Kendall Jenner accused of cultural appropriation after releasing ad for her new tequila

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By stefan armitage

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Kendall Jenner has been met with backlash after releasing an ad campaign for her new line of tequila.

This week, the 25-year-old supermodel and social media star took to her social media accounts to promote the launch of her new tequila brand, 818.

The ad campaign saw Jenner blissfully riding horseback as she visits a distillery in Jalisco, Mexico.

Check out Kendall's campaign below:

Sharing several shots from the promo shoot with her 165 million followers, Jenner wrote: "[What] an incredible experience i have had thus far, learning about this beautiful place, it’s beautiful culture, and the beautiful people!

"@drink818 has launched in California... we will be rolling out to the rest of the US all summer long, keep a look out!!!"

Comments have since been disabled on the post as the model was met with a torrent of criticism from social media users.

This didn't stop people from taking to Twitter to slam the campaign - and Jenner's overall decision to launch a brand of tequila - with many accusing the star of "cultural appropriation".

"Kendall Jenner deactivating the comments to not let people talk about the cultural appropriation," one Twitter users wrote alongside a screenshot of Jenner's Instagram post.

Another harsh critic tweeted: "Kendall Jenner coming out with her 'own' tequila is ultimate modern day colonizer vibes."

A third wrote: "Not Kendall Jenner making a tequila brand, girl go make an egg nog company or whatever the white people created".

Another furious Twitter user wrote: "I'm Mexican, living in Mexico and tbh when I saw Kendall's add my blood started to boil.

"This is obviously cultural appropiation and it's not how mexican people should be portrayed because is a stereotipe. This just makes me sad but not surprised [sic]."

Explaining the reasoning behind the backlash in further detail, a Twitter user with the handle @talkfastloueh detailed in a lengthy thread how tequila is a "traditional Mexican drink made from Agave, an endemic plant in Mexico" and that it was important "because no other country can produce Tequila."

They continued: "It's an important beverage that we use when we are happy, sad, celebrating, mourning, etc. and it's important for the country's economy."

"Many families, especially in Jalisco, Mexico, produce tequila for Mexican brands or even they have their own small businesses of tequila. Kendall Jenner coming to Jalisco and starting her tequila is making that many families lose their job to big names like her."

The thread added: "Now, moving to her advertisement, it is a huge misconception of the Mexican culture. 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)

"Workers do not work with that kind of clothes and finally, your advertisement is so whitewashed/California vibes. Jalisco is not California, so don't try to make it that way."

Finally, the social media user pleaded with US residents to not purchase Jenner's tequila, saying: "Me as a Mexican, I'm begging yall that live in the US to DO not consume Kendall Jenner's tequila because what she's doing is called Cultural Appropriation making it hers."

"Listen to us Mexicans when we tell you that this is wrong. Is our culture and we don't want a white woman profiting from our culture."

Featured image credit: Sipa US / Alamy