Air still sticky with #BlackLivesMatter activism and it’s hard to believe multi-national-million dollar companies still feel free enough to test (or not think at all about) race relations reflected in their marketing…but #Apparently they don’t and they haven’t. An official statement has just been made as Ralph Lauren Pulls Racist Christmas Ads from it’s latest online look-book, which featured vintage pictures of Native American men shoved into not so righteous situations. Of course the pull and apology has come after social media erupted…
While Ralph Lauren Pulls Racist Christmas Ads the company issues this statement:
“Ralph Lauren has a longstanding history in celebrating the rich history, importance and beauty of our country’s Native American heritage,” we recognize that some of the images depicted in the RRL look book may have caused offense and we have removed them from our website.”
The company removed the pictures following an uproar on the social net and the introduction of the #BoycottRalphLauren hashtag, as Native American men had been Photo-shopped to be wearing the RRL Line clothing. Additional hashtags now floating include #CulturalTheft and #StopCulturalGenocide. To reinforce this perspective, cultural contributor Ruth Hopkins of the “Last Real Indians” affirms the ad indeed does brings up the cruel, and never forgotten genocide of America’s indigenous population:
What many people alive today fail to realize is Natives of the Assimilation Era wore western clothes because they were forced to do so.”
Though there are no deaths behind this, its more than just another sad and sobering “true colors” realization. This just adds dimension to our bleak but hopeful, not really “post-racial” “Sign o’ the Times,” where we’re also carrying the burdens and conflicts of big business and the speed of technology. It’s especially conflicting as Ralph Lauren has been a staple of American lifestyle for over 50 years and a cultural icon in Hip Hop. People speak over and over about how “we’ve come so far but have so far to go.” As Ralph Lauren Pulls Racist Christmas Ads, it’s clear we have to try harder to avoid the hate in order to enjoy the holidays.
