Wednesday, July 21, 2010

MAC Donates $100K & Changes Names + My Thoughts On It All (MAC for Rodarte)

Take note that I wrote most of this all last Thursday (before MAC responded to any of this commotion) and I really wasn't sure if I'd be posting this since it's personal, is filled with ranting, and everyone has posted on this and I didn't want you to have to "read it all over again." However, I feel the need to speak up and share my thoughts.

I was updated Monday night when I read on Lipstick Rules that MAC would be donating $100,000 to a non-profit organization to help the lives of the women in Juarez. They'll also be changing the product names. I am extremely happy and amazed that we, people all over the blog world, made such an impact that MAC decided to donate $100,000 to the cause and to also change the product names. However, I am still disappointed with MAC and Rodarte for even having those names in the first place and exploiting the situation in Juarez. If this all was a mistake, they need to start hiring some better people to oversee their projects.

I just read this on Temptalia yesterday:

Statement from MAC on MAC for Rodarte Collection:

We understand that product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection have offended our consumers and fans. This was never our intent and we are very sorry. We continue to listen carefully to the comments we have received and have the following plans to address concerns:
  • We are committed to donating $100,000 to a non-profit organization that has a proven, successful track-record helping women in need and that can directly improve the lives of women in Juarez in a meaningful way.
  • We are changing the product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection.
As we have done in the past, please be assured that we will communicate details regarding our progress in this matter.

Statement from Rodarte on MAC for Rodarte Collection:

We recognize that the violence against women taking place in Juarez needs to be met with proactive action. We never intended to make light of this serious issue and we are truly sorry.

Helping to improve the conditions for women in Juarez is a priority for us and we are thankful for all the comments calling attention to the urgency of addressing this situation.


Read on.. again, I wrote this last week before MAC decided to change the product names or donate. (Remember, I wrote this before the updates so don't mind if my thoughts seem "old" and don't consider the changes MAC is making for the collection.)

I'm sure you've all read over and over about the debate going on because of the MAC for Rodarte collection that's coming on September 15th. I wasn't sure if I was going to blog about this but after days and days of uneasiness, I really felt the need to share my thoughts. I really don't like to get that personal on my blog, but this whole thing is really upsetting me so here it goes.. (I apologize in advance if this seems lengthy and somewhat all over the place -I was pretty emotional writing this.)

I have to admit that I was not aware of the situation going down in Juarez and am disappointed with myself for not being more aware. I did a little research over the past few days and let me tell you, I've appalled by both companies involved. Over the past years, Juarez (Mexico) has been a place filled with violence, rape, and crimes involving drug cartels -there have also been thousands of murders. (I've come across different numbers ranging from 5,000-6,000 -please correct me if I'm wrong.)  Along with those murders, Juarez has become infamous for the tons of (unsolved) female homicides over the past 10+ years. These murders have included young women (as young as 12 to early 20s) and most of the time, they've disappeared on their way to/from work. I know this is useless of me to ask.. but why does it seem like every single place in this world is filled with violence nowadays? It breaks my heart. Reading what I've read in the small span of just the past few days has really disturbed me to the point of tears. Whether it's in own home, another country, or a city just miles from where we live, there's always unnecessary violence.

Now tell me, how the hell can a company like MAC, that's directed mainly towards women, be involved with something like this? This isn't fun and games. This is real life. The women in Juarez are being brutally raped and murdered and left with their bodies dismembered and MAC & Rodarte are making a collection about it -no, exploiting it.

At first, I really did give MAC the benefit of the doubt and thought maybe MAC and Rodarte made a mistake -maybe they just really did want to do a collection of the beauty of Juarez (the land.) I was ready to defend them actually until I read more posts and read the actual product list for the collection. MAC and Rodarte both issued statements (found on Temptalia):

Statement from MAC on MAC for Rodarte Collection:

We understand that product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection have offended some of our consumers and fans. This was never our intent and we are very sorry. We are listening carefully to the comments posted and are grateful to those of you who have brought your concerns to the forefront of our attention. M·A·C will give a portion of the proceeds from the M·A·C Rodarte collection to help those in need in Juarez. We are diligently investigating the best way to do this. Please be assured that we will keep you posted on the details regarding our efforts.

