Several years back, Emma Watson got a lucrative beauty contract with Lancome. She became one of their “faces,” and she appeared in print ads for many different Lancome products. Her contract is done at this point, and I have no idea if Lancome simply didn’t renew it or if Emma just didn’t want to be in their advertising anymore. But this week, people started discussing a print ad from 2013. The print ad (seen above) features Emma as the “face” of a skin-whitening Lancome product being sold in Asia. As you can imagine, the reaction was really, really bad. People have been itching to write off Emma as just another non-intersectional white feminist, and this gave them a perfect opportunity. Beauty companies have long sold “skin lightening” products in countries with large (or nearly exclusive) populations of non-white women. Lancome is not the first nor will they be the last. Colorism, racism and the white-dominated hierarchy of beauty standards all come into play when we talk about skin lightening. We’ve talked about it before too, with Freida Pinto talking openly about her disgust for Indian society’s obsession with getting lighter skin. Anyway, the conversation centered around Emma and how she’s basically Peak White Feminism because she has profited from selling this bulls—t. So Emma’s publicist came out and this was literally the only statement made. “I cannot comment on my client’s previous contractual arrangements with Lancôme. However, my client no longer participates in advertising beauty products, which do not always reflect the diverse beauty of all women.” [Via People] If it sounds like Emma’s people are sort of throwing Lancome under the bus, that’s because I think they are. I also think there’s a very real possibility that Emma’s images were used by Lancome for skin-whitening products without her explicit or implicit endorsement. Oh, and a Lancome representative told People: “Blanc Expert was created by Lancôme 20 years ago. It helps brighten, even skin tone, and provides a healthy looking complexion. This kind of product, proposed by every brand, is an essential part of Asian women’s beauty routines.” [Via People] That pisses me off more than Emma’s rep’s statement. Skin-lightening products are not now and never have been an “essential” part of Asian women’s beauty routines and f—k you very much for saying so, Lancome. As for Emma and white feminism… I find Emma less harmful than someone like Lena Dunham, honestly. I think Emma is trying and she’s attempting to educate herself beyond the narrow feminist beliefs she held just a few years ago. Does she deserve some backlash? Sure. Does she owe her fans a better explanation of why her image ended up on skin-whitening ads? Yes. But Lancome is the villain here, make no mistake. Photos courtesy of Lancome, WENN.
