Swedish clothing giant H&M was placed in hot water after it featured a black child model wearing a green hoodie which carried the words "coolest monkey in the jungle."
Social media users complained that it was insensitive to have the boy wear the hoodie, since the word monkey has been used as a slur against black people. "Starboy" singer The Weeknd, who had a clothing line with the brand, even said he would no longer do business with H&M because of it, according to the New York Daily News.
Other well-known figures, such as NBA star LeBron James and "Every Step You Take" singer Diddy, also threatened to cut ties with the clothing brand because of their online faux pas.
In response, H&M issued an apology. "We have a responsibility to be aware of and attuned to all racial and cultural sensitivities — and we have not lived up to this responsibility this time," it said.
However, the boy's mother saw nothing wrong with the hoodie. The mother, named Terry Mango, even came forward to tell people to stop making a mountain out of a molehill. "Stop crying wolf all the time, unnecessary issue here ......... get over it," she wrote on Facebook.
The woman added that everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but the sentiments shared by majority of social media users do not reflect "my way of thinking."
One netizen even shared her post and said the mother probably does not mind the "monkey" term because she lives in another country. "At this point, I'm now over it. But in her defense, by the way she says 'she's his mum' tells me they are from another country, maybe she doesn't completely understand our racial stereotypes in America....??" the Instagram user wrote.