Statement from Rodarte on MAC for Rodarte Collection:

Our makeup collaboration with M·A·C developed from inspirations on a road trip that we took in Texas last year, from El Paso to Marfa. The ethereal nature of this landscape influenced the creative development and desert palette of the collection. We are truly saddened about injustice in Juarez and it is a very important issue to us. The M·A·C collaboration was intended as a celebration of the beauty of the landscape and people in the areas that we traveled.

This collection is supposedly inspired by the "landscape and colors of Juarez" but the way they carried it out doesn't make it seem so. If the collection really was about the "beautiful land and culture", they wouldn't have used names like "Factory", "Ghost Town", and "Sleepless" to exploit the whole situation over there. I'm damn sure many people are sleepless in Juarez because they're scared for their lives. It's sort of like having a collection based on WWII and then having lipsticks and eyeshadows named "The Holocaust" and "Burned Bodies." I'm not comparing the situation over in Juarez to WWII, trying to make a point that their way of executing the collection is ridiculous and wrong. I'm completely mortified by MAC and Rodarte's "name" choices because if this really is a collection based on "the landscape of Juarez" like they say, then the product names should be something like "El Sol" and "Desert Air."

Violence, rape, and murder are sensitive issues and should never be exploited. Why did no one speak up and try to stop this? I'm sure an idea has to go through many people to be made into a big collection -so why did no one stop them? Why did no one tell them they were being stupid, ignorant, money-hungry pigs? I've seen, witnessed, and experienced some of these things and it's not a topic to go and make a "glamorous MAC & Rodarte collection" out of.

Some of you may know people that have been raped or gotten closed to being raped -I do and it is a very sensitive, sad subject. Do you know the pain these girls (and boys) go through? This just makes me feel sick. I also know people that have been physically and/or emotionally abused -myself included. Abuse and rape are things that one should never freaking exploit just to make a damn profit off of. And lastly -there's murder. Tons of people have died in Juarez and yet MAC and Rodarte are making a collection with their "lovely products" based on that. Really, because of the product names, the collection seems to be more about the rape, murder, and violence than the "beautiful landscape of Juarez." That seems like a fist full of bullshit to me that MAC and Rodarte are just trying to sugar coat and feed to us so we're back on their side and buying from the collection. The only thing that I have to give to MAC though is that by having this ridiculous collection, I became aware of the situation over in Juarez.

I've also read that some people think MAC is doing the collection to raise awareness (which it did for me) -but to me, I felt there was more exploiting going on than "awareness being raised." BUT, if that were the case, I feel that they did not take the correct route. Also, if that were the case, they would've stated it in their statements (above) but instead, they said the collection was about the "landscape and colors of Juarez" -not to raise any awareness about Juarez to their consumers.

As for whether I'll be buying MAC in the future, I probably will. While I'm disgusted by the collection, I feet that it's generous of them to give some of the profit to the cause (they could give all of it IMO for exploiting the whole issue.) Prior to this, I always praised MAC because of their contributions to people in need with the MAC Aids Fund and Kids Helping Kids. Not many "big" companies give to those in need on a regular basis like MAC does. This collection has just really upset me and I'll need a few weeks or more of  time and space "away from MAC."  I'm not saying that MAC is some cold hearted, ruthless company -there are things that I admire (esp. MAC AIDS Fund with their Viva Glam lippies.) I'm just saying that this collection is distasteful and insensitive and should've been more thought out or not have been launched at all.

