Actor Simu Liu recently took on a new role and appeared as a guest judge on Dragons’ Den. A man with pride in his East Asian heritage, he was not amused when Boba Tea entrepreneurs claimed they were “making it [the popular Asian drink] even better.”
This controversial take received a lot of backlash on the internet. Some claimed Simu was right to be annoyed and call it out for what it was: cultural appropriation. But others online thought it was an overreaction. Since it became a phenomenon, bubble tea has been expanded to include lots of new and crazy flavours and toppings.
So, was it just a poorly worded pitch, or is it rooted in something more baleful?
The ‘Bobba’ Pitch
Much like America’s Shark Tank, Dragons Den sees small businesses pitch a model to a panel of judges in order to get an investment into what they believe will be the next best thing.
For Bobba Tea, the company wanted to reimagine the popular Taiwanese bubble tea drink to make it “convenient and healthier.”
Now, I’m sure the majority of the internet would agree with healthier alternatives to foods loaded with sugars, but the Shang-Chi actor said “I’m concerned about this idea of disrupting or disturbing bubble tea”.
“There’s an issue of taking something that’s very distinctly Asian in its identity and ‘making it better,’ which I have an issue with,” he added during his appearance.
Whilst the owners made sure to say that they have a partner in Taiwan who makes “all the recipes, all the boba,” the backlash was huge.
They quickly wrote an apology that was shared on social media, saying, “Simu Liu raised very valid points regarding cultural appropriation, and we welcome this learning opportunity.”
Though the guest judge ultimately chose not to invest, another judge, Manjit Minhas, did by arguing there can be a “take on new things” as “not everything needs to be traditional.”
Following the apology, she did withdraw her investment citing what Simu said.
Of course, this won’t be the last time the internet debates cultural appropriation over social media.
In fact, cultural appropriation has long consumed our media.
Cultural appropriation in media
It’s arguable that the media acts as a perpetrator of cultural appropriation.
For instance, cultural appropriation takes many forms in TV and film. To create storylines and plots, some characters are made to take on the identity of groups in society, complete with outfits and stereotypes.
We see this with religious characters and in Western media, Islam.
One show, Netflix’s Elite, follows a group of teenagers navigating school with murder and mystery. What ought to be an exciting drama starts to turn weird when the only Muslim characters are made to be strict, abusive, and submissive.
It discriminates against Muslims watching and honestly adds nothing to the plot. So, what was the purpose of including diverse characters if they were just going to be presented as cheap stereotypes?
This is just a single example — a quick search online can produce results where many more shows and films have made certain groups in society be reduced to a perception rooted in racism and ignorance.
In the Bobba Tea case, Simu noted that adopting the identity of something distinctly Asian is problematic. Identity is important for signaling culture.
So, being able to strip something of its roots means that cultural appropriation in its many forms is still relevant.
Social media: Hero or Headache?
With the rise of social media, the lines between cultural appropriation and appreciation have become blurred.
Celebrities and influencers have become synonymous with platforms, namely Instagram and Tik Tok. Creating content on the daily generates revenue and views we wouldn’t have seen on Facebook even as recently as 5 years ago.
So, what do the Kardashians, Adele, and Korean Idols have in common?
If you guessed being accused of appropriation, you’ve guessed correctly.
Mainly, all have been accused of appropriating hairstyles, like cornrows and box braids. For many, they’re seen as a rich part of Black and African culture. As non-Black people wearing it, it’s viewed as inappropriate.
But others have argued that a hairstyle can be worn by anyone, given that they’re not mocking where it came from. Braids are rooted in a multitude of cultures: African, Asian, and even as far back as Scandinavian from the times of the Vikings.
But does the sentiment that braids are part of other cultures dignify others wearing them?
One user on Reddit strongly disagrees.
They wrote: “There are non-black cultures around the world with their own versions of braids but using them as an argument against cultural appropriation of hairstyles by kpop idols needs to end,” in response to the backlash popular artists faced.
They continued to explain that there are no excuses for idols and celebrities alike to wear braids to fit a certain ‘aesthetic’.
“Also, these idols aren’t copying braids from these non-black groups. They’re specifically trying to emulate black people since they usually have braids when they’re doing a hip-hop or ‘badass’ concept.”
Indeed, whether it’s the celebrities themselves or their representatives, apologies have been made.
But if there’s a right way to appreciate and use culture, why aren’t more celebrities doing it?
A song of praise
Music icon Shakira was praised for her genuine appreciation of African culture in her ‘Waka-Waka’ music video, which was performed for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
While it’s good to use the media to share the love of cultures, the issue lies in people attempting to profit from traditions that can be minimized in their identity.
They (celebrities and influencers) are seen to be almost exploiting culture for attention — whether it’s positive or negative.
So, while all cultures should be appreciated, it’s time for people in the media and online to understand a line needs to be drawn.
Calling out the ‘culture vultures’ isn’t to direct any harassment towards them, but rather to hold them accountable for appropriating for their own personal gain.
