Simu Liu denounces the Boba company for “cultural appropriation”

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Simu Liu denounces the Boba company for “cultural appropriation”

Simu Liu is working to take the heat off a Canadian bubble tea company after criticism of his televised sales pitch to the Marvel superhero spread online.

During a recent appearance on CBC’s ‘Dragon’s Den’ — a “Shark Tank”-style reality TV series — the “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” star criticized the Quebec brand Bobba for “cultural appropriation”.

Bobba owners Sébastien Fiset and Jess Frenette have launched a “transformed” bottled bubble tea which, with its “three simple ingredients” – including the brand’s signature “Popping Bobba” – was “no longer an ethnic product (sic)”.

Raising concerns about Bobba’s model of “taking something that is very distinctly Asian in its identity and ‘making it better’,” as well as the lack of Asian staff, Liu dropped the field. He added that he launched his venture capital fund Markham Valley Ventures “primarily to encourage minority entrepreneurs.”

“Not only do I feel like this isn’t happening here, but I would support a company that is profiting from something that I feel is so dear to my cultural heritage,” he said on the episode on Thursday. “I want to help bring boba to the masses, but not like this.”

Meanwhile, fellow “Dragons’ Den” investor Manjit Minhas called his comments “a little heavy-handed.”

“There may be new perspectives. Not everything has to be traditional,” Minhas retorted. The venture capitalist ultimately offered Fiset and Frenette $1 million for 18% of Bobba, but only days after the episode aired. announcement that “After more thought, due diligence, and listening to many of your opinions, I will not invest in Bobba Tea.”

Footage of the segment has since circulated on social media, with some comparing the incident to the incident. Controversy over “spa water”in which a TikTok influencer apparently claims a wellness drink that Latino users quickly identified as agua fresca. Others, angered by Bobba’s comments, targeted the founders online – a response Liu has since condemned.

“I just want to say, period, it’s never okay to make threats, it’s never okay to bully and harass online,” he said Saturday. TikTok video. “I don’t mean to say that business owners don’t deserve valid criticism, and I don’t believe you shouldn’t voice your disagreement, but I think we can all agree, common sense there There’s a limit.”

And the criminal harassment and death threats undoubtedly pass through him, the “Kim’s Convenience” one elder said, adding that as someone who has been “on the other side” of social media anger, it creates “undue mental stress and trauma” that no one should have to endure.

Liu called the episode an “unfavorable edit,” adding that “in the break room, it was all ears.” He also said he believed Bobba’s entrepreneurs presented their business “in good faith” and that because English was not their first language, there was a greater risk of communication problems .

Bobba’s founders echoed the latter point in their apology, clarifying on Sunday Instagram that their controversial statement that “one is never sure of its contents” did not concern “the traditional formula of bubble tea that one finds in specialized stores” but “other ready-to-drink products like ours that found in supermarkets.

“While it was never our intention to harm or disrespect the community that created and popularized this beloved beverage, we take full responsibility for the impact of our actions,” they wrote , adding that Liu “raised some very valid points regarding cultural appropriation and we welcome this learning opportunity.

The statement continued: “It is clear to us that we should have tapped the expertise of our Taiwanese partners to shape how we give credit to the cultural roots of bubble tea and ensure cultural integrity by properly recognizing its origins in Taiwanese culture. . We will re-evaluate our branding, packaging and marketing strategies to ensure they reflect a respectful and accurate representation of our Taiwanese partnership and Bubble Tea’s cultural roots.



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