I should open with the fact that the title is a paraphrase of what Jefree Star said, the full quote is “if you take it that way, that’s how you articulate things but, bitch, not me.” Jefree made these quotes on his Instagram live, but I should give a recap first. Jefree is a hugely popular beauty vlogger who’s been in the press for being racist and for feuding with so many people. He thrives on controversy, and I have to apologize for not following that community enough to know more about him. I’m sure some of you can fill in some more details in the comments.
Anyway Jefree has a new makeup collection coming called “Cremated.” It’s a follow-up to his “Blood Lust” line. I know this because I watched the intro to his palette and collection reveal on YouTube. He admitted that the collection was supposed to come out a month ago, but said it was delayed of course due to the pandemic. He explained that he chose that name because it’s dark and gothic, it’s like his catchphrase “I’m deceased” and that he and his friends say “bitch, I’m cremated.” In his Instagram post with the eyeshadow palette, which includes colors like “death certificate,” “gravedigger,” “pallbearer,” “embalmed,” people pointed out that tens of thousands of people have died from covid and that this was a terrible time to come out with a death-themed palette. Here are just a few that I found and I’ve included a couple from US Magazine’s story:
Is it just me or is the name “Cremated” inappropriate to come out with during this time
this is disgusting and insensitive
Its a beautiful palette, but isn’t the timing painfully bad? Am I the only one that sees this or am I just sensitive.
To launch this during a pandemic and people have died….idk but this name of this palette is….😫 don’t come for me! To each their own opinion. This one is mine!
I love Jeffree and his products but this name isn’t doing it for me 😔 considering how many families have lost their loved ones.
[From Instagram and via US Magazine]
Jefree had some thoughts on the criticism. Here’s what he said on Instagram Live, and he was upbeat the entire time and barely acknowledged the criticism.
There’s a lot of positives, a few negatives because everyone is allowed to have their opinions, but baby let’s talk about cremated.
There’s always so many meanings with my work. It’s allowed to be interpreted any way that anyone wants to take it. But I always come from a good place. This palette is f’ing sickening. I’m so proud of it. On a real level you guys, my own father was cremated, my two dogs that passed away last year were cremated. Nothing ever comes from a negative place in my life, so if you take it that way, that’s how you articulate things, but bitch, not me. But you guys, thank you so much for all the love today. Next week, May 22nd, it is really close. This is an exclusive to Jefree
Corona, a lot of crazy sh-t happened, and here’s the thing. There was going to be more to the collection and this one was way smaller than normal. There were a few products that just couldn’t be made and I was devastated but the show much go on so those products will be put out later in the year or next year.
We’re back in the swing of things. It feels so f’ing good to upload again and to have a new collection coming.
I watched Jefree’s stories on this and it’s not like he was apologetic. He didn’t say he already had his palette in production and couldn’t change the name. He didn’t say that he felt bad for the people who lost loved ones. He did say he was “devastated” that his line couldn’t be as large as he intended, and he seemed super happy, upbeat and not sorry at all. I’m sure those of you who are familiar with him know this is how he is and that he’s done much worse. He’s trolling everyone with this for the publicity, right?
Ugh. “It was months ago, long before this crisis started. Was meant to feel goth and edgy, came from a joke with friends, I couldn’t change the name, but yeah, I agree with you guys, maybe it’s bad timing. It never even crossed my mind, because it’s been in the works so long. I’m so devastated for the people losing loved ones,” etc. would’ve done the trick. What if he got really serious and talked about how makeup has been his escape from reality lately (we ALL need escapes right now) he never would’ve put two and two together but now duh, it makes sense. Even better, how about you donate some money to covid relief? But no. He knows exactly what he’s doing.
On a side note, most luxury palettes have lots of pinks lately, or bright colors. I feel bad for saying I love the colors 🤷♀️ Cool tone neutrals are my jam. I probably won’t be giving him my money though.
Really, people get upset over this? Me thinks there are much more important topics to get upset about.
I like the colours, but don’t even remotely care for JS.
He’s always thrived off drama, so this wouldn’t shock anyone. I don’t know why people would bother to take issue with his naming knowing that. If he’d named something tackier like “Pandemic” or “Revenge of the Pangolins,” I’d be more apt to call him a dick, but this is pretty standard faux goth culture he’s got going on.
