Position Paper #1

 If you have ever been on the internet or owned a television, there is a 99.9% chance you have heard of the Kardashians. This is a real statistic. Do not look it up. The Kardashians are known for their ability to do, well, nothing. And they are pretty good at it with a combined total net worth of $2,430,000,000. With that much fame, scandals are commonplace within the family. *coughs* Ray-J *coughs* The most recent discrepancy, involves our beloved model, the second youngest of the sisters, Kendall Jenner. 

In May of 2021, Jenner announced that she had created her own tequila. After anonymously entering the tequila in a contest, the beverage became award-winning. The drink continued on to win 16 more blind tasting awards. As it is being produced in Jalisco, Mexico it legally can be called tequila. Tequila can only come from Mexico. It is also made with locally sourced Blue Agave. Jenner built the brand with environmental sustainability and community support in mind. The brand even used recycled agave fibers to produce materials to build housing for local families. So, where is the scandal?

As we all know, Kendall is not new to being oblivious to cultural insensitivity. For example, the infamous Pepsi commercial. Another time, Kendall wore her hair in cornrows. All of these stories are for another time. What we are here to talk about is the cultural appropriation Miss Jenner has displayed throughout the release of the tequila. Lucas Assis said it best, "when you come from the outside with only the intention to make money off of this thing that's so important [to someone else's culture] - without any regard or any real knowledge or any respect to that culture - it's cultural appropriation." 

One of the major things people are concerned about is the exploitation of workers who harvest agave and make the tequila. To be very clear Kendall is not the only white American responsible for the outrage, she was the breaking straw that caused people to express their disheartenment. Also, the Spanish printed on the bottle are misspelled. (see picture above.) On the bottle it says 'Blanco tequila,' but anyone who has taken a Spanish course could tell you the adjective belongs behind the noun. The bottle should say, 'tequila Blanco.' 

She also made an ad campaign that is completely tone-deaf, considering she's been through this type of controversy before. Below, are a couple of pictures from the campaign. The hat, the braids, and the shawl have all been of discussion for the past year. It is just another example of her using another culture to make money. The right photo leads to a link of the actual video campaign, which to be very short is her riding around on a horse, while hard workers harvest agave in a field so they can then make her 818 drink.

No one from Kendall's team or Miss Ma'am herself has addressed the backlash. And I doubt they will. Sales prove that they do not need to. Go feminism, I guess. The sisters do not have to take accountability because they do not need to. With all the other inclusive philanthropy the brand has been taking part in, such as the commitment to minimize their impact on the environment and use of only Forest Stewardship Council certified labels, corks, and boxes, no one can say they are not conscious of how they are portraying their image. They, also, donate a percentage of revenue to environmental nonprofit partners. The mixture of Kenny's ad campaign and the values of the company, makes the brand seem ingenuine. And here I am complaining that a company is doing something good for the environment. I will always respect the Kardashian/Jenners for the suspicious amount they influence my life, which is why I think they should pay more attention to what they are putting out into the world. They influence millions of people regardless if they want to or not.

Now whether Kendall is oblivious or utterly aware of how much she offends people, she obviously does not seem to care, but if I was a multimillionaire I do not think I would care much either. To reiterate, Kendall is not the only celebrity to appropriate Mexican culture, but her sales are more than double that of Nick Jonas's tequila brand. She is just at the forefront because she is so famous. All people who use Mexican culture to make a profit should be held accountable. I'm looking at you, Clooney. There is a wrong and a right way to do it. Del Maguey Mezcal owned by Ron Cooper is a great example of how a white person can appreciate Mexican culture. Kendall Jenner should be used as a guide on what not to do. In, like, every situation. All in all, her team must be doing something right because 818 sold more volume in the first 30 minutes than their biggest competition had sold in 30 days.