Monkeying Around: Prada gets in on the Blackface Trend

If we were reminded of anything this year, it is that no brand is exempt from racist or bigoted foolery. Whether it was Dior blatantly appropriating dashikis or Dolce and Gabbana's recent racist tirade against China, looks like even luxury brands want in on the H&M's level of problematic.

This time, it's Prada.

Prada released charms just in time for the holiday part of Prada’s new “Pradamalia” line of small items like keychains and toys featuring cartoon creatures that come in several colors. 

One of the designs and charms for these Pradamalia is a black and brown monkey (that's questionable, see below) that has oversized red lips...and is a reminder of blackface.

Blackface has apparently been trending big this year with everyone from your neighborhood white girl to Megyn Kelly getting in on the action (and being socially dragged for it.)

Before you go on this whole "Black People are so sensitive and playing the race card", check the facts, fam. Credit to Chinyere Ezie, an NYC Lawyer and  for calling out Prada, saying;

"Today after returning to NYC after a very emotional visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture including an exhibit on blackface, I walked past Prada’s Soho storefront only to be confronted with the very same racist and denigrating #blackface imagery.

I entered the store with a coworker, only to be assaulted with more and more bewildering examples of their Sambo like imagery.

When I asked a Prada employee whether they knew they had plastered blackface imagery throughout their store, in a moment of surprising candor I was told that *a black employee had previously complained about blackface at Prada, but he didn’t work there anymore.*"

The resemblance between the Otto-Toto Monkeys and Sambo are quite uncanny as captured by Ms. Ezie. Having only just returned from a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and witnessing these images of racism past, anyone can see how those images can be paralleled with Prada's monkey toys and keychains.

Chinyere Ezie

Prada, of course, issued an apology saying the following: 

“They are imaginary creatures not intended to have any reference to the real world and certainly not blackface. Prada Group never had the intention of offending anyone and we abhor all forms of racism and racist imagery. In this interest, we will withdraw all of the characters in question from display and circulation.”

Cue Eyeroll. At this point in the game, people of color are exhausted by sobby apologies and weepy promises to do better. We know the power of our dollars. With our purchases we enliven brands and in that same power withheld, we cause brands to topple.

This is just another example of why diversity in even and especially the highest levels of decision making for these brands is critical. We keep saying it, but apparently, it has to affect the bottom lines of brands to stick.

An observation: First of all, these figurines don't even look like monkeys! Monkeys and apes actually have very thin lips. (Seriously, go Google it.) The only resemblance these items have then is to Sambo.

Sambo is a character from the children's book, The Story of Little Black Sambo, written and illustrated by Scottish author Helen Bannerman, a book published in 1899. The character depiction is of a very dark skinned, exaggeratedly large red lipped, wide-eyed, knotty haired boy. This book was published at the height of blackface popularity, and Sambo story gained popularity for over five decades.

Obviously, Prada is going to have to do more than issue an IOS press release and remove the monkey items (which, if any sold, are now ultra-rare collector's items that people can make more money from.)

Prada, as well as Dolce, Dior, and a slew of others need to address the real problem: the Brands themselves are not in fault, but the people within certainly are. Implicit biases, bigotry, and racism are all taught behaviors. If they are as unacceptable as all of these brands say they truly are, there needs to be a deep soul-searching within individuals involved as well as a massive culture shift collectively.

Until then, we will settle for spending our coins with our own.