People have asked me often to make Lizzo themed magnets and patches. I have repeatedly said no. It’s not because I don’t like Lizzo. I love her!
But it feels really icky to me to make money off of a current Black woman’s fame. I honestly don’t know how to really explain that any further. It just feels wrong.
Recently, a Black woman I work with said I need to make a “100% that B!tch” patch. I explained to her why I don’t make anything related to Lizzo. She told me I’m overthinking it. I respect her opinion, but it still feels icky.
Then a friend said to me that she likes what I make, but for the most part she doesn’t get much of it. She sees other people laughing at my booth, but she’s not really in on the joke. And that if she saw something that referenced Lizzo, she’d be like “oh, there’s something her for me too.”
When she said that to me, I thought, “well, shit.” My goal was to not take advantage of a popular black woman, but by taking that stance, I’ve left many black women not feeling included. I never felt more like Jacob from Abbott Elementary (if you haven’t’ watched that show, I highly recommend it).
It is truly not my goal to exclude anyone. And it is possible that maybe I took it too far. So, for now, I am creating Lizzo inspired magnets and patches. Though, I am totally reserving the right to stop if it starts to feel icky to me.
So without further ado, please welcome Lizzo!!!
Recent Comments