Kylie Jenner, Queen of Capitalism, Released a Luxury Hand Sanitizer in the Middle of a Pandemic

At the beginning of the pandemic, it truly seemed like the cult of celebrity had subsided—one too many jokes at the expense of the Gal Godot-spearheaded viral video of a bunch of stars singing “Imagine” seemed to convince people that maybe celebs weren’t beacons of hope, but narcissists in a higher tax bracket. Soon that ended, and boredom bred by social isolation inspired even the most pop-culture averse to look towards Hollywood for entertainment. The rich and famous moment had not passed, but it had come back with a vengeance. At least now Kylie Jenner has given fans a reason to be critical.

On Tuesday, the youngest Kardashian-Jenner announced that she had launched her first-ever hand sanitizer as part of her skin product line, KYLIE SKIN. Retailed for $7 plus shipping, the product description reads the “on-the-go Hand Sanitizer keeps you safe and clean at all times. Formulated with 80% alcohol, this fast-drying, spray cleanser purifies and sanitizes hands without stickiness while Glycerin helps soothe and protect skin from dryness, no matter how often you cleanse.” (A comparable product is available at most drug stores for a dollar or two.)

Of course, were it any other time in history—one not plagued by the ongoing global health crisis, which has killed nearly 360,000 people in the U.S. alone—it would be a fine product to release. But Jenner wouldn’t have done that. The demand wouldn’t be as high, and she wouldn’t profit. Instead, this is a classic case of a business person exploiting the pandemic, and for once, people have taken notice. “kylie jenner said a billion dollars is not enough lmao let me keep capitalizing off of poor people in the middle of a pandemic like if u actually wanna help make it free or rot,” a fan wrote on Twitter, as BuzzFeed pointed out. Others made jokes, writing, “I used Kylie Jenner hand sanitizer and now all my germs are snatched.”

Unless Jenner donates proceeds (or product!) to hospitals—like she did last Spring, probably before she had the business sense to sell her own instead—it’s a no from me, dog.