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Monday, January 15, 2018

Repost: H&M Shuts Down All Stores in South Africa After Backlash of Controversial Ad

Image courtesy of www.money.cnn.com


H&M stores across South Africa were shuttered Saturday. Local media reported that destructive protesters had swarmed several locations.

The protesters were reacting to an ad in which a black child wore a sweatshirt that bore the slogan "coolest monkey in the jungle." It appeared on the British version of the Swedish retailer's online store.

Some social media users shared footage claiming to show demonstrators throwing racks of clothing to the ground. Images show merchandise in tangled heaps and toppled security sensors.

H&M said in a statement that it's "aware of the recent events inside several of our South African stores," and it has "temporarily" closed all stores in the country. According to the company's website, H&M has 17 locations in South Africa. 

"None of our staff or customers have been injured," H&M said. "We continue to monitor the situation closely and will open the stores as soon as the situation is safe again." 


The ad, which has been deleted, met backlash earlier in the week when it was shared on social media. Two musicians, known as The Weeknd and G-Eazy, cut business ties with H&M in response. H&M issued a statement Monday: "[W]e apologize to anyone this may have offended."

 On Tuesday, the company said it would also "investigate why this happened to prevent this type of mistake from happening again."

In its statement Saturday, H&M went further.

"We strongly believe that racism and bias in any shape or form, deliberate or accidental, are simply unacceptable," the statement reads. "We stress that our wonderful store staff had nothing to do with our poorly judged product and image." 

 The Economic Freedom Fighters, an opposition party, retweeted footage of protesters marching and singing in H&M stores.

The group's leader, Julius Sello Malema, also shared images of the destruction and comments accusing H&M of racism. 


On Twitter Saturday morning, Malema wrote: "We will never be told by any fool on how to fight against our oppression particularly those who have never been at the picket lines. There's no formula on how you should fight the oppressor, expect more action against all racists, individually and collectively this year."

132 comments:

  1. These people just confirmed that they are indeed monkeys.

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    1. Isa ka pa naman.

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    2. No they did not. If there’s a monkey here, it’s you, you supid buffoon. History has not been kind to this people and h&m should have known better. Balik ka sa iskwela baks.

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    3. And the ball keeps rolling. Racist much?

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    4. Kung si Mariah tinawag tayo na monkeys sobrang naskatan ang ibang pinoy. Masakit sympre sa kanila kasi historically ito ang tawag ng mga racist na puti sa kanila. Ang tanong paano nakalabas ang ad na yan considering madaming tao ang dapat pumasa kung anong dapat ilabas. Nagpapapansin ba ang H&M or racist talaga ang team nila.

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    5. You dont understand. Mabuti nga ganyan lang ginawa. That’s a lesson for a racist establishment.

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    6. yes, this behavior should'nt be tolerated,it doesn't justify anything. Advertisers of H&M admit to their mistake.

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    7. true - but even some monkeys behave better than these ignorants

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    8. How is the view from your throne?

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    9. monkey is a term of endearment by white moms and dads to their kids. it's just an honest mistake and those rabid teens went wild due to their own insecurities.

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    10. 10:14am, can u please stop believing and spreading that lie regine fans made about mariah carey? Mga pinoy gullible

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    11. Messages/ads like that, intentional or accidental, should not be tolerated. I know sometimes they can be overly sensitive. But this particular incident is too much to swallow.

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    12. Context is very important in this case, anon 11:35.

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    13. This H&M admit to their mistake and publicly apologized. It is also wrong to trash their stores like this. Halimbawa galit ka, tama ba na gumanti ka ,sunugin mo yung store, manakit ka ng kapwa dahil galit ka sa comment?

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    14. Kung puti ba ang nagsuot nito may racist remaks din babalik

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    15. @9:38 Napaka OA naman ng reaction mo at tinawag mo pang stupid si 9:29. Ang rude mo grabe ka.

