Actor Simu Liu calls the company dumb because of cultural appropriation

As the business owners presented their drinks, the “dragon” – one of the potential bankers – seemed suspicious. Guest “Dragon” Simu Liu, known for his role as Shang-Chi in the 2021 Marvel movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” called out the business owners for being dumb, or for the way they talked about bubble tea. The drink, invented in Taiwan, has long been a favorite among the Asian community and has caught on around the world in recent years.

Jessica Frenett describes traditional bubble tea as a “trendy, sugary drink” whose consumers are “never sure of its contents.” And Sébastien Fiset delivered what their brand, Bubba, promised was “a convenient, healthy, ready-to-drink experience.”

“There's this issue of cultural appropriation… there's this adoption of identity and quote-unquote 'making it better,' which I have a problem with,” Liu said.

And he pressed the pair over its lack of recognition of Boca's Taiwanese roots in its packaging and branding.

“I started this venture organization for many reasons, but really primarily to promote minority entrepreneurs,” Liu said. “And I don't just think that's not happening here, but I'm going to promote a business that's profiting from something that I hold so dear to my cultural heritage.”

Liu surprisingly passed on the opportunity to invest in the company, although several of his fellow Dragons were interested, and investor Manjit Minhas eventually agreed to back the pair for $1 million.

The episode prompted a wave of criticism on social media, with many viewers angered by Bobba's founders as well as the supporting dragons.

“It's always that way, isn't it? You can't believe the ethnic people who actually come to make that food,” snapped a Korean American TikToker who goes by the handle Sogia 1. “If it wasn't for these two … God knows you That's what you get when you go out for a fool.”

Liu eventually weighed in, posting a TikTok video of his own in which he said he stood by his concerns about the company, but also thought some people had gone too far, describing the “death threats, harassment, bullying and dogs” that the founder “The experience was

“I think we're starting to lose the plot of it, ultimately the positive force of it is, let's educate people, let's make the world a better place, let's make people aware that, you know, some things aren't 'a cultural It's fine from the point of view,” Liu said.

Although he said he thought the brand should be held accountable as a “legitimate criticism,” Liu said he thought Frenett and Fisset appeared in “Dragon's Den” in “good faith” and were exposed to a “cultural conversation” like his own. Revealed sparking was limited. “It's 2024 and we hope people do their part and educate themselves,” he said. “But I try to give grace and I ask for a lot of grace.”

Minhas backtracked and posted a video in which he explained that he had a change of heart after the show aired. “After further reflection, due diligence and hearing your many opinions I will not be investing in Bubba Tea,” he said.

And the brand posted a lengthy MEA Culpa statement on Instagram in which it said it took responsibility for failing to acknowledge the history and origins of its products. “We will reevaluate our branding, packaging and marketing strategies to ensure they reflect a respectful and accurate representation of our Taiwanese partnership and the cultural roots of bubble tea,” the message read.

Many commentators throughout the episode noted that Liu, whose 2022 memoir is titled “We Are Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story,” “had to do the heavy lifting of bringing the issue to the fore, educating people about it — and then protecting the owners of the company.”

“Thank you for speaking up, you were right!” Enter a commenter. “They were really disrespectful and ignorant of it. Even the other judges couldn't understand what was going on. Hope they support you more. “

Many praised Liu for how he handled it all.

“Your ability to empathize with them brings a level [of] Respect that is almost unheard of,” one commenter wrote on her TikTok post. “This is a very teachable moment. Thank you for being an example of grace, patience and professionalism.”