Simu Liu, the dashing star of Shang-Chi, just kicked up quite the storm over bubble tea on Dragons’ Den, which is basically Canada’s version of Shark Tank—but with more polite “sorrys” and possibly fewer sharks (because, you know, it’s Canada).
During the latest episode, a bubbly little company named Bobba sashayed onto the stage with a plan to, get this, “revolutionize” bubble tea, that oh-so-delicious Taiwanese drink that makes you feel like a kid again (or at least helps you ignore adult responsibilities). But Simu was not having it! He raised an eyebrow and declared, “Hold your tapioca! This could be cultural appropriation!”
As soon as the episode aired, Simu took to social media like a superhero to call out the “bullying” that Bobba and the other “Dragons” were facing, which is way more serious than anything involving actual dragons. Apparently, “disrupting” bubble tea isn’t exactly the way to win over the tea-loving masses.
Simu expressed his displeasure, saying, “Why do we need to take something that’s already perfect and say we’re going to make it better?” We get it, Simu: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Now, while Simu decided to keep his wallet closed and not invest, fellow Dragon Manjit Minhas swooped in like a caffeinated superhero and agreed to back the business. But then, like a plot twist in a rom-com, she changed her mind after Simu’s comments went viral. On Instagram, she posted a heartfelt message about how cultures are meant to be shared, emphasizing that “it’s Cha or Chai, not Chai Tea,” because who needs redundancy in their tea vocabulary? It’s Naan, not naan bread, people! (I mean, we all know that, right?)
Meanwhile, Simu was busy on TikTok, tackling the online bullying like a champion. “Let’s educate, not obliterate!” he declared, urging people to talk about cultural appropriation without threatening anyone’s safety. Apparently, throwing shade online isn’t nearly as cool as sipping bubble tea with friends.
And the Bobba crew? They hopped onto TikTok to issue an apology that sounded something like, “Oops, our bad! We didn’t mean to stir the pot!” They promised to rethink their branding and marketing to ensure they give bubble tea the respect it deserves, like the royal beverage it is.
The bubble tea saga that’s left us all a little shaken but definitely not stirred. Remember: next time you sip your boba, think about where that chewy goodness comes from and maybe skip the “making it better” idea! Cheers! 🧋
@simuliu some thoughts on boba/bobba 🧋lets be kind to each other!
