Four kids and one GAP ad for Ellen DeGeneres new kids clothing line has caused a lot of people to be pissed off. According to “The Root,” people are crying foul over what they deem as discrimination. The #GapKidsxED campaign features four girls three white and one black.
The Black Girl Didn’t Have A Speaking Part
Two of the white girls are in strategic gymnastic poses and the black girl is passive, so much so that the third white girl uses the black girls head for an armrest. The black girl is also the only one in the group that did not have a speaking role.
Twitter Goes After The Gap
This did not sit well with Twitter users who went in deep for the Gap with tweets expressing anger over what they call blatant racism. Others contacted The Gap directly vowing never to shop there again and demanding the ad be removed.
The Girls Perform With Cirque Performance Troupe
Not everyone agrees that the ad was racist as it circulated across social media online debates over whether the ad was discriminatory ensued. Le Petit Cirque is a performance group founded by Natalie Yves Gauthier who shared with ABC News that she is not backing down from the threats. She says the two girls in question are actually sisters and daughters of Grey’s Anatomy actress Brooke Smith.
Gap Kids representative Debbie Felix apologized:
“As a brand with a proud 46-year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we’ve offended.”
The Girls In Question Are Sisters
Turns out, Fanny is the oldest of the two. She was five years old when her parents adopted Lucy from Ethiopia in 2008. Maybe this tidbit of information will help clear things up for people who didn’t know the backstory. Lucy didn’t have a speaking part because she’s shy. She is also the youngest (and smallest) member of the group.
Kids Will Be Kids
Older kids and taller kids do goofy things to prove they’re older and taller. How crazy is that? With siblings, having one up on siblings is pretty commonplace. Unless you’re an only child without cousins who you interact with frequently, the concept may be hard to grasp. Maybe.
We live in a society where racism is prevalent and is too often dismissed. This isn’t one of those times. Chillax, people.
