would go for 'Coolest Monkey in the Jungle'. Who else or where else has monkey ever been used in advertising to mean a mischievous child? You can use it with jungle, I suppose, but at the risk of the message being misinterpreted. Why not just use a different slogan altogether? Its all a bit strange. But tomorrow it will be forgotten about.
In which case I think someone should start a petition requesting monkey's are to be called by a different name
Re Beardo, I was at his Newcastle debut back in 1983. He came on in the second half at Barnsley, I think the score was 1-1. Barnsley's scorer was Tony Cunningham, who we later signed. "He's black, he's broon, he's playing for the toon, Cuninnningham, Cuninnnngham" was the song.
I think you hit the nail on the head with your earlier post when you said you called your son a 'cheeky little monkey'. That's how the meaning of monkey in this context is normally used. Calling someone the coolest monkey doesn't really make sense, and it's certainly a first...a cool monkey...eh? They could have used Cheekiest Little Monkey in the Jungle but then again I don't think that was the image they were trying to portray on the hoodie.
Just don't put yourself in there. Why bother? There's SO many good swear words and put downs available. When all else fails just reach for the c-word. Nothing says it better.
Or just humiliate them on the pitch. None of our current youth/ reserve side will come within an inch of Beardsley's talent.
Not sure there is a way back from this now. All over BBC news this morning. It's so annoying when things like this are reported about your club. The fact this story has even been able to happen shows a lack of professionalism regardless of how much truth is in it.
I was at this game too,I remember it well, it was the one where a copper jumped on me because I clapped my hands > epic police fail
The cynic in me thinks H&M knew exactly what they were doing. Its got them a shed load of publicity, they've issued an apology, and it will all be forgotten in time or people will say "remember when they put that black kid in a monkey top" at worst. All the while they get some sneaky sales off the back of this. Short term gain with very little long term damage. Perhaps I'm just getting old and evermore cynical though. I'm a big believer in equality. I don't think we should just take the attitude of "so what I call my kids cheeky little monkeys - nothing would have been said if it was a white kid". I understand the sentiment completely but you can't ignore there is a still a sensitivity around the issue. Maybe in time we will all be able to look past it, but currently I don't think that is the case and I think it can be construed offensive to some. Perhaps if the various races around the world hadn't hikjacked certain words to use a slur we wouldn't have this issue. But they did and we do. I long for a time when we can use phrases in the English language without any thought of racial slurs. A racial utopia if you like. Its a long way off though. Put it this way I already know of someone who was racially abused in Byker in 2018 by being called a monkey!
Bullying is usually done without realising you're upsetting the person. You have to let the person know
