A FAMILY ROAST ｜ Drew Afualo ft. Krit ｜ THE COMMENT SECTION EP 32
Summary
In this episode of the comment section, I have my first Samoan guest on the show, Chris, who is a writer, podcaster, comedian, and podcaster. We talk about how she got her start as a writer and how she became a voice for the Samoan community. We also talk about growing up in Samoan culture and growing up as a Samoan.
Transcript
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He was like, she has like the map to Treasure Island on her hand, which is a lame joke on top of that.
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But I was like, this is called a Malu, which is a tattoo given to women of chiefly descent from someone that's typically on the legs.
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Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of the comment section show starring me, Drew, your favorite.
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Today, I'm very, very honored to introduce you all to my guests and it's also my very first Samoan guest, the one and only Chris.
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Like, it's always like, oh, wait, wait, you know, but we're Samoan, so it's all right.
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One time on my TikTok, I said, um, sometimes I got to drag the usos.
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And then someone goes, did she say usos like the WWE wrestlers?
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They're brothers and they're called the brothers.
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Honestly, Crit is so cool on like Twitter and Instagram, especially Twitter is where I
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But, um, I saw you talking about Samoan people, Samoan language, and you were also talking
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about some of the issues that we have in our culture, which I not only agree with you on,
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but I felt, I found very refreshing because it's like thought provoking and they're important
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I mean, you know, I, and I, I mean, I've just come to learn of your work recently as you've
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grown up and I've been, yeah, I've been enjoying everything that you've been putting out there.
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And I love the fact that, you know, you have this podcast and you're amplifying, you know,
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other, other people from communities that don't necessarily have their voices, you know,
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We talk about, we've talked about it a lot, like prior to this, but like representation
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Uh, that's like the one thing whenever I do like any sort of interview or anything like
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Like when I spoke with Coconut, like that was like the first time I've ever cried in an interview.
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I was like, don't tell the man it'll ruin my street.
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But like that, uh, was the first time I got emotional cause I was talking about representation
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and like how, when I was growing up, I didn't have Samoan women to look at in mainstream
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Cause I feel like more often times than not, like when people think of Samoan people,
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they, a lot of times think of athletes more than anything.
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So I, as someone who's been able to be like more like mainstream, not, not known for like
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So I'm sure you've seen countless times representation, like how there's not very much for us.
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So, so I feel like in the U S you don't get to have that same exposure.
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So it was probably, was it like a culture shock for you when you saw like just kind of
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the differences as far as like representation for us specifically in media, like whether
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I think it was, I think the, it's funny because you come here and you see a lot of Samoans
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and you know, well, depending what state you're in.
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But then at the same time, you don't see that, you don't have that, I guess the same
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depth represented in media, whether it's mainstream media or just, you know, you don't even get
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to see specifically Pacific Islander media either.
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So that, that was kind of a shock, but, but at the same time, it's refreshing when you
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do see someone like yourself, you know, pop up and it's like, Oh, you know what?
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I think it's a sign of, I guess, our population growing too, I think.
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And just, um, and then I think, you know, not just that you, you do stand out, you know,
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I think what you've got to say has, you know, resonates with so many people and I just think
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it's timely with, uh, this generation of, you know, what we've got going on.
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Cause it's, I, I think I've, I've talked about this multiple times too, like here on
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And then also like in other interviews or when people talk to me about like how I
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And I talk about how like Samoan culture is very matriarchal.
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So we do hold women in very high regard, obviously.
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And then like the gender roles within Samoan culture, like men cook and clean.
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Well, I don't know what my dad did, but yeah, but they do.
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So like it, for me, it was like the way American culture sees women, um, was much different
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So like what we're raised around, like how we see older people in general, like how we
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see women is, is a, is a lot different as far as like traditionally.
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Um, so with my content, it really falls in line with how I was raised because it's, it was much
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different than what I think the average American person experiences.
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And I don't know if your experiences were the same in New Zealand.
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Cause obviously we're all someone, but you were raised in New Zealand.
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Like my mom and her sisters and all their relationships, they wore the pants.
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I mean, I don't know if that's what you're trying to say.
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Like they're like, I always say like, they're like the son of our families.
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Whatever they're doing, whatever they want to do, whatever they need, that's what we're doing
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As children of like mothers and also like sisters and cousins and all of that.
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No, my mom comes from a family of eight and my dad comes from a family of nine and I've
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But I've always, I think because of my mom's personality and her sisters, they have such
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I've always, and because they took great care of me too, I've always preferred the energy
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Like my best friend, like my, uh, as far as, um, like even when it comes down to a therapist,
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like I'm not messing with a man, like I need a woman to, you know, a woman's energy.
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And I think there's power in that knowing that you like that and also knowing that it
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doesn't make you less of a man, whatever people want to say about that.
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Because sometimes they'll cheapen it to like, like calling you like, I don't know, a soy
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Whatever all the fancy terms are now for someone who cares about women.
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Like it's just, it's someone who respects women and they're like, God, what a loser.
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But that's so dumb because like, that's, that's, I mean, there's so much power in that
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And, and like, I just feel like you're cutting yourself off from that power.
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And that's like a, we're a very spiritual, um, like culture as well too.
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So as far as like ancestors and, um, people who have passed and all of that, like the energy
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So I totally know what you mean about feminine energy.
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Um, even though I myself identify as a woman, but I think too, like when it comes to my content
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specifically, um, I did an interview with, um, a Samoan reporter for the Samoan observer
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and, um, we spoke for a long time and she was so wonderful.
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And she said, um, something about your content that has like, um, drawn me to it is like the
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fact that it's been able to transcend culture, but at the very center of it, it's Samoan humor.
