Kendall Jenner under fire for ‘exploiting Mexican culture’ with new tequila brand

Kendall Jenner might be one of the most famous A-list celebrities in the world — but she’s facing major backlash after announcing that she’ll be launching her own brand of tequila, called Drink 818.

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On Tuesday, February 16, Jenner made the announcement after almost four years of planning, testing, and anonymously entering competitions with their product that Drink 818 would be “coming soon.”

818 is a reference to the 818 area code in California, where Kendall and her famous Jenner-Kardashian family hail from.

While the announcement was initially met with a lot of congratulations and celebrations from friends and fans, Kendall is now under fire for ‘exploiting other people’s culture’ with the brand.

With a number of people stepping out to defend their Mexican heritage, something about Kendall’s tequila has clearly left a sour taste to some.

• Read More: Kylie Jenner slammed for calling Caitlyn “Dad” in YouTube video

One commenter, Evelyn, said that the situation is “kind of sad,” saying it’s a perfect example of how “white people just love to exploit other people’s culture and make it their own for profit.”

https://twitter.com/nzevelyn_/status/1361900777925582855?s=20

Similarly, Jennie Molena said that “Kendall Jenner starting a tequila brand, with zero knowledge on Mexican culture and calling it ‘818 tequila’ is gentrification.” She also mentioned that the smaller family-owned brands need the “hype & support.”

Offering alternatives, daggervengeance provided a thread of Mexico-owned tequila companies that people could buy from, that aren’t owned by celebrities like Jenner, Dwayne Johnson, or Nick Jonas.

https://twitter.com/daggervengeance/status/1361898511265124356?s=20

Of course, it can’t be completely clear what Jenner’s process was when coming up with Drink 818, nor the production of it. The brand’s Instagram page suggests it is hand-crafted in Jalisco, Mexico, though whether it’s directly helping Mexican culture and the Mexican people isn’t clear.

Evidently, Kendall will need to prove that she can make a positive contribution to Mexican culture — but whether Drink 818 can turn its detractors into fans remains to be seen.