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    16. It's a supposed healing wound that was opened again. Bata pa ang ginamit.
      And besides how can H&M claim that it was an accidental? Hello?! Ang daming review ang ginagawa sa concept ng bawat print ad ini.explain yan ng mabuti to get the nod. They truly guilty as charged!

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    17. You have no idea what they have gone through. Read world history. Educate yourself. Shame on you.

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    18. I agree with the original comment. Gosh these people just proved how "civilized" they are. Mema nalang eh. Memaipaglaban lang. H&M is losing money na and theyre trying to keep the company afloat. Why would they ruin their chances by deliberately doing this. The thing is napakasensitive kasi ng mga tao ngayon. Hmp!

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    19. So mas may pakeelam ka sa interests ng kapitalista kesa sa mga common na tao? I call racist and elitist.

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  2. this is just wrong.

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  3. Monkeys indeed 🐒🙊🙉🙈🐵

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  4. masakit para sa sariling kulay at history nila in the old days as slaves kaya super sensitive at poltically correct terminologies and words are observed/used. even N word is very offensive for them mang aaway talaga sila. siguro kung puti ang may suot wala lang. sana puti na lang ang pinagsuot para walang naging issue.

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    Replies
    1. May puti rin na model sa ad na iyan, hindi lang itong batang ito.

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    2. Hindi yan sadya. Yung models nila sa website, all nationality. Ano naman mapapala nila kung sadya haluan nila ng something na ikagagalit ng tao. All honest mistake.

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    3. I think nagkamali lang talaga ang mga advertisers sa paglalabas nyan.

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    4. Question lang bakit pag sila sila ang magsalita ng N word ok lang?

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    5. 2:09 hindi yan ad or nasa billboard. Nasa online store lang nila sa kids section under sweatshirt. Nagsimula yan dahil may netizen na nakapansin at pina viral. Shempre juicy kaya maraming sumawsaw.

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    6. 1:08 sa puti na bata. Orange yung hoody tapos ang nakasulat jungle survival expert na may tiger print. Kung yun ang pinasuot sa black child baka walang issue pero kung gusto mo talaga gumawa ng issue then pwede mong i connect na yung bata nakatira sa jungle hence native. It all boils down talga kung gusto mo lagyan ng meaning and malice

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    7. Pag hindi sila sinama racist pag sinama sa racist pa din. Monkey is a term of endearment. Walang gamot sa insecurity.

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    8. Nung una akala ko insensitive post nga, pero nung nabasa ko sa mga comments na may ibang race din ng bata ang nag model dun ko na naalala na kasi pag may bata makulit..most-likely magulo ang bahay.. Kaya ine equate sa pagiging monkey ang mga bata, at ang bahay jungle.. Ganun lang yun

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    9. 4:00 & 5:41, nag tatrabaho ka sa h&m ano? Mega tanggol ka eh.

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    10. anon 1:37 u dont need to work with h&m para masabi yan

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    11. Hahaha.. Nakakatawa ka 1:37.. Konting lawak ng pag iisip.. Siguro wala ka pang analysis kaya hindi ka makarelate

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    12. Do you know they were sold by their own leaders as slaves?do u know we were enslaved in our own land by the spaniards for 400 years?isnt that a big slap on our face?now,do we Filipinos whine about it ?of course not.We put the past behind.enough of the victim mentality!none of us ever have gone through what the ancestors have experienced.We learn from the past but we don't drag it.Every person has racist tendencies.We have prejudices.Its human nature.Dont tell me u dont form some negative opinion about another race in your lifetime.That's a farce.

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    13. Dapat ipakilala ang gumawa nyan para sikat,,

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  5. Replies
    1. Masyadong OA! Nakakaawa ang mga nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pagsara ng stores nila. At ying bats, inosente pero binahiran ng kulay ng mga adults. Siguro sa isip2x ng bats, "is something wrong with me?" Tsk fickle minded

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    2. very true. sobrang sesensitive hindi nila naisip ung ginawa nila hindi company ang naapektuhan kundi ung mga nagtatrabaho dun. sino ung maglilinis ng mess nila? employees. di sana sa mismong office sila nag picket.

