Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu criticizes boba brand for appropriating Asian culture | News

Canadian boba tea brand Bobba has publicly apologized after Marvel actor Simu Liu accused the company of cultural appropriation during an appearance on CBC’s Dragon’s Lair.

Boba tea, also known as ‘bubble tea’, emerged in the tea shops of Taiwan in the 1980s and quickly became popular as a beloved beverage. These stores typically served in grab-and-go setups and were known for their quick service. Over time, boba tea developed into a global phenomenon, with its signature chewy tapioca pearls, known as ‘bubbles’, appearing in a wide variety of creative drinks, from rose-flavored lattes to more unusual innovations like pizza toppings . Global brands such as Chatime, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice and Gong Cha have played a key role in the rapid rise of boba tea, making it a staple across cultures.

During the show, Bobba founders Sébastien Fiset and Jess Frenette presented their simplified version of boba tea with three ingredients. They claimed their approach disrupted the traditional bubble tea market by making the drink ‘easier and healthier’.

@cbcgem This bottled bubble tea company pitches to the famous Dragon Simu Liu and the rest of the Dragons (: Dragons’ Den) #dragonsden #simuliu ♬ original sound – CBC Gem

However, Liu, who is Chinese-Canadian and guest-starred as a “dragon” or investor, expressed concerns about their pitch, particularly their attempt to “disrupt” a drink with deep-rooted Asian cultural significance.

Liu wondered if Bobba’s founders had someone on their team who truly understood the cultural background of boba tea, highlighting the importance of cultural respect and awareness.

In response, Fiset stated that their “best partner” was based in Taiwan, responsible for developing their recipes and the boba itself. Nevertheless, Liu’s critiques sparked a wave of backlash on social media, with some viewers accusing the founding fathers of cultural insensitivity.

After a clip of the episode went viral on TikTok and sparked backlash, Bobba quickly apologized on social media, acknowledging Liu’s points about cultural appropriation and promising to reconsider their branding and marketing strategies to reflect Boba’s Taiwanese heritage and cultural context to better reflect.

Liu also addressed the backlash, condemning the intimidation and threats against the founders and urging fans to be constructive rather than hostile. He expressed gratitude for the discussion on cultural respect, but discouraged bullying and intimidation.

“I want to say that I think we’ve had a very important discussion about cultural appropriation, what it is, how is something exploitative rather a kind of tribute and respect, when is that line crossed, and in that conversation by the way I have a experiencing a huge wave of positivity and support from people from every community and I think that’s really incredible and I really appreciate that,” said Liu.

“On the other hand, I have been made aware that the business owners have received a lot of death threats and intimidation and in other ways just bullying and dogpiling, and I just want to say that it is never okay to make threats. It is never okay to bully and harass online.”

@simuliu

some thoughts on boba/bobba, let’s be kind to each other!

♬ original sound – Simu Liu

Another ‘dragon’ on the show, Manjit Minhas (co-owner of Minhas Breweries & Distillery), initially supported the Bobba brand and appeared to question Liu’s concerns, agreeing to invest $1 million for a stake of 18%. She noted that new insights into traditional products can be valuable.

However, in light of the ensuing controversy, Minhas reversed her decision, stating that she had reconsidered after “reflection and due diligence.” She added that she had faced online abuse over her investment decision and, like Liu, reiterated that threatening messages to the entrepreneurs were unacceptable.

The backlash against brands accused of appropriating culture is not new. Dolce & Gabbana and Cadbury have both been accused in the past of adopting traditional foods or practices without recognizing their cultural significance.

In 2018, Dolce & Gabbana had to cancel its first fashion show in Shanghai after the online marketing campaign was deemed racist by Chinese social media. it was removed from Weibo within 24 hours, and Chinese retailers from Lane Crawford to JD.com immediately pulled the brand from their sites. The brand released a video apology, but the company reported an expected sales decline in the APAC region in 2019 following the scandal.

Cadbury faced similar backlash in India in 2019 after launching its Unity Bar on the occasion of Independence Day. Designed with four chocolate varieties: dark, mixed, milk and white, the bar was meant to symbolize the diversity of India. The campaign, produced by Ogilvy, was heavily criticized on social media, with many consumers seeing it as a superficial or impractical approach to tackling complex issues such as colorism and racism in India.