I hate that I kind of like it, though. It’s so hard to find cooler toned palettes, and that one’s full of greys and taupes. Nice.
yeah i agree that its insensitive during this time but being dark/vulgar in humor has always been part of his brand.
people don’t seem to realize how expensive it is to change things once products have already gone into production. Kim Kardashian lost 10 million dollars to change the name of her dumb shape wear line (kimono to skims).
I understand why people are upset but i think people also needs to understand that making changes is EXPENSIVE.
After 9/11 a ton of tv shows and movies made last min and expensive edits to take out any reference to terror attacks/plane crashes. This was done out of respect for the dead and to be decent to a grieving nation. 3,200 people died during 9/11. We have had 90,000 people die in a couple months. It’s not asking too much of a business to be decent imo
This whole “thats on you not me” is the ju jitsu argument tactic that is getting tired. At some point, this country had such low individual self esteem, that after a little bit of Oprah coaching and social media, we’ve become inconsiderate, unthinking, unfeeling, narcissistic creatures in our own individual bubbles, thinking all that we do is great and not subject to real human fallibility of being iawful. Not being able to have the emotional intelligence to look at a situation and see where you have contributed to the problem is the height of pride and vanity, as well as complete unintelligence and obliviousness, and that can’t be respected or heralded. . I’m not saying to shame or drag Jeffrey, but man– we all can do something stupid. but corpse makeup during a pandemic? I
I’d not knock him so much if this was just him, it’s just this whole “doing it for the likes* has generated some of he dumbest, moat socially uniformed quotes and actions than I can ever recall from people. What happened to class and decency?
Agree with all this! The internet and social media have a lot of good ways of connecting us, but people abuse, manipulate and basically f*ck things up, based on selfishness, greed, narcissism, etc. This pandemic is showing people at their best (doctors, nurses, those working to help others), and their worst (celebrities, this post, and so on). We really need to wake up and get it together.
So true!
I need to know something. Is “beauty vlogging” and selling cheap (? it looks cheap anyway) makeup lucrative enough to buy you such a house? What?? Please tell me that this person has already had money before they started out. 16 million followers?! What?
I clearly don’t get instagram economy. Until now I thought only Kardashians and other “famous” types could make money off internet spon cons, but it seems that I’m a truly naive dimwit. Who’s buying all this makeup???
believe it or not, Jefree’s line, among all the youtubers who does beauty, is one of the high quality lines. That is why he has such a large following despite the controversies that his ass has been.
He has that large of a following is due to the fact that many people find him credible. He seriously does not hold back from his product reviews. He went IN on kylie’s makeup brush kit that she was selling for 300 dollars. A lot of beauty youtubers tend to hold back on product reviews because they don’t want to burn bridges and get removed from their PR list.
The politics of this whole thing is so juicy.
@Spikey that palette is $58 and his products sell out in minutes the moment they hit online. He’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars. His fans are cult like and will come after people hard that criticize him. And his marketing costs are minimal he just uses SM platforms to drive his fans into a frenzy to buy his makeup using FOMO as a selling strategy.
The big youtubers make a fortune.
**edit** Meant to reply to Spikey. I can’t even od THIS right!
OMG right?!?!?! I apparently SERIOUSLY underestimate the…I’m trying to think of the word…of people on freaking YOUTUBE! Like, not only just to make a living from doing it, but to become wealthy???? And I’ve never even heard of 99% of them. Who is actually subscribing to and watching these people? I must be old. And this guy just sounds like a complete ass. I don’t think I could stomach a video based on the description above.
He has a lot of businesses. A million years ago he used to “sing” (awfully) but Hot Topic started selling band merch of him, and since Hot Topic and him are based in california he met the right people and created a company that makes band merch (for other bands and internet celebrities) that was distrinuted by hot topic. Then w**d became legal so he invested in it and got a loooot of money. He joined a business partner to create the makeup line. He says he has like 10 different businesses but I don’t know about the other ones. I think his whole style is very tacky but the dude knows how to play the business game
I don’t think he’s trolling, as self-absorbed as he is, I think nothing he could have said would have made everyone happy. He already decided names and theme before the pandemic, didn’t he? So.. before or after it passed (who even knows when), wouldn’t have changed much, that’s what I think.
It’s been years since the last time I watched a JS tutorial but this guy speaks like that. He says things like “I’m deceased”, “I’m cremated”. I totally agree that the timing for its release is the worst but this product is right on his alley.