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    3. I agree...masyadong OA. When my son was a baby, he wore shirts that had "silly monkey" and monkey prints on them. Furthermore, his crib cover and blankets depicted monkeys.

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    4. I THINK YOU 3 DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DISMISS THEIR FEELINGS.

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  6. Grabe. Sobrang sensitive na ng mga tao ngayon. 😧

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    1. it's the media by design to divide and conquer. wake up and smell the stink

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    2. Political correctness has gone too far. Do I think the H&M team behind that concept is racist? No. But they are culturally insensitive for not knowing na sa panahon ngayon, marami nang balat sibuyas, at feeling laging inooppress.

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    3. 2:11 agree though i dont think culturally insensitive sila. Kitang kita sa website na all models iba ibang lahi. welcome lahat. Sadyang di lang pumasok sa isip nila na magkakaron ng ganito. Sadyang kamalasan na may nagdesign sa team nila nung hoody and kasamaang palad napasuot sa black child.

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    4. Anon 2:11, racism is one of the many forms (if not the worst form) of insensitivity towards ones culture. I find your comment contradicting.

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    5. 6:51, being racist is a deliberate behavior; insensitivity is not. Kaya nga insensitive eh. Both can be rooted from ignorance, however.

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    6. What do you mean Anonymous January 14, 2018 at 11:35 PM?

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    7. Ano kaya pag puti ang sumuot nyan ? Subukan nila uli para mabago

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  7. Dapat magalit sila sa mga Masonic science ng Europa na pinaniwala na ang tao galing sa evolutiong unggoy! Yung mga tulad nila Karl Marx at Charles Darwin!

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    Replies
    1. exactly, but Marx did not write that, he is just the face of Communism. Lies

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    2. Si Wil dasovich nga Tsonggo tawag sa sarili niya yun ang moniker niya, Kasalanan nga yan ng mga Europeans dahil nagpunta sila ng Africa at nagimbento na dahil sa mga ichura ng mga tao dun e galing ang tao sa unggoy

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    3. Eh ano ang tama creation?!?!?hahahahahaa jusko ining magbasa ka

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    4. kaya nga 11:50. ano ba yan. eto na naman tayo sa being too sensitive. they use the race card too much. mga asians butt of jokes din pero hindi nagrereact ng ganyan. we have all been oppressed. sobra sila maka react lagi.

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    5. AGREE Anonymous January 14, 2018 at 10:09 PM! Dapat sa Bible sila naniniwala hindi dyan sa "evolution" na yan!

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    6. Bible? The bible is meant to be taken on a deeper, spiritual level and should not be taken literally. It is meant to guide you to become a better person in general.

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  8. Wonder how can the Marketing and PR team could have slipped this image sans their knowledge though. Tsk!

    Racism is a sensitive issue. Trump makes it hyper this time around with his endless racist remarks. Hay World!

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    1. tumigil ka dyan, America first is not being racist. Democratic run states, what happened to them? Sh**holes!

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    2. 11:40 Kelan pa naging shithole ang California at Massachussetts? Two of the most educated and high-income states?

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    3. 2:33 California is a sh*thole.I live here and see it getting worse every day. Lots of illegal immigrants and people on welfare. 20% of welfare subsidies napupunta sa CA. Kung puro welfare saAng Banda mayaman? We even have a gas tax now because there are no funds to fix the roads.

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    4. sorry about that 1:49 PM. i guess its time for you to migrate again and look for greener pastures. you dont want to go back to your poor life in the philippines do you?

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  9. I think it was just a matter of coincidence. But honestly tho,why a monkey? 🐵 I dont think its even cool.

