On a recent episode of CBC’s Dragons’ Den, there was a tense exchange between celebrity guest investor Simu Liu and the entrepreneurs behind a new bubble tea-style product. A clip from that segment has since gone viral online, garnering millions of views, coverage from news outlets around the world and comments from the likes of Tom Cruise.
Quebec City entrepreneurs Sebastian Fiset and Jessica Frenette appeared on the show looking for a deal to boost their company Bobba, which sells a bottled version of boba tea, or bubble tea. The popular Taiwanese drink is typically made of cold tea and chewy tapioca pearls. Bobba’s version is marketed as a “convenient and healthier ready-to-drink experience.”
During the episode, Liu raised concerns that their business could be considered cultural appropriation. These calls were met with mixed reactions from the other Dragons and the entrepreneurs during the episode, but have received an overwhelming amount of support online following the episode’s premiere.
Today on Commotion, the Toronto Star’s food reporter Karon Liu joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss the online backlash, whether the claims of cultural appropriation have merit and what we can all learn from this debacle.
WATCH | Today’s episode on YouTube:
You can listen to the full discussion from today’s show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Karon Liu produced by Ty Callender.
