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People are furious at actress Emma Watson after an ad from years ago went viral
Lancome
People are furious at feminist icon, United Nations ambassador, and Hollywood star Emma Watson for an old Lancome ad.
In 2013, she was featured in an ad for Lancome's Blanc Expert — a skin lightening product, People notes. (The Independent claims this ad is from 2011).
The product has been met with contention after an essay appeared on Gal-Dem, criticizing Watson's supposed hypocrisy, since the product allegedly perpetuates that "whiteness" is ideal.
"Do an image search of ad campaigns and you’ll quickly out find how widespread this practice of equating facial perfection to 'whiteness' is," Naomi Mabita wrote in the essay. "Emma Watson, forever paraded in the media as a white feminist icon, is the face of Lancôme’s 'Blanc Expert' (Expert White) which contains disruptive ingredients intended to whiten the skin."
Lancome's Malaysian website calls the product the "No. 1 whitening brand in Asia."
According to a separate screen shot of the product, it "[washes] off dead skin cells" with melanin.
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/714390098582835200
.@galdemzine looking at the description they don't even TRY. Melanin is not something you want rid of @LancomeUK pic.twitter.com/t6SZU9tQ1n
Some people on Twitter were furious — even if Watson's ad was from years ago.
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/714739878521651200
I've been rooting for Emma Watson since I was a child, but her advocacy of skin bleaching products & the underlying racism is indefensible.
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/714411852588060672
Emma Watson is the face of Lancôme skin whitening product. How white does she want to be? https://t.co/zbrObeLp7U
Tweet Embed:
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/716950493654880256
Hey Ms Watson can you pick a side and stick to it? Critics are asking if #EmmaWatson is... 'Hermione' the hypocrite https://t.co/5BOBJtSEyW
The ad also prompted a full-on attack in The Daily Mail.
Watson's representative defended the actress.
"Many artists often have limited control of how their image is used once an endorsement contract is signed," he said, adding that, "I cannot comment on my client's previous contractual arrangements with Lancome. However my client no longer participates in advertising beauty products, which do not always reflect the diverse beauty of all women."
Additionally, People pointed out that she has not been associated with Lancome since 2013.
Watson, who famously starred as Hermione Granger in the "Harry Potter" films, has become known as a feminist advocate with her He For She program.
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