I do follow the beauty community closely and I can say that he is in fact very much a garbage human being.
And he thrives on attention – especially the negative kind.
The name doesn’t bother me, and the palette is actually right up my street, but Jefree Star won’t ever get any of my coins.
If you want a good Smokey eye palette, check out Colorpop smoke show. I’ve heard tons of great reviews on it and it’s also very affordable.
I don’t care about him or his products, it’s not my thing at all, the drama bs in the youtube influencer community. These people mostly have lost all sense of reality and think that if they donate their PR products, they’re saving the world. The names in the palette aren’t the height of good taste and great timing but I think we all have bigger fish to fry. The colors are actually really nice but not new or groundbreaking.
There are less than a handful of makeup channels who I sometimes watch and they’re the professionals like Lisa Eldridge. But mostly I know how to do my makeup now.
I’m a big YouTube watcher and I’m very familiar with Jeffree Star. I got into it with his stans on twitter about this palette. I think it’s a basic Smokey eye palatte, but he’s trying to act like this is something that has never been done before. More importantly, the name of the product and shades is just really incensative and very trashy considering 90,000 people have died in the last few months. He could have explained the reason for this release OR waited until Halloween when it would make more sense. Jeffree is honestly a trash person. His makeup company started out being Nazi themed with pink swastikas. It was about a year ago that Jeffree claimed to have evidence of James Charles being a sex predictor. Of course that was a lie. Jeffree right now really wants to distract attention away from his most recent controversy which is his support for Dahive, someone who has been credibly accused of having sex with children.
So not surprised about that. Jeffrey is a horrible person. Racist, sexist, he’s said homophobic nonsense, he trolls and bullies people. There’s not a lick of a good about this man, and it makes me so mad this piece of trash is still famous.
This guy sounds like a monster – from what I’ve heard, both racist *and* misogynist. No way I’d buy anything from him.
THIS ^^^^ a 10000% yes… it’s the same tactic our evil president takes that sloughs responsibility onto anyone except the person behind the action. You’ve said it perfectly Annaloo. This attitude of “I can do no wrong b/c you’re the one with the problem” is unraveling trust, thus decency and humanity. It’s a sign of a sick society.
And we should be dragging J*. He’s pure trash, his narcissism and bullish personality are NOT something to admire, let alone emulate, and his following is staggeringly large and committed to his success. We need to rid of these bullies at the top of pop/public culture. It’s a sad, sick irony that there have been movements to call attention to and end the abuse of power, and yet that’s paved the path for even more deranged strongmen to come in and woo the public with their lies and craven ways. I’m looking at you, J* and DJT.
Interesting how this is all people choose to talk about him. Something that would have been in production since September of last year at least.
But no one is talking about how much good he has done for the community. About the tons of money he has been giving out.
Or the fact he didn’t lay anyone off in his 5 huge warehouses and his offices. He paid everyone full pay the entire time. That’s a hell of a lot more than the big brands did.
Yep, I agree with @kkat. He has been doing a lot of good. And even if everyone boycotted him today, that man has millions in the bank and could dip out for the rest of his life. Must be nice.
Ya…but if he’s a racist Nazi no good deed is going to be good enough for me. Sorry, kkat
I don’t have an issue with the theme of the palette, though the timing could be better.
I do have an issue with his general trashiness, and would never ever ever ever ever give him a single dime. He’s down in the gutter with Kat Von D, Lime Crime, etc.
Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s assholery
I like that palette.
Manufacturing controversy for fun and profit, part #3425676345 in an ongoing series…..
Calling a palette Cremated is not out of the norm for Jeffree. He previously had a palette that was shaped like a casket. This stuff is right up his alley. Funny enough, this is probably the nicest, most practical palette. The colors are beautiful.
Yeah, it’s offensive, but he markets through SM. It’s really only his fans (that already know he’s trash human) that will be hearing about this product and its name. I think that’s different than blockbuster movies, tv shows and songs having to scramble to edit their product in order to be sensitive to the situation.
It’s been 15 years since last time I entered a Hot Topic shop so I have no idea who this person is.
If anyone is interested in learning more about Jeffree and his shitty behaviour, Angelika Oles has a lot of very informative videos on him (and other youtubers). He’s really one of the most awful youtubers on the platform imo
Shame is wasn’t created by a real goth for the goth community…And I don’t mean H0t T0pics either.