You know, tumblr. You know what I’m getting out of this?
Neopagans threw SUCH A FIT, not allowing for the company to produce any response, and now they’re pulling the box.
A box that was putting money in the hands of Natives, and was using free to use art.
Great work.
I feel that instead of pulling the box, they should have just explained this and used this as a response?
I’m certain that had they done this and made this information available to the public firsst hand, people would have reacted accordingly.
A lot of people’s concenrs, at least on my side, was cultural appropriation and misuse of the white sage especially.
Especially consisdering it was paired with sephora.
I feel like they really should have responded to criticism with this message and explain where the white sage came from, instead of just pulling it?
After three days of this consistently being plastered over Insta, tumblr, and FB, it was clear that most complaints were about the commodification of “sacred ancient witch practices” and “cultural appropriation” (as in, the appropriation of witch culture) — not to mention how racist it was to ruin this critically endangered plant (it’s not; although, frankly, I don’t think it should be used like it’s Tylonol the way it is, either).
Ultimately, Sephora was doing what Sephora was going to do: cash in on a holiday with something cute and kitschy. (I genuinely think it was good that they were going to promote a smaller business like Pinrose.) The social media scandal has now ruined this eight-woman run business because not a single triumphant complainant thought to contact the company and ask those questions before it got to this point. “I feel like they should have responded to this criticism…”? As a small business, they were probably trying to hurriedly fix up their ruined reputation, especially if it affected any shareholders’ opinions about continuing business with them — they were too busy, in short, to make a public statement. And frankly? The attack dogs were already on the loose, and still won’t be satisfied even after this. Why should they be? Even the person above me isn’t, as if releasing a public statement without pulling the item would have resulted in a better outcome.
Each one of you reacted from your guts, and now I’m seeing a lot of guilt. Don’t bother sending messages telling them to put the products back on the shelves (I’ve seen more than one of you suggest it); it’s trite and insulting and — after this media uproar — impossible. Each person who took this to be a personal affront has damaged what you claim to support most: small, women-owned businesses that collaborate with Native-owned business and pay artists to gain permission instead of stealing.
Maybe sitting with your guilt will convince you to do better next time. If you want to support the company, buying a product from them would do a lot better than any patronizing letter.
So i guess to hell with the letter then??? Im not proud of what i did, but lets be real, this was very much on them for withholding vital information.
People didn’t know they were hurting Native Americans, and considering that some of the bloggers calling it out on the basis of CA were Native American, its just a shoddy thing to say. Had that information been released, as it should have, then half the discourse wouldnt exist.
The item was marketed crappy, and if they honestly cared about Native American farmers being supported they would have mentioned it to begin with. They’re sorry they got caught.
It just doesn’t sit well with me that youre going after bloggers who were rightful upset because they believed parts of their culture was being appropriated because the company failed to make vital info public. If you wanna get mad at anyone get mad at the company and blame them. But Native American culture is already appropriated in neo paganism to the extreme, that its understandable why folks reacted the way they did.
And you came after my letter? Excuse me for trying to make things right and owning up to my mistakes. Like lmao they took the danm product off, what the hell am i supposed to buy to support them? I’m doing what i can.
A reminder that I am a native person and I made the dang post.
They should have put the information out first and foremost but no one would have been satisfied if they hadn’t removed the box. Because, on the by and large, it wasn’t about the sage or art. It was about how the box was “taking witch culture” or some dumb shit.
That’s why we’re upset with social media as a whole. There was no TRUE way to avoid this. No one gives a fucking flip about us native people unless we can be used. And this was proved JUST THIS WEEK when my wife and I said something about it and got SLURS sent to us in our inbox.
Candlelight-magick 