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    Replies
    1. Sa ibang bansa, cheeky monkey tawag nila sa mga bata.

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  10. Am i a racist and a bad person because i feel there's nothing wrong with it? I have a 5 month old son and he has slightly darker skin and we live in california. He has 2 onesies that said mommy's lil monkey and cuttest monkey. I dont see anything wrong. Btw, my hubby is african-american.

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    1. 10:38 nothing wrong, white people call their kids little monkeys as endearment. I see it all the time, promise.

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    2. Nothing wrong in yopur part coz thats your terms of endearment within your family but its so much different when it comes from a big corporation who have in a way had something or connected in History about black slavery or child labor

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    3. My husband is african american and he sees nothing wrong with it too. I asked him about it and he said well what i see is a cute boy wearing a green hoodie with whatever is written there. I didnt see and care about the color of his skin. All i saw was the kid is cute and the hoodie too.

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    4. i'm trying to be open minded. iniisip ko, if a white person wears the hoodie, funny sya, witty ganern. pero since equality ang gusto ng karamihan, siguro kaya pinag model din sa black person. meaning for all yung hoodie. people who see there is something wrong with it dahil black lang ang nagsuot, parang sila ang racist. porke may monkey na word tapos black ang nag suot, meaning monkey na tinatawag na yung model? pero pag white hindi naman? sana dumating yung time na we all get pass this. hindi naman siguro lahat about racism.

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    5. Only racists can see that there is something wrong with that ad of the black kid. Besides, that boy was not the only kid in the original ad. There were kids of other races too which includes white kids.

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    6. Only racists will deny there was no racism in that ad.

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    7. I feel you 10:38

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    8. Hindi Lang Africa Ang market by H&M. They didn't mange that shirt just for them, anu ba.

      Too PC.

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  11. OA naman ung ginawa nila sa store.. they can protest.. but they don't have to be barbaric..

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    Replies
    1. this kids are being taught to hate the white men

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    2. ikr? iniisip ko yung empleyadong walang kasalanan na magliligpit sa kalat na ginawa nila.

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    3. People fighting for equality are being racists as well.

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  12. I thought H&M already apologized and took these out from their stores?
    Hmmm yeah, I agree with commenter no.1. They way they responded, they just proved themselves what they are.

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    Replies
    1. 11:03 and 11:43, easy for both of you to say that. Iba ang life experience nyo. Kahit na sinong edukadong tao, kapag natamaan ang values nila, say in this case, equality, magagalit at magagalit yan. Huwag nyong sabihin na sa lahat ng pagkakataon, kalmado kayo.

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  13. H&M is over pero sobra naman yung nagwala sa store, parang hindi naman necessary yung act na yon.

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  14. Dahil sa ginawa nila pinatunayan lng nila n monkeys nga sila. In fact, mas masahol pa sila sa monkeys. Sobrang sensitive n wla sa lugar. Them being slaves a long time ago is not an excuse to be barbaric and warfreaks.

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  15. My late grandpa used to call his caucasian friend white monkey.

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  16. OA ng demostrators.

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  17. Ang way nila to protest is wrong pero sa mga nagsasabi na mga puti tinatawag nila money ang anak nila, dapat sa white model nila isuot. Ang iba dito mas sensitive pa sa kanila. Sabihin lang ng foreigner they don't like filipino food mas OA ang reaction. Hindi na sila papabalikin sa Pinas hahhahaaha. Mag aral muna mga baks kasi hindi acceptable ang term na yan sa mga itim. Si Poalo di ba nag makeup transformation na katulad ni Michelle Obama may american host nag sabi na mukhang monkey ang makeup ni Paolo, hindi si Michelle pero natrouble pa din ang host na yun.

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    Replies
    1. Tama ka na OA ang pinoy. And yes monkey is a derogatpry term sa black pero sa controversy na ito, kung claro utak mo, alam mong hindi sadya. Just look at thier website. Ang raming items. Also hindi pa ba sapat na they use all models of color??

