The MAC for Rodarte Controversy (aka the "Juarez/Feminicidos" Controversy) - My Two Cents

 a face chart from the upcoming collection

by this point i'm sure most of you beauty addicts have heard of the controversy over the MAC for rodarte collection due to be released in the fall. i won't go into the whole issue, since numerous beauty bloggers have already elaborated on the relevant details, but i will say the following, despite the fact that it is truly depressing and saddening to start off the week with such a heavy, heartbreaking issue.

a beauty blog, such as this one, is usually not considered a serious or intellectual forum for moral or political discussion. more often than not, us beauty bloggers are pigeonholed into a category of writers who are concerned more with rampant consumerism and mindless spending on beauty products. nonetheless, many of us have been outraged by the insensitive marketing surrounding this particular collection. as beauty mouth aptly put it, given the (paraphrased) "length of time... and many people involved... it is absolutely gob-smackingly baffling" that they continued with the development for this collection.

my two cents is similar exasperation and disappointment for the marketing & merchandising team who came up with the theme for this campaign, that did not even bother to enter into a search engine the two words, "juarez, mexico" to do some proper research before they conceived of the idea for this campaign.

 pink crosses as a memorial for the women victimized in the (continuing) femicides

in addition, i do NOT believe that naming a shade "sleepwalker," "ghost town," or "badlands" is coincidental, accidental or appropriate in a way - had MAC done all of 5 minutes of research, the team would have been able to redirect the marketing plan in a way such that it kept the aesthetic of the campaign, but sterilized the associations related to the "feminicidos" (femicides - the terrible, and saddening, abduction, torture, mutilation, rape and murder of female factory workers ("maquiladoras") in juarez, mexico - read up on it on wikipedia and at amnesty international's official website). if the company had taken the proper steps, it could have just called the campaign something more generic, like "desert beauty," or something along those lines and kept the same aesthetic, minus the outrage and controversy.

while the official story is the above of poor planning and coincidence - the promotional images also suggest some type of premeditation - almost as if they WANTED controversy to happen - i do NOT see the "The ethereal nature of this landscape influenced the creative development and desert palette of the collection" as stated by a representative from rodarte - what i DO see, however, is a bride-of-frankenstein, waiflike, haunting look. while i, as a MAC fan, desperately want to believe that this is all part of the poorly planned and researched marketing that went on prior to the release of the information for this collection, it increasingly starts to look intentional - a publicity stunt, which saddens this beauty blogger and MAC fan a great deal. MAC has always had excellent artistic direction and amazing, well priced products - i do not understand why it is they chose to take a route that cheapens and debases the company's previously good image and reputation.

 a look from the collection - the intentionally ghost/corpse-like look

for a company like MAC, that keeps up a largely positive image of being socially responsible and tolerant (e.g. MAC AIDS fund, the "all ages, all races, all sexes" collection, the "back-to-MAC" recycling program), releasing such a controversial collection (due to the aforementioned lack of research and planning, and/or intentional maketing decisions) seems to be a poorly calculated and detrimental move for the company.

personally, i have to express my utter disappointment (and anger at their lack of remorse in responding to the many crys of outrage in the beauty blogosphere) in a company that i have been a loyal customer for years. i really do hope that MAC has learned from this experience and creates collections in the future that foster a sense of beauty, community and artistry, as it did in the past, rather than disgust, horror and disappointment.

in a nutshell - i encourage you to read up on the issue, and voice your opinions. i personally will be boycotting this collection, and i encourage you to do so, too (personally i do not find the promotional images to be all that appealing anyhow). perhaps if more of us voiced our disappointment and disgust, and/or boycotted the released products, MAC and estee lauder (its parent company) will be more cautious in the future.

you can read up more on the background and other issues concerning the above controversy (including full official MAC and rodarte statements) at the following blogs:

www.temptalia.com

www.lipstickrules.com

www.beautymouth.com
www.mizzworthy.com
www.britishbeautyblogger.com
www.bangsandabun.com
www.ladyofthelane.com
www.big-fashionista.blogspot.com
www.vexinthecity.com
www.sofarsochic.co.uk
www.londonmakeupgirl.com
www.lesalondebeaute.com
www.getlippie.com
www.londonbeautyqueen.blogspot.com
www.kraseybeauty.com
www.makeuploveer.blogspot.com
www.sparklesandbows.blogspot.com
www.healingbeauty.co.uk
www.reallyree.blogspot.com
www.just-nice-things.co.uk
www.musicalhouses.blogspot.com
www.liloo.blogspot.com
www.ditzymake-up.blogspot.com
www.perfectly-polished-nails.com
www.makeupsavvy.co.uk
www.sparkleandshade.blogspot.com
www.makeupadviceforum.com