Yikes: Clothing Company Pairs Black Child's Face with Monkey Body [UPDATE]
LatestMany of us were skeptical when I received a tip about a clothing company that was advertising a t-shirt with a monkey on it by placing the face of a black toddler on the hanger. “This can’t” be real, one staffer said. So I called to find out.
Bad news, everyone, Just Add A Kid clothing really is allowing people to display their adorable monkey shirt with the face of a black child. When I called the company I spoke to Nancy, who told me that the t-shirts and hangers came separately and that it was up to each individual store to put the two together. So while Just Add A Kid doesn’t necessarily create the combination, they certainly make it possible. The shirts, according to Nancy are very popular (and cute).
In an effort to make sure that I understood that Add A Kid Clothing didn’t have any racist intentions, Nancy told me that the hangers came in several different colors including Oriental, Africa-American [Sic], and Latin. This is where our conversation took a fun turn.
Me: Wait, did you say Oriental?
Nancy: Yes, sir.
Me: Nancy, does your website say Oriental?
Nancy: No.
Me: Why? (This is me hoping Nancy just fucked up and was going to correct herself because people aren’t oriental. Oh my god what? Fun story: I once had to leave the ESPN restaurant at Disney because a drunk man asked me if we had a lot of Orientals in San Francisco and I told him that was offensive and he got aggressive with me.) (But the fries were pretty good)
Nancy: It is still very new. We didn’t have them yet.