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Interesting how out of all those customers, it was only Thandie that seemed to take enough offense to make a public spat over it. But in this day and age, people should know better, disagree all you want but it is what it is.
Thandie Newton has criticised Starbucks for featuring a statue of a black child wearing a loincloth and safari hat, holding a basket of Colombian coffee beans, at its till-point.
The actress took to Twitter to share a picture of the figure which she may have been suggesting was reminiscent of slavery, given the product of coffee beans it was cradling and the clothing it was wearing.
Newton captioned the image: “Seriously Starbucks? At the counter – Loin cloth and Safari hat on a black child. Happy New Year circa 19th century.”
I probably would have passed by it without a second's thought, too, but to me now, I think that people who are against child labor would have more reason to be upset than someone who might have had ancestors who were slaves perhaps -- what? -- five or six generations ago?
Yes, of course, slavery was (and still is) outrageous, but I think Ms. Newton could find many more subjects that are more worthy of her attention and scorn.
Last edited by katharsis; 01-08-2016 at 07:34 AM..
Would it have been too much for The Independent to have included a picture of the offending statue? You know, to help their readers come to their own conclusions as to its offensiveness?
Geez, what passes for journalism these days . . . (grumble, grumble)
I don't see how its reminiscent of slavery - the kid is wearing a British colonial invader's pith hat. That's got zero to do with American slavery.
Certainly insulting still - but from the standpoint of being patronizing and making a gimmick of colonial oppression, brutality, and forced labor in Africa itself.
First of all, is she still of any celebrity status for I don't think I've heard of her since around 2006.
As far as the statue goes, it goes both ways. There were many on one side, for example, who objected (back when objection wasn't all the rage) to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Holy_Virgin_Mary (my link shows this all text) .... and others who defended by noting that elephant dung was not cultural ugly...depending on the culture.
SIGH, as always, it seems that everyone is a critic....it's just more fashionable these days.
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