For some reason, Snapchat decided it was a good idea to create a Bob Marley filter—one that makes the user look like a bizarre, warped version of the late singer, dreadlocks and all. All the typical things that might stop a massive social network from doing this—the fact that it looks like like automated blackface, the reductiveness of creating a Bob Marley filter on 4/20, the half-hearted attempts at incorporating Marley’s music, the fact that it literally slaps blackface and dreadlocks on everyone who tries it—apparently didn’t occur to Snapchat.
Instead, we got this.
It’s unclear whether or not the filter was created specifically for 4/20. Either way, the filter is in extremely poor taste. We’ve reached out to Snapchat for an explanation, and we’ll update if we hear back.
Update: A Snapchat spokesman emailed us the following statement:
“The lens we launched today was created in partnership with the Bob Marley Estate, and gives people a new way to share their appreciation for Bob Marley and his music. Millions of Snapchatters have enjoyed Bob Marley’s music, and we respect his life and achievements.”
DISCUSSION
Why is blackface any more offensive than asian/vietnamese/chinese face? or white face? or brown face? or eskimo face ?