The new filter, which allows Snapchat users to alter their face to look like the reggae legend, has infuriated many social media users.
Snapchat has just released a new filter to celebrate the unofficial holiday for Marijuana enthusiasts, 4/20. The lens allows Snapchat users to alter their face to look like weed-smoking reggae legend Bob Marley.
While many users have enjoyed the new filter, some of them have called out the Venice-based app, calling the filter a form of blackface. By using the filter, Snapchatters will have dreadlocks, the late singer’s colorful beanie and his face as well as his dark skin.
Some social media users took to Twitter to express their anger, writing things like, “@Snapchat I am very offended about the Bob Marley filter for 4/20. IT IS BLACK FACE!” Meanwhile, another user urged the popular app to delete the filter. “@Snapchat delete the Bob Marley filter NOW. It is blackface, it’s racist, and it’s disrespectful to reduce such an important artist to this,” the user said.
Instead of removing the filter, Snapchat issued a statement in response to the backlash, defending the company’s decision to create it. “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,” so read the statement.
