The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Racist image: H&M temporarily closes S. Africa stores


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Click HERE




The image showed a black child modelling a hooded sweatshirt that said "coolest monkey in the jungle". Two other jungle-themed sweatshirts that did not mention monkeys were modelled by white children.



-at the heart of the storm is the ad in the pic above.... the H&M ad features the boy wearing a sweatshirt with the label: Coolest monkey in the jungle.
-compare this to another controversial racist detergent ad (Click HERE to watch) some time back where a black guy was forced into a washing machine and emerged 'white' after having been 'cleaned' by the said detergent.....
-note that it is images like this in the media (and advertising is a primary culprit) that feed into our impressions about steretypes, constituting our biases..leading to continuing discrimination in society...
-businesses nowadays (esp those that are MNCs) have a responsibility towards the society in which they function and derive profits from....it is not just about the environmental impact they have, but also social impact (i.e. social values which they help to perpetuate)...realise also that consumer backlash can also impact profits; hence, businesses also need to have an ethical conscience.

-Note also how what is funny to one may be insulting to another...humour can obviously grab eyeballs, but it can also result in the wrong kind of attention, as in a backlash....hence leading to serious consequences...

Qn:
1.Should advertising be restricted?
2.‘There is no such thing as bad publicity.’ To what extent is this true (Cam. 2015)
3. In your society, how far is equality for all a reality? (Cam. 2012)
4. 'Profit is the sole concern when it comes to doing business.' Discuss.
5. Can humour ever be serious? (Cam. 2012)