Kendall Jenner’s Tequila ad slammed for cultural appropriation, Twitter outrage

Team Udayavani, May 20, 2021, 12:13 PM IST

Kendall Jenner, 25-year-old model and reality TV star is facing accusations of cultural appropriation over her tequila brand’s recently-released ad campaign.

As per reports, Kendall Jenner launched Tequila 818 in her home state California this week.

A video promoting the beverage and several photos she shared on Instagram, taken at an agave farm in Jalisco, Mexico where the tequila is being produced, are facing flak on social media.

Sharing the pictures on Instagram, she wrote, “what an incredible experience i have had thus far, learning about this beautiful place, it’s beautiful culture, and the beautiful people!”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner)

The promotional video shows Kendall riding a horse to agave fields. It also features agave farmers working alongside the model.

The visuals along with Kendall’s choice of outfit and hairstyle left many unhappy.

Kendall Jenner for Drink 818 Tequila. pic.twitter.com/VgveXRmDAo

— Kendall Jenner Updates (@kendallkeek) May 17, 2021

One of the Twitter users wrote, “Something about Kendall Jenner making tequila rubs me the wrong way.”

Further added, “Like the idea of white celebrities taking from local Mexican artisans and profiting off our traditions and agricultural business yet only visit Cabos and Puerto Vallarta for vacation spots..”

And not to mention profit off the brown hands that actually plant, grow, harvest ferment and distill the agave plants in Jalisco

— Estefanía (@estyledesma) February 17, 2021

Describing tequila as a “traditional Mexican drink made from agave,” another user wrote, “No miss Kendall, we do not ride in horses all the time, no we do not wear our hair in braids all the time, no workers do not get to drink the tequila (also that’s not the way you drink it).”

In her post, she says that she’s selling her tequila only in the US which doesn’t make sense to only sell it there and not Mexico, the country that is giving you the resources to make the drink in the first place.

— ★ ☆ (@HOLAMOTOMAMIZ) May 19, 2021

Now, moving to her advertisement, it is a huge misconception of the Mexican culture. No miss Kendall, we do not ride in horses all the time, no we do not wear our hair in braids all the time, no workers do not get to drink the tequila (also that’s not the way you drink it) +

— ★ ☆ (@HOLAMOTOMAMIZ) May 19, 2021

Me as a Mexican, im begging yall that live in the US to DO not consume Kendall Jenner’s tequila because what she’s doing is called Cultural Appropriation making it hers. Listen to us Mexicans when we tell you that this is wrong. Is our culture and we don’t want a white woman+

— ★ ☆ (@HOLAMOTOMAMIZ) May 19, 2021

Below are a few responses:

https://twitter.com/sjyeah/status/1394816502621167616

Kendall Jenner roamed through fields of agave on horseback to announce the launch of her 818 tequila brand in California with moody visuals shared to Instagram on Monday

despite tequila's deep-rooted Mexican history having no affiliation to the affluent community she grew up pic.twitter.com/s6Yk0ZXe45

— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) May 18, 2021

Something about Kendall Jenner making tequila rubs me the wrong way..like the idea of white celebrities taking from local Mexican artisans and profiting off our traditions and agricultural business yet only visit Cabos and Puerto Vallarta for vacation spots…

— Estefanía (@estyledesma) February 17, 2021

https://twitter.com/eyybeccs/status/1395225264997556227

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