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  18. Ang sensitive naman ng iba. Hinde ba pwede dahil kaya nilagay na monkey sa sweater ay minsan ang mga bata ay parang moneky talaga? Makukulit na hyper? Regardless of the colour, pwede ma describe ang isang bata na parang monkey. So kapag yung isang white kid ang nag suot ng "monkey sweatshirt" okay lang at walang issue? Agree din ako kay 11:58

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  19. minsan OA lng ung reaction nila.
    eh sila nga, puro pagmumura at daming kabulastugan ang ginagawa

    been here in america for awhile and lagi nila yang nirereason out for everything

    kahit napaka unreasonable na

    eh marami pa ngang ginagawang ganyan ang ibang brands

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    Replies
    1. Im sure may streetwear brand na gumamit na ng N word in this manner..N***A pero for sure binili pa din nila kasi nga sila sila gamit nila yang word na yan. Like sa kanta ni jay z and kanye na n**** in paris. Kung offensive yun, why gamit gamitin pa??

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    2. they often act like victims.

      educated black people are different. kita mo talaga breeding. they don't dwell on the oppression na nangyari dati pa. push yourself up people

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  20. OA lng ng reaction nila. It only proves na wala silang breeding

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    Replies
    1. And your comment makes you someone with breeding, anon 1:45?

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  21. Andaming racist dito. Matawag nga tayong katulong madami din nagwawala di ba. Basa basa din po ng history para malaman nyo pinanggalingan ng sensitivity nila. Kung makacomment kayo palibhasa hindi kayo ang affected.

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    Replies
    1. Oo kasi sinadya na tawagin tayong ganun. Outright and verbally sinabi sa mukha natin. Pero in this case, sinabi ba ng h&m na ikaw black kid, isa kang monkey. Hindi naman ganun nangyari. Sa product photoshoot, yun pinasuot sa kanya and many many pieces more dahil marami pa sya minodel sa website. Yes unfortunately pangit ang result pero sinadya ba? Obviously hindi

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    2. Maybe you're the one who needs to be educated. Educated black folks don't even think this way. You speak like you've been with black folks. Wag mamaru

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  22. Too much apathy here. Nakakasuka kayo.

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    1. Hindi apathy. It really is nothing to begin with. No issue. May issue kung dinuro duro ang isang tao dahil sa kulay nya pero wala naman ganun nangyari! Sa panahon ngayon na political correctness, social justice warrior, naging extreme naman ang pag ka OA. U need to see things case to case

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    2. Too much OA ka, 1:53. So anong gusto mo suportahan ng lahat yung mob mentality ng mga nag amok?

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    3. super agree 2:15

      warfreak na mga tao, maapakan lng ego.

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  23. Check nyo ang website ng h&m! Ang raming items for sale and lagi yan umiiba. All im saying is they are there to post pics nung mga damit nila worn by models of all color. I do not think ganun sila ka eng eng mag include there ng sadya na ikakagalit ng tao. Need nila kumita. So all in all, kung meron man mali, na report sa kanila, inako nila ang mali and move on! Wala talagang malice at all kung clear ka mag isip.

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  24. ibahin ko lang, what if Filipino ang nilagay nila halimbawa na model nyan, magwawala ba mga Filipino?

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    Replies
    1. Cla tingin nila sa pinoy kala nila kaya nila kayan kayanin at tapak tapakan Ang hirap pa jan yung kapwa pinoy sisiraan ka. Raming pinoy nag jan

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    2. Nko sure yan, tau pa nman mga Pinoy pikon sa ganyan. Kaya nkkatawa nlng un ibang nagko-comment dito na no malice daw, wait until its done to a kapwa Pinoy and I bet una silang kukuda jan.

