Racist? Backlash (and apology) over Gap Kids ad is ridiculous.
April 7, 2016
Her shirt says “love” not “hate.”
Apparently, this seemingly benign ad for GapKids elicited a shit storm on social media, critics from hither and yon claiming it racist on account of a white girl leaning on a black child’s head.
That scores of people expressed their displeasure over the image shouldn’t surprise any of us. The world is very, very sensitive right now. Putin. Trump. Obama. Black Lives Matter. The Occupy Movement. The Big Short. Domestic Abuse. Radical Islam. Terrorism. Right Wing. Left Wing. Police brutality. Syria. Refugees. I could free associate reasons on why we’ve become so mercurial and still be just scratching the surface.
But this uproar? Come on, people. That ad is about as racist as your average 11-year-old girl, which is to say, not at all. The kids were posing for a photograph. You put my daughters on a stage with a big time photographer they’ll do the same thing.
And to overblow the matter even more, Gap issued an apology. So unwarranted. If ever a client was respectful to multiculturalism, it’s this one. Gap and Gap Kids have long been vanguards when it comes to diversity in their casting. At least that’s been my observation.
Why isn’t the interpretation that the white child is leaning on a friend? As opposed to something foul like demeaning a black girl? Methinks latent racism exists in the eyes of the beholder. They see evil because they want to see evil.
Why stop at racism? The two other girl’s poses are –gasp- sexual. Are they not? Legs spread wide like that – for shame! And what about the exploitation of children in general? Shouldn’t these kids be in school? And where were those inappropriately tight-fitting clothes made – a sweat shop in China?
Enough is enough.Does racism exist in the world. Absolutely. In this ad? Absolutely not. Moralizing the crap out of a silly photograph like this goes too far.
Update: On top of everything else the two children in question are adopted sisters! http://www.fastcocreate.com/3058611/gap-apologizes-for-kids-ad-controversy-swaps-image
The Happy Soul Industry
The Last Generation
Gods of Advertising 
Dude!…thank you so much for saying it! Just crazy out there right now. There is so much more going on out there for us to focus our energies on. This is just a distraction from stuff that matters. Thanks.
Well said. Every time I see silliness like this I want to respond, “Let me know when you’ve ended human trafficking and despotic oppression.”
It really is just crap and it should have been stopped years instead of being coddled, mostly for votes. This crap has been fostered in our schools and universities for years. If it doesn’t stop soon I fear there will be a most unpleasant backlash. Parents must reclaim their senses and raise their children rather than abdicating their authority to social engineers.
Agree with all comments… obviously. Racism is real but witch hunting is not the solution.
My first impression was what sweet faces and clever composition. After I read your post, all I could think was ‘racist is as racist does’. And stupid is as stupid does.