From B*%$#s!! to H*&s to ‘colorful cockroaches’
From contributors
Kevin O’Leary is a regular member of the hit CNBC show, “Shark Tank.” But he may have to apologize after this one. In a recent episode, two Black women appeared on the show to try to get the hosts to invest in their brand of lipstick.
Melissa Butler and Rosco Spears are pitching Lip Bar to the Shark Tank. They say their products are proof that beauty and health aren’t mutually exclusive. Instead, they combine hot, popping colors with natural ingredients that soften and moisturize.
In case you’re not aware, the show is one where people pitch their business ideas to a group of fat cats, who then decide if they want to give them their money.
Lip Bar also has an app that allows a customer to design their own shade, and are in the process of creating what they call the Lip Bar Mobile — a mobile shop with a ‘bar’ and mirror, where customers can see the shades and buy in person.
(“This notion caused Mark Cuban to do a literal face-palm, O’Leary to shake his head and groan, and Robert Herjavec to laugh and say, “This is such a bad idea.”)
O’Leary was the first to voice a concern. “The makeup industry is huge, a multi-billion dollar industry. If blues, greens, and purples would sell more lipsticks, wouldn’t the big companies already have them on the shelves?”
Lori Greiner had another concern. This centered on buying cosmetics online. A color that looked right on-screen might not be the same in person.
Robert chimed in next, bothered by the branding. “I’m not sure I’d want my daughter picking up lipstick with a martini glass and very sexual lips on it.” With that, he was the first Shark to bow out on Lip Bar.
Maintaining that there is no market for the product and that if there was, the big companies would “crush [Lip Bar] for the colorful cockroaches you are,” Kevin turned the investment opportunity down next.
But after this episode, the show may have lost some cool points with the African American community. As he explains why they are surely going to fail and why he won’t give them money, O’Leary refers to them as “colorful cockroaches,” which was entirely unnecessary for him to get his point across. Should Black women, who are typically underfunded in their business (since white people seem to own everything because of slavery) have to deal with this kind of abuse in order to get an investment?
Melissa addressed Daymond John directly, but he replied, “You are never going to create anything new in this world. You know, it’s lipstick. I’m out.”
Mark Cuban called the cocktail theming an antithesis to the brand’s confidence-based market, and he, too, was out.
Lori Greiner, citing the amount of competition in the cosmetics market, also declined to invest.
Lip Bar’s creators left the Shark Tank disrespected and with no investment.
Watch the clip and tell us what you think. You can watch it http://blacklikemoi.com/2015/05/you-wont-believe-what-this-host-said-to-these-two-black-women/.
Please, we need to encourage our millions of readers to support them and voice their concern and displeasure in how these women were devalued on national television. They don’t have to take this kind of abuse in order to get money.
Note: If you’d like to support these two women and their company, here is their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thelipbar. Now, pull out your purses/wallets and go buy something.
