Model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner’s new tequila line called “818” is already leaving a bad taste in people’s mouths on social media.
The “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” sister revealed her new tequila brand earlier this week which is named after the area code for Calabasas, Calif. where Jenner grew up. The collection included three varieties: “Añejo Tequila,” “Blanco Tequila” and “Reposado Tequila.”
Shortly after releasing, Jenner received backlash for cultural appropriation from people over social media. People made accusations via Twitter to unleash their unhappy responses toward the situation.
Two main reasons people were offended by the new tequilas were: the name and her non-involvement within the Mexican community. The brand is named after her hometown which angered people since it is not an American liquor— nor is she Hispanic.
The names of each bottle did not make sense according to Twitter’s users, as the words were not correctly placed according to the Spanish language.
Another reason is that Jenner has not been vocal with Mexican affairs regarding issues such as immigration laws which were all occurring within the four years the project was in the making. Cultural appropriation is tied very closely to tequila since celebrities, such as Nick Jonas, have slapped their names on Mexican-inspired brands, giving no credit to the community.
On the other side of the backlash Jenner received for the tequila, some thought it was great for the Mexican community as it is giving people an opportunity to work. According to Gaytán, a tequila expert, tequila prices are more in the United States rather than Mexico which adds to help their poverty issues so people can afford to stay in Mexico as they wish.
This is not Jenner’s first time causing controversy with cultural appropriation. Back in 2017, Jenner took part in a Pepsi commercial that had a false perception of police brutality riots going on at the time.
Jenner has yet to come out with her reaction towards the backlash nor has her team at “818.” All three tequilas have not announced a launch date or prices for purchase yet.
Let us know @VALLEYMag what you think of the Kendall Jenner tequila situation!
2 Comments