SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS TO BLAC CHYNA COMING TO PROMOTE HER WHITENICIOUS CREAM IN NIGERIA

on November 22, 2018 at 12:13 pm

The popular American celebrity and almost Kardashian is coming to promote her new collaboration with Denicia’s Whitenicious and here’s why we don’t like it.

Blac Chyna is not known for upholding any set of values or being a pillar of virtue. The ex-stripper has made a career of promoting herself, attaching herself to high-profile men and courting controversy but her latest business move has drawn a barrage of criticism. Here’s why Blac Chyna coming to Nigeria to sell bleaching cream is problematic and take a look at the social media reactions.

Angela Renee White, popularly know as Blac Chyna, has spent her life in the spotlight lurching from one drama to the other. From her failed relationship with rapper Tyga to her unexpected and ill-fated relationship with Robert Kardashian and subsequent child/support battles; Blac Chyna’s name is rarely attached to anything positive.

Blac Chyna’s upcoming trip to Nigeria has already been marred by controversy as it was revealed that she is coming to launch a special product in collaboration with Whitenicious. Whitenicious, created by Nigerian and Cameroonian singer Dencia, has already had its fair share of criticism and sparked a fierce debate on colourism with Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong’O weighing in on the conversation. Whitenicious is marketed as a ‘dark spot remover’ with the slogan ‘say goodbye to pigmentation and spots forever‘.

Dencia herself appeared to be the test subject revealing herself to be significantly lighter than a few years ago. It appeared that she used it on her entire body, not just the non-visible dark blemishes its advertised use is for. Whilst Whitenicious was surrounded by controversy, in the midst of it all, the product sold out and continues to do so making it one of the most popular mainstream bleaching creams of all time.

Model and mother of two, Dream and King Cairo, Blac Chyna, 30, has partnered with Whitenicious to launch her own cream which claims to restore the skin’s ‘natural glow,’ reducing ‘the visibility and intensity of age spots by lightening their appearance’ and ‘improving the appearance of dull, discoloured skin by visibly stamping out unevenness to leave the complexion illuminated.’

Social media reactions

Social media has erupted in anger following the news of ‘Whitenicious X Blac Chyna Diamond Illuminating & Lightening Cream’ and ahead of Blac Chyna’s trip to Lagos to appear at the Whitenicious flagship store. Popular Youtuber Jackie Aina weighed in and warned Blac Chyna to ‘stay out of Nigeria’. Take a look at why Blac Chyna’s trip has rubbed people up the wrong way.

So, why is Blac Chyna coming to Nigeria to promote her bleaching cream problematic? Firstly, as many have pointed out, Blac Chyna could have done this in LA where she resides but she would not have dared. Instead, she is purposefully taking full advantage of the colourism epidemic in Nigeria and tapping into our already thriving bleaching cream industry. Not only is it exploitive, but it’s also so clearly just another means to make money for Blac Chyna whose financial issues, namely child support battles, have been well-documented.

There are many worthy causes she could have come to Nigeria to promote but instead, Blac Chyna is choosing to reinforce negative stereotypes and profit from something that is a massive bone of contention, the continent over.

Even with all the outrage, Blac Chyna will still come to Lagos and the bleaching cream will still sell. Whilst Blac Chyna’s actions are distasteful, she is merely capitalising on a deep-rooted problem within our society. She is not the disease but merely a symptom of Nigeria’s obsession with lighter skin and achieving a misconceived notion of what beautiful should be.

Before we blame Blac Chyna, we should ask ourselves why is she even able to come and do such a thing in the first place. We must take accountability for providing her with this platform. Whilst colourism will not be eradicated overnight, it’s important that we continue to have this conversation and show young women, and men, that their beauty is in no way tied to their skin tone.