Kendall Jenner is once again in hot water over an advertisement. The 25-year-old model and reality TV star is facing accusations of cultural appropriation over her tequila brand's recently-released ad campaign. Kendall Jenner launched Tequila 818 in her home state California this week, reports Insider. The brand is presumably named after the area code for Calabasas - the Los Angeles suburb where she grew up. However, 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, where many have accused Kendall of cultural appropriation.
"what an incredible experience i have had thus far, learning about this beautiful place, it's beautiful culture, and the beautiful people!" Kendall Jenner wrote while sharing the pictures on Instagram.
Kendall Jenner's promotional video for Tequila 818 shows her riding a horse to agave fields. It also features agave farmers working alongside the model. But the visuals, along with Kendall's choice of outfit and hairstyle, left many unhappy.
"Something about Kendall Jenner making tequila rubs me the wrong way," wrote one Twitter user. "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..."
Another described tequila as a "traditional Mexican drink made from agave" in a thread that is going viral on the microblogging platform. "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)," the Twitter user wrote.
Several Twitter users also noted that farmers who work the agave fields are often exploited and underpaid.
People also called her out for disabling comments on her post.
Take a look at some of the other reactions to the video:
On the other hand, many Twitter users also came to Kendall Jenner's defence. Twitter users cited examples of other celebrities who own tequila brands.
In an article, Forbes also noted that several non-Mexicans are involved in the tequila distillation business. The list includes celebrities like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Nick Jonas, and Adam Levine. Besides these, multinational companies like LVMH also have stakes in tequila brands.
This is not the first time that Kendall Jenner has been slammed for an advertisement. In 2017, a Pepsi commercial starring Kendall was pulled almost immediately after criticism that it exploited the Black Lives Matter movement.