I'm in no way criticizing anyone who wants to buy products from this collection.. shoot I'll need more time to decide if I myself will buy from the collection -MAC will be giving "a portion of the proceeds to the cause." I really want to find out "how much" of the proceeds they'll be giving tough before I buy anything if I do buy anything. (I'll call, message, and do whatever I can to find out.) (Again, I wrote this before the updates. MAC will be donating $100K to the cause.)

I feel that these people (family members, friends) and the victims do not need a MAC & Rodarte Collection out there exploiting them. Just think of all those families that lost a loved one due to the violence over there -that pain never ever goes away. It's hard enough losing someone to diseases, old age, and natural causes but when someone's life is cut short because of murder, the pain is unbearable. I've felt this pain and after weeks, months, and years, the pain is still there. This collection is disrespectful to those families in Juarez and also disrespectful to anyone in general who have been raped, abused, and murdered and their families.

And one last thing I have to say about the promotional picture -at a glance, the girl looks pretty but when I really examine it, the picture looks incredibly creepy and sends shivers up my spine. This girl is made up to look like a corpse or a ghost -someone who's been abused and left for dead. People are that white and pale after they've died. This is not fashionable -it's sick and again, disrespectful to anyone who is dead because of the terrible situation in Juarez. These women are real people who've been through God knows what and I don't feel that MAC and Rodarte need to paint a model white, make her look dead and beaten, and call it "fashionable and glamorous."

To see the collection details (and picture source), click here. I really do not feel like advertising this collection to help make MAC and Rodarte more money at this time.

Please (if you do pray -I'm not trying to offend anyone who doesn't), send a prayer to these women and their families. I know some people believe that prayer does nothing, but I truly believe it helps.

9 comments:

  1. This is one of those things that make me literally smack my head. Yea yea it's great that they are doing those things now to rectify the issue..but like you said HOW MANY people must work on a big collaboration before it even gets publicised? I'm shocked that not even one had the good sense to speak up before this big PR disaster even happened.

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  2. PAG, I'm glad someone's with me on this. It's like, I understand and appreciate that they're doing the donations and changing the names but it should've NEVER happened in the first place. I just don't understand how no one spoke up and now, MAC and Rodarte may have ruined their images.

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  3. Notice how we throw money at a bad situation and hope it gets better, but what really needs to happen is for juarez to get law enforcement that doesn't participate in these crimes. I'm not going to give them my money, We need to find a way to make mexico take action. I am never buying anything that was made in a mexican factory again.

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  4. I agree. I know people are saying, "Look they're donating so it's all better now," but that's not the point. The point is that the situation should've never been exploited. I'm glad that I was made aware of the situation in Juarez but it makes me so mad the way that MAC and Rodarte executed the collection.

    I agree that their needs to be a stronger law enforcement over there. From what I've read/heard, NOTHING is being done. I've been wondering if there's a place where we can safely donate to the cause (knowing for sure that the money will go to these women and not something else.)

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  5. I agree, at least the situation in Juarez is getting some attention, so many people are oblivious to the violence that is going on there. At least some awareness is being brought out of this whole MAC fiasco.

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  6. Yea, I think the only positive thing about the collection really was that it brought so much attention to the situation. I personally was not aware of it before but I'm glad I am now.

    Hopefully MAC and Rodarte do more research though on their future collections to avoid this kind of craziness again. I really didn't like the way everything was carried out.

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  8. It is good that MAC will donate money to juarez but I don't understand one thing why they choose this name for their collection?they shouldn't have named this in the first place but this whole debate has brought awareness about juarez I live in Pakistan and honestly speaking I did not know about this crime against women in juarez and I hope and pray that things get better there and women of that area get a safe enviroment to live in because every woman deserves it

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  9. I agree Alvira and I was really upset about what they did but I guess what's done is done -at least MAC is making the best of it and is donating and changing the names.

    I wasn't aware of the situation either Alvira and I'm glad I am now. I'm doing the same -prayer is a strong thing. I really hope things improve for these women and for all of Juarez.

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