Do these Prada bag charms resemble 'Little Black Sambo?'

[dooneybaby]

Just recently, Prada pulled from the market its bag charms that featured a darker skinned doll with big, red lips. The figure brought about much criticism, as reported by TMZ:
https://www.tmz.com/2018/12/15/prada-purse-bag-sambo-figurine-racist/

PRADA'SAMBO' FIGURINE ...Triggers Cries of Racism

Prada just pulled a bonehead blunder that a lot of people are calling racist.

The high-end Manhattan shop put this purse in its window with a Sambo-like doll attached. People went nuts on social media once the image was posted. Some felt it resembled a Sambo figure ... others say it resembled a monkey and some felt it was a cross between the two.

It's pretty incredible that the folks at Prada were this tone-deaf because it's hard to imagine how they didn't see the wave of criticism that would befall them.

The company issued a statement Friday saying it "abhors racist imagery." It went on to say the figure was meant as "fantasy charms." It's clearly a bad fantasy.

The figurines have been 86'd from Prada.

This is the "Little Black Sambo" character:

***I will say that as a black woman, Little Black Sambo was the first thing I thought about when I saw Prada's bag charms for the first time.

 

[fabuleux]

Just recently, Prada pulled from the market its bag charms that featured a darker skinned doll with big, red lips. The figure brought about much criticism, as reported by TMZ:
https://www.tmz.com/2018/12/15/prada-purse-bag-sambo-figurine-racist/

PRADA'SAMBO' FIGURINE ...Triggers Cries of Racism

Prada just pulled a bonehead blunder that a lot of people are calling racist.

The high-end Manhattan shop put this purse in its window with a Sambo-like doll attached. People went nuts on social media once the image was posted. Some felt it resembled a Sambo figure ... others say it resembled a monkey and some felt it was a cross between the two.

It's pretty incredible that the folks at Prada were this tone-deaf because it's hard to imagine how they didn't see the wave of criticism that would befall them.

The company issued a statement Friday saying it "abhors racist imagery." It went on to say the figure was meant as "fantasy charms." It's clearly a bad fantasy.

The figurines have been 86'd from Prada.

This is the "Little Black Sambo" character:

***I will say that as a black woman, Little Black Sambo was the first thing I thought about when I saw Prada's bag charms for the first time.

To me, they look like the African character that was used for decades to advertise for the Banania hot chocolate. Thank goodness it was finally retired.

Prada should have known better here!

 

[dooneybaby]

To me, they look like the African character that was used for decades to advertise for the Banania hot chocolate. Thank goodness it was finally retired.

Prada should have known better here!

Wow, I forgot all about the Banania character! You're right!

 

[mzbaglady1]

1. I have never seen a monkey with huge red lips.
2. Check out Moncler they are just as worst.
3. Most of these high end designers have very little or maybe no people of different ethnic backgrounds in the designing phrase of an item.

 

[FrenchBulldog]

I find it very offensive. I am bi-racial. My mom is white and my dad is black.

 

[FrenchBulldog]

1. I have never seen a monkey with huge red lips.
2. Check out Moncler they are just as worst.
3. Most of these high end designers have very little or maybe no people of different ethnic backgrounds in the designing phrase of an item.View attachment 4287579 View attachment 4287580 View attachment 4287581 View attachment 4287582

Ignorance is astounding.

 

[snibor]

Horribly offensive.

 

[Styleanyone]

I don’t know why some people so sensitive and think beyond what it should be. Bag charms are bag charms. They are supposed to be fun and cute to hang with your bag or as a key chain and nothing more. I am not sure there is anything to do with the races.

 

[Denalikins]

Personally I find it offensive. I’m half black, and I feel like someone working for Prada should have spoken up before this even became an actual idea for an item

 

[BigPurseSue]

I think they may have been aiming for a charm that resembles a sock monkey with long arms and big red lips, like this:
https://www.amazon.com/MaEd-Aliens-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0M0PMW0VXN0F42GD2654

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=toys-and-games&field-keywords=sock+monkey

That doesn't excuse them for manufacturing something unintentionally inappropriate, but I would be surprised if the sock monkey wasn't the innocent inspiration. I suspect most of those manufacturers employ very young designers who aren't always well versed in what is offensive.

 

[dooneybaby]

I think they may have been aiming for a charm that resembles a sock monkey with long arms and big red lips, like this:
https://www.amazon.com/MaEd-Aliens-...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0M0PMW0VXN0F42GD2654

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=toys-and-games&field-keywords=sock+monkey

That doesn't excuse them for manufacturing something unintentionally inappropriate, but I would be surprised if the sock monkey wasn't the innocent inspiration. I suspect most of those manufacturers employ very young designers who aren't always well versed in what is offensive.

Very good point. But a New York attorney, who first complained about the Prada characters when she walked past a display window, said that she had asked Prada if any black people were in on the decision-making when this character was created. She said that Prada told her that a black employee had mentioned that the character was similar to the racist black face, but that the employee no longer works for the company. I found that interesting.

 

[dooneybaby]

I don’t know why some people so sensitive and think beyond what it should be. Bag charms are bag charms. They are supposed to be fun and cute to hang with your bag or as a key chain and nothing more. I am not sure there is anything to do with the races.

Remember. One person can look at something very innocently and another person can take the same item with great offense. It sometimes takes experience to be able to gauge whether a particular item a company is producing will be met with resistance or insult. That's why the board rooms of these companies should include different races and ethnicities as well as both genders. I'm not Asian, but I can tell you that if Prada had produced a bag charm that was yellow with slants for eyes and a bowl haircut, that would also have been offensive.

 

[snibor]

If they had to ask themselves whether it was offensive then it should not have been produced. I find it obscene. Whoever was involved in this decision making should be fired.

 

[mzbaglady1]

Remember. One person can look at something very innocently and another person can take the same item with great offense. It sometimes takes experience to be able to gauge whether a particular item a company is producing will be met with resistance or insult. That's why the board rooms of these companies should include different races and ethnicities as well as both genders. I'm not Asian, but I can tell you that if Prada had produced a bag charm that was yellow with slants for eyes and a bowl haircut, that would also have been offensive.

Don't forget the symbol of a swastika you don't have to be Jewish to know this is offensive. Believe me the outcry would be very, very loud.

 

[snibor]

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