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    3. hahaha i'm sure magwawala ang mga Pinoy

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    4. Yes may magrereact dahil marami ding makitid mag isip dito but i stand na walang malisya sa issue na ito kahit pa pinoy yung bata

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  25. Oh. Paul Frank better be extremely careful then choosing models for their brand because of this monkey business.

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  26. Yes, Racism is evident in South Africa.

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  27. Im sorry but im actually live her in UK and this brand pf dress is very cheap and vrry pang masa lije binch!i prefer to wear versace or calvin climb nalang.im not in a monkey also to wear it

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    Replies
    1. If you're in uk better try to write in good english okay?

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    2. 9:53 gullible mo naman. hes obviously trolling

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  28. actually over acting lang yong mga afrikaans..they don't know the term monkey is a term of endearment in the western world or even filipinos who loves to tease their love ones..blacks are really sensitive about racism but they don't realized that, we all came from neanderthals and that our forebears all came from africa and roamed and populate the four corners of the earth!

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  29. yung 3rd generation may pakaugali talaga kaya nila gusto Nila ng mga pinay kasi alam nila na kaya ni kirupotin KeSa ng sarili nila lahe.

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  30. ok lang naman. monkey rin tawag ko sa 5 year old son ko e coz he's makulit na adorable. wag na lang kumuha ng black model kasi sensitive sila.

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    Replies
    1. That is exactly the point. Sensitive ang Black sa ganyan, tas maglalabas pa cla ng ganyan ad, tas bata pa un ginamit. Ano kaya sa palagay mo pakiramdam nung nanay ng batang ginamit sa ad na yan, kase ako I wud never want my child to appear as an endorser just to be called monkey. Kahit ano pang sabihin mo, hndi nkkatuwa pag iba ang tumawag sa anak mo ng unggoy.

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    2. 11:35 actually nagsalita na ang mom and wala rin issue for her. maraming sinuot na damit ang anak nya during the shoot and marami rin ibang bata ang nag suot ng green hoodie na yun during the shoot. walang issue naman kasi talaga dapat.

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    3. 11:35 nagsalita na ang nanay. andun sya nung ginawa ang shoot. and wala sa kanya ung cause she didnt view it that way

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  31. di ko ma-gets din bakit racist daw ang salitang "negro" eh ang tawagan nga nila is "Nigga" which of course evolved from the term "nigger" or "negro"

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  32. Um we all call our kids “little monkeys”. Daming arte. It’s not about them. Lahat nalang about them.

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    Replies
    1. If ur born wd the same skin color Im sure you wud not say the same thing.

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  33. Kung tinatawag nyong monkey mga anak nyo, that is your term of endearment and that is personal in nature. Pero maglabas ka ng ad na suot ng black kid ang sweater na ganun ang nakasulat, you are referring to the population in general, international ang release, and of course degrading and humiliating. kung magcocompare kasi tayo kung alike in nature wag yung north and south ikukumpara nyo.

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  34. Ok, kung Caucasian or Asian or Latinos kid ang nagsuot nun, walang issue?
    I'm guessing that H&M didn't have that kind of mentality na so offensive yung ad kasi African kid ang nagsuot. Sana wala na lang yung word na "monkey " sa shirt, part din ng pagiging irresponsible ng H&M.

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  35. nung una kong nakita ang pic ni hindi ko napansin kung ano nakasulat. Nung marami na lang nag react, saka ko lang napansin. Ibig sabihin ba nun yung mga nakapansin and nakapag associate nun, talagang iniisip nila kapag maitim = monkey agad. Hindi ba sila ang racist? Even yung nanay ng bata hindi nya naisip yun. Kasi sa lugar na tinitirhan nila hindi naisip na ang monkey ay yung katulad ng ganung lahi.

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  36. Most likely this young boy had the best test shot for the hoodie. That's why it was his photo used for the online campaign. Unfortunately, it got out of hand when some folks reacted more than they should against H&M. Agree with comment #1 with his/her view.

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