Snapchat's Bob Marley 420 Filter Criticized for Adding Blackface
Filter was done in cooperation with Marley's estate, according to Snapchat.
— -- This is one half-baked idea, critics say.
Snapchat is celebrating 420 -- the annual celebration of marijuana -- with a Bob Marley filter that lets users turn themselves into the legendary singer, complete with dreadlocks and what appears to be an added touch of digital blackface.
Many people on Twitter lit up with outrage over the filter and debated whether it was disrespectful to the musician's legacy to choose a day celebrating marijuana instead of, say, his birthday to honor of him.
A Snapchat representative issued the follow statement to ABC News:
"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."