Gap apologizes for 'racist' ad

[uo111 5,283]

http://fortune.com/2016/04/05/gap-pulls-controversial-ad-image/

"Ad was viewed as racially insensitive.

Apparel maker Gap on Tuesday has apologized for an image used in an ad that some critics said was racially insensitive.

The ad in question depicts four young girls that are part of Le Petit Cirque, a traveling circus company that features boys and girls between the ages of 5 to 14. In the image, an African-American girl is posing next to a taller Caucasian girl that is propping her arm on the younger girl’s head.

“As a brand with a proud 46 year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we’ve offended,” said Gap spokeswoman Debbie Felix in a statement to Fortune. Gap says it intends to remove the one image that consumers found offensive. But it isn’t planning to back away from the broader themes of that campaign. It

Twitter commenters had been quick to bounce on the image, with many claiming the ad cast the black child as “an armrest.” And an added twist to this story: the two girls in the image are reportedly sisters."


Twittier commenters, the bane of companies everywhere.

Gap was of course, way too quick to apologize. The 5 people who would find this image offensive aren't as important as the millions of people of all races and creeds who think those 5 people are ridiculous.

[venusfly 17,885]

so how is propping yourself against someone else racist

[Cheap thrills 1,282]

I don't find it racist but others may be offended and it really is ridiculous

[Dangerous Man 9,245]

I miss those times when people are not overly sensitive on everything.

[uo111 5,283]

Just now, Versus said:

this is the first thing i thought

call me whatever you want because you guys love to repudiate political correctness as oversensitivity every chance you get on here but it is insensitive even if it wasnt meant to be it IS

Who is it insensitive too and why?

[PartySick 174,275]

This is apparently last year's ad

Yet no outrage...probably because kids leaning on kids is just that

People get offended way too easily imo. Or at least over the wrong things.

[2007 5,291]

This is stupid af.

[gag 22,449]

2 minutes ago, Dangerous Man said:

I miss those times when people are not overly sensitive on everything.

You mean the times where people were blatantly racist and weren't condemned for it? 

Spoiler

Jokes, kinda - I mean I half agree with your point of how political correctness may be taken too far in some instances.

But it's so  when people say stuff like this because before political correctness became overexposed, people said the most homophobic/racist **** and got it away with it. In some cases I'm glad people are actually speaking out about how offensive some things are.

Just my 2 cents tho so.... who cares.

 

[boobtank 9,090]

[uo111 5,283]

Just now, Versus said:

because to have a white person leaning on a black person denotes white power?

When I saw the image it took about half a second before I knew why people were offended. But just because I can see why some people are offended doesn't mean that the image is offensive.

In order to view the image that way you have to pervert it. Those two girls are sisters, this is how sisters behave. Even if they weren't sisters, this is also how friends behave. This image will not affect people's thoughts of race in a negative way. But the reaction to it unfortunately will.

[Phoenix 17,395]

Don't accidentally brush black people while walking in crowds, might come out as racist!!1!@

[420 1,042]

lol @ some of you white people think it's racist.

[Eighteen 5,430]

where are my asian peeps in this ad. but really i don't think it is racist although the connotations are there. especially since she looks kind of unhappy in her position LOL

[Kayla 7,595]

I think people need to think about intention when criticizing things like this. Obviously Gap was not meaning to be racist. 

However, also consider the fact that many black people have grown up seeing images of slavery where black children literally were used as "furniture" - images of white people actually sitting on them, propping their feet on them like stools, and having them hold their supplies like side tables. 
Surely this image brings those images to mind, especially considering how the facial expression on the young black girl in the Gap ad looks so somber....

 

TL;DR - Both sides really need to try harder to understand each other before throwing out "I'm so offended!" or "Everyone is so offended nowadays!"

[tomsches 17,563]

If you view black and white people as equal you dont get offended by this ad