H&M slammed for racist ‘monkey in the jungle’ hoodie
Consumers erupt in outrage at H&M for what they deemed to be a racist move
By Lauren Thomas
H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) is under fire for using a black child to model a sweatshirt sporting the phrase “coolest monkey in the jungle.”
The image first appeared over the weekend on the British version of the Swedish-based retailer’s website.
Upon noticing an advertisement with the photo, social media users erupted in outrage at H&M for what they deemed to be a racist and inconsiderate move.
American percussionist Questlove was one to chime in, writing on Instagram (where he has over 1 million followers):
As of Monday morning, H&M had removed the ad from its website, a spokesperson told CNBC, but it continued to sell the hooded top online (although not in the U.S.).
“We sincerely apologise for offending people with this image of a printed hooded top,” a spokesperson told CNBC. “We believe in diversity and inclusion in all that we do and will be reviewing all our internal policies accordingly to avoid any future issues.”
This mishap adds to a growing list of retailers going too far with a slogan or imagery. Abercrombie & Fitch, for example, was criticised for selling a shirt depicting the Wong Brothers’ laundry service, where “two Wongs can make it white,” and “Get Your Buddha on the Floor.”
Urban Outfitters once sold a red sweatshirt bearing the Kent State name and what appeared to be a blood splatter. And Zara, owned by Inditex, stirred up controversy when it released a striped blue-and-white children’s pajama top with a yellow star over the left chest, resembling uniforms worn during the Holocaust.
The blunder for H&M comes right after the retailer in December reported its biggest drop in quarterly sales in at least a decade. In turn, H&M has trimmed back its expansion plans and is even considering closing some locations.
