Is J'ouvert Mornin!

Witnessing social media's reaction to MBJ's trademarking of the word 'J'ouvert' for his new venture and then the reaction from social media about social media reacting to it, was exhilarating to say the least. Ironically the whole debacle reminds me of J'ouvert itself, LOL. Everyone's out slinging mud, paint or powder everywhere, but it's just in the form of comments, tweets and social media statuses.

A quick Google search for the word 'j'ouvert' rendered just about 565,000 results in record time. So how did Michael B. Jordan get this wrong for his new business venture?

Here's my 2 cents. 

1. What occurred is NOT cancel culture.

Although some would have pointed out that what occurred recently was borderline 'cancel culture', I disagree. From my interpretation of cancel culture, MBJ is just being taught a very public lesson on cultural sensitivity and cultural appropriation. His product will still be sold ........just not with 'J'ouvert' as the name. MBJ is not cancelled!

2. Too much confusion surrounded the brand's launch.

With speculation that MBJ's business partner is Trinidadian and with claims that MBJ owns a bar named 'Las Lap', one must consider that this might just be a man that loves our culture. I mean, what's not to love? However having a 'Trini Business Partner' does not give anyone the right of way to stake claim over a word that is meaningless to them but is a whole dictionary and History book to T&T and by extension, the Caribbean.

What is baffling to me is why was the word 'j'ouvert' documented as having no meaning - when MBJ and his team were seeking the official trademark documents - but the inside of the packaging has a whole breakdown of what the word 'j'ouvert' means? Why the contradiction?

3. Cultural Appropriation is Cultural Appropriation

There are a lot of opinions as to how T&T could have profited from MBJ's use of the word 'J'ouvert' in terms of cultural programs, bringing awareness to our country etc, but let's remember the lesson that is being taught here. Cultural appropriation is wrong no matter how you spin it. 

Lest we forget, the Asian community banded together swiftly to denounce the use of the word 'Kimono' when Kim Kardashian used it for her (now) brand Skims. Although 'J'ouvert' doesn't hold the same religious value as the kimono, they're both traditional & cultural so from the perspective of cultural appropriation both Kim & Michael are wrong (although their intent may not have been malicious).

4. The intersection of cultural sensitivity, diversity and marketing.

"Cultural sensitivity is the awareness of specific cultural factors that can influence research. For brands, it requires marketing teams to be aware of local cultural nuances and develop appropriate messaging that engages their target audience" (Source).

The cultural nuance in MBJ 's case would be the word 'j'ouvert'.

Needless to say,  isn't this the perfect example of why market research is important? That's marketing 101! 

I wonder how many West Indians would've been on MBJ's marketing team. Let's start there.

5. It was refreshing to see Trinbagonians unite in the name of culture.

Trinbagonians remind me of siblings. We fight among ourselves but band together if someone dares to cross us. I hope we can learn from this instance where the efforts of our keyboard warriors effected change and target our internal issues with the same level of rant and rave so we could effect positive change right here at home as well.

It goes without saying that MBJ may just have been an easy target because of his celebrity and his association and investment with the brand. However, I do believe the use of the word 'J'ouvert' for his brand would've been more acceptable if he:

• Acknowledged the meaning of the word in the trademark documents;
• At least partnered with Angostura Ltd. to supply the bitters for his cocktail mixes.

What other suggestions do you have for MBJ? Let me know in the comments below. 

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