Snapchat’s weed day selfie filter ‘Bob Marley’ backfires
As stoners all across the globe celebrate 420 (April 20) as ‘World Weed Day’, Snapchat’s attempt to get in on the action didn’t go down so well.
To commemorate weed day, or maybe it was just a co-incidence, Snapchat introduced a Bob Marley filter to its horde of selfie filters. When used, the filter pastes the legendary pop icon’s face upon the user’s face.
But the attempt at being a hipster backfired when the image messaging platform started receiving flak from the icon’s fans over his portrayal as a ‘weed icon’.
The general consensus was that the brand had piggybacked on Marley’s popularity as a weed smoker, while ignoring his influence as a performer.
A Bob Marley filter on snap for 4/20 like that’s all he stood for lol. Big lol.
— #BWIGM (@JamzLdn) April 20, 2016
They reduced Bob Marley’s legacy to just a weed smoking man with dreadlocks.
— Andrew (@C_obain47) April 20, 2016
To those who will only bring up Bob Marley today without acknowledging his message and what he actually stood up for; square up pls.
— moon (@brandonnembhard) April 20, 2016
bob marley wrote songs about peace, love and equality but y’all are ONLY going to associate him with smoking weed? pic.twitter.com/5Soib7s8z2
— hiba (@hibaxvii) April 20, 2016
Can @Snapchat explain to me why there’s a Bob Marley filter on 4/20? You realize he did more than smoke weed, right? pic.twitter.com/xPCOU5uQko
— Jack Qu’emi (@jackquemi) April 20, 2016
4/20, and you choose Bob Marley to be some sort of filter.
What pathetic mess is this?
The mans a legend, and you remember him for weed— س|م (@_Speda_) April 20, 2016