Gap clothing company released an
advert this year which raised a lot of controversy as a white child in the ad is using the black child's head as an armrest. Massive debates about the issue
have been raised in this “racism” issue and Gap even ended up apologising. The
part that some people didn’t realise is that a year before, a similar position
was shown in a photo except the black child was resting her arm on a white child.
It astounds me that people try to
pick out racism in everything they possibly can. If anything, it is only fair since
the year before it was the black child doing it but no one seemed to care a
year ago becasue it isnt racist! If we are bringing up racism, why don’t we mention the proportion of
black and white children in the 2016 photo or the fact that the black girl stands
out since she is shorter, looks like she is having less fun and is wearing a
contrasting coloured t-shirt from the others.
I think we are all being a but silly when we ask if something is either racist, or if it is not.
ReplyDeleteI do not want to get into a huge debate about wether this picture is really racist or not. Sometimes, an issue is not black and white, but consists of many shades of grey. Which is okay, unless its a crappy book!
Here are some things to think about. Since you have argued it is not racist, the best means I can do to bring this debate towards a more wholeosome discussion is to question your reasons for it not being racist.
"The part that some people didn’t realise is that a year before, a similar position was shown in a photo except the black child was resting her arm on a white child."
- The prior image is black and white in colour. Perhaps this "de-racialised" any racism by removing the coloured black and white contrast.
- It stands in constrast to the newer one which is in colour. Thus, in both images the black girl is the only black girl, as she is coloured. This is a relevant dissimilarity and the colour breings out the colour of the black girl in contrast to the white girls. it pperhaps could be "read differently"
- To reduce the inversion of the black girl resting on the white girls head as an "issue of fairness" forgets the institutionalised oppresison of the black that still happen today.
You are conflating role reversal here with "fairness."
these are different things.
I think we are all being a but silly when we ask if something is either racist, or if it is not.
ReplyDeleteI do not want to get into a huge debate about wether this picture is really racist or not. Sometimes, an issue is not black and white, but consists of many shades of grey. Which is okay, unless its a crappy book!
Here are some things to think about. Since you have argued it is not racist, the best means I can do to bring this debate towards a more wholeosome discussion is to question your reasons for it not being racist.
"The part that some people didn’t realise is that a year before, a similar position was shown in a photo except the black child was resting her arm on a white child."
Response:
- The prior image is black and white in colour. Perhaps this "de-racialised" any racism by removing the coloured black and white contrast.
- It stands in constrast to the newer one which is in colour. Thus, in both images the black girl is the only black girl, as she is coloured. This is a relevant dissimilarity and the colour brings out the colour of the black girl in contrast to the white girls. it perhaps could be "read differently" – that is the race is being made explicit.
- To reduce the inversion of the black girl resting on the white girls head as an "issue of fairness" forgets the institutionalized oppressions of the black that still happen today.
You are conflating role reversal here with "fairness." These are different things. Given the context of America’s history I think the advert is not being racist, just blind and insensitive.
We do think people put the "racism" too serious sometimes. As I saw a Chinese washing powder advertising these days, people was argued about the idea that wash the yellow girl to a whiter skinned person convey a message of racism. For me, it is just like, I totally don't understand those thinkings! I personally want to wash myself whiter only because it makes me feel brighter and good-looking, nothing about ethics and racism. Anyway, if there is a washing powder like the ads said, I would go and grab one!
ReplyDelete