The model Kendall Jenner, from the famous Kardashian clan, joined the list of famous foreigners with a brand of tequila, but his foray into the industry has received some criticism and sparked controversy, although the union does not see the initiative with bad eyes.
“For almost four years I’ve been traveling to make the most delicious tequila. After dozens of blind tastings, trips to our distillery, and anonymously competing and winning. We’ve done it,” Jenner reported in recent days. On his Instagram account.
The announcement of the tequila 818 Jenner’s role unleashed the praise of thousands of his more than 154 million followers, as well as the harshest criticism from his detractors, even though he’s not the first foreign celebrity to own a brand of tequila.
The 25-year-old model was accused of cultural appropriation for benefiting from the most representative drink in Mexico, as well as the high value it will have in the market.
“Something about Kendall’s tequila bothers me, it’s the idea that white celebrities take advantage of Mexican artisans and take advantage of our traditions when they only visit Cabo and Puerto Vallarta as vacation destinations,” a user said on Twitter.
However, for the director of the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), Ramón González Figueroa, Jenner’s new bet is not about cultural appropriation.
“Your brand was associated with the tequila agribusiness in Mexico and respects the designation of origin ‘Tequila’. We believe that cultural appropriation is when you imitate a product from a region and do not properly align with the industry that produces it, that means, “You are not allowed to do that,” González told Efe on Wednesday.
For his part, intellectual property attorney Roberto Arochi pointed out that as long as Kendall’s tequila is made under the regulation of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property, the model can market it.
“If they didn’t, they would be discriminated against for the simple fact that they are a foreigner. The origins of the capital are not a barrier to having a brand of tequila,” Arochi said.
CULTURAL PERMISSION OR BUSINESS MISOGYNY
Jenner hasn’t been the only artist to have her own tequila line. In Mexico, actress Kate del Castillo leads the production of Honor tequila and the late Jenni Rivera had her tequila called La Gran Señora.
Likewise, characters such as the American singer Nick Jonas, the Puerto Rican Daddy Yankee, the basketball player Michael Jordan, Dwayne “La Roca” Johnson, and the actor George Clooney are just some of the artists who have joined the tequila industry, but who are not. criticized as harshly as the young woman.
“Kendall’s tequila is cultural appropriation, but George Clooney’s isn’t?” Said another user in a post on Twitter, pointing out that it may have been a case of misogyny towards the young businesswoman rather than a case of misogyny. outrage at the cultural heritage.
For González Figueroa, foreign investment in the tequila sector is not negative and he believed that this “benefits internationalization and access to new markets”, in addition to the fact that “all jobs and their economic spillovers remain in the country. “thanks to the designation of origin model.
“Of the 1,700 brands of tequila out there, 303 are packaged overseas, but 100% of the tequila produced for these brands is made in one of 163 tequila distilleries in the Designation of Origin region,” said he. the CRT.
jb