People are freaking out over this GAP ad, calling it sexist.
Gap Kids had a major open casting call looking for kid models to join the world famous clothing line. But, a new fashion advertisement has people freaking out.
According to reports, a Gap advertisement sent out to UK customers has gone viral, after people called it “sexist”.
The ad in question was first shared on social media by Twitter user Sabrina Golonka after she received a Gap email.
The email advertised a boy’s t-shirt featuring an image of Albert Einstein, which was captioned with “the little scholar.” Below the “little scholar” was an image of a girls’ tee, captioned “the social butterfly.”
People on Twitter then said Gap promoted gender stereotypes.
One user said, “Absolutely incredible. It’s 2016, we have a skills & productivity crisis & @UKGap is perpetuating gender stereotypes.”
Another said, “What on earth… @UKGap @Gap?!!! Talk about some class A sexist stereotyping, aimed at kids. Very disappointing.”
Some users were upset with the promotion of gender stereotypes. “No wonder girls don’t choose #STEM careers after they’ve been subjected to this rubbish growing up. Seriously!!!”
However, it’s important to point out that, Gap’s website does feature a girls’ T-shirt emblazoned with the word “genius.”
However, it’s important to point out that this not the first time Gap got into trouble for their commercial advertisements. Previously, Ellen DeGeneres and GapKids partnered for an activewear line called GapKids x ED, and the clothing line’s campaign launched with an ad featuring four girls from Le Petit Cirque – three white and one black – and posted on social media with the tweet “Girls Can Do Anything.”
The advert caused a lot of controversy as one of the white children in the image is resting her arm on top of the head of the only black child featured in the photo. As the Root pointed out “a distinctly unempowering pose that harkened back to an antebellum South in which black children were used as armrests and footstools, and a present where black children are systemically devalued.”
Gap responded to the criticism with an apology and shared how they planned to fix their error in judgement. “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,” Gap spokeswoman Debbie Felix said in a statement to Co.Create. “This GapKids campaign highlights true stories of talented girls who are celebrating creative self-expression and sharing their messages of empowerment. We are replacing the image with a different shot from the campaign, which encourages girls (and boys) everywhere to be themselves and feel pride in what makes them unique.”
Related:
What do you think? Share with us your thoughts in the comments below.
