Simu Liu Accuses Boba Tea Company of Cultural Appropriation
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Simu Liu is all about educating.
The Marvel actor did just that when he appeared on an episode of the Shark Tank-style reality competition series, Dragon’s Den on CBC. In a clip from the series’ Oct. 10 episode that has since gone viral, two owners of a Quebec-based bubble tea brand called Bobba were looking for investors to go in on their growing business of ready to drink boba teas for $1million.
After pitching their drink—which unlike traditional boba comes in cans and bottles and with tapioca balls that explode in the drink—Simu raised some questions about the product.
“I’m concerned about this idea of disturbing or disrupting bubble tea,” Simu said of boba which is a Taiwanese drink that is a tea mixed with milk or fruit and contains tapioca balls. “Because it is something that’s something very near to me.”
Simu continued, “There’s also an issue of cultural appropriation. There’s an issue about taking something that’s very distinctly Asian in its identity and quote unquote making it better, which I have an issue with.”
The Barbie actor went on to ask the entrepreneurs what respect they are paying to traditional boba, and if there were any Asian people involved in the process. Simu also challenged the spelling of their product, which adds an additional “b.”