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So like, aside from my laugh, because my laugh is not specific to me, like lots of Polynesian
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It's not even just Samoan people, but it's like Polynesian people in general, they cackle
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Um, but she was saying at the very center of your humor, it's very Samoan.
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Um, like the way that you make fun of people, the things that you laugh at, like the way
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that you know how to take a joke, that's all very Samoan.
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So she was saying she loves seeing other people join in on the fun that are not Samoan because
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they're kind of like experiencing a piece of our culture without like, you know, fully
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Cause sometimes people are like, how do you, how do you like, you know, deal with hate
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And I always say like the way I grew up, like no one can hurt my feelings.
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Like after, after you grow up in a, in a Samoan family, like who's going to touch you after
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Literally, it's like, I've said before, I'm like, if you're a Samoan person, you get
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Like the way that, the way that no one can hurt your feelings, like, you know what I'm saying?
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Like the things my family has said to me when I was growing up, even if they were, they
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were so like small and stupid, but like the way they just absolutely changed my perspective
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Cause I was like, my mom would tell me all the time, she's like, you got to learn to
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Like Samoan, she'd be like, nobody joke with Drew.
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But everyone's roasting the absolute shit out of me.
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And so my mom would tell me like, if you don't learn how to do that, like no one's going to
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want to be your friend or joke around with you.
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I guess I got to start learning to laugh at myself.
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So I was talking to my mom, you know, when we were talking about, when I think of Samoan
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And then she started breaking down like the nicknames that my grandma gave her and her sisters.
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So my auntie Anna, her nickname was Vaisa Sapa, which means crooked feet because she had
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And my auntie Naila, her nickname was Isupapa, flat nose.
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Like, you know, like, these are things that, you know.
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And then if you get upset, then you're being disrespectful.
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That's why, like, let alone with other cousins, aunties and uncles.
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Like, just the way that you show one sign of weakness and they all start ripping on you immediately.
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I, like, the way I grew up is so, I'm, like, thankful for it now.
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Because now, because of what it is I do now, it's like, I need it.
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Like, the things that we laugh at, the things that we find funny.
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It's, like, it's so specific to someone people.
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Like, the way that the things that we find funny.
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So, that's why I'm, like, some of the things I say, they're literally so silly.
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Like, it's just the silliest shit in the world.
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And someone, people know how to make fun of someone.
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So, what are your experiences with being roasted or roasting?
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So, I mean, I mentioned my grandma and how she named, like, you know, my mom and her sisters
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But it's, like, you know, your eyes are as big as a cow.
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And my lips, so, my lips aren't as bumper as they used to be.
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So, that one still, like, that still goes today.
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And then, well, this isn't me, but my cousin, Sarania.
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I'm not trying to make fun of her, but she has bad, she used to have bad eczema.
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And so, they used to call her Luffa, which is, like, rash.
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So, it's like, so, you mean to tell me, like, my cousin used to respond to Luffa as a baby.
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And, you know, she'd be like, like, that's her name.
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Like, that's how, that's, that's how I'm on humor.
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Like, one, why, why do so many of us have skin problems?
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Yeah, yeah, because, like, a lot of times, my, my, if my family members, like, had that
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kind of issue with skin, if they moved to, like, Hawaii, where it's, like, super moist
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Well, I just found out we have something else in common.
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That's so funny because, um, or, like, um, we would make, um, there was someone else in
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But, like, we would, like, they would joke all the time because, um, their hair was so,
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And they would joke all the time saying that they had ukus.
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If your hair was all messy, they'd be, like, oh, she probably has uku.
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And then people are, like, I can't believe that it doesn't bother you when white 15-year-old
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Like, especially, you, you, again, you've had the training grounds, like, as a child.
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And then you, like, learn to laugh at yourself, even if it's, like, because of something like
00:16:29.080
So, your grandma would also probably call me cow eyes.
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I think they're just, like, the lashes, that's what they are.
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Sometimes people are, like, why do you get so many lashes?
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I, like, when I don't have them, they look even bigger.
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That's why, like, I ripped up a Samoan dude once.
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And I was talking about his eyes for, like, 10 minutes.
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But that's, like, when I made fun of him, he laughed.
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Even though he was being the worst, he was, like, he laughed.
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Like, if you can get one on him, then it's, like, well, you know what?
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I'm, like, well, you know, like, you got to real recognize real.
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Like, especially when sometimes, like, one time I posted.
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They were, like, glam pictures of some kind, but you could see my tattoo in them.
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And he was, like, she has, like, the map to Treasure Island on her hand, which is a lame joke on top of that.
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But I was, like, this is called a Malu, which is a tattoo given to women of chiefly descent.
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That's also, like, sometimes when men try to be racist towards me, they don't even pick the right race.
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Like, you got to pick, you got to pick the right one.
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And then if you do find out that I'm Samoan, what are you going to say?
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They don't know enough about us to even, like, target us like that.
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So it's even crazier to me that they're, like, they're trying to say anything and everything to, like, get to me.
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And I don't know if you've received hate, too, on your platforms.
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Whether it was from, like, non-Polynesian people or Polynesian people.
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Like, I don't know if you've ever experienced that.
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Like, especially, so, I mean, from both, right?
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Whether it's, you know, whether I'm talking about, you know, some of the programming that we have.
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Whether it's around religion or, you know, issues that around homophobia or things like that.
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And then, you know, people come at you and it's, like, but it's kind of necessary, right?
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And you just hope that whoever's out there will learn something.
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Or people who might be going through something can see that, oh, you know what?
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There are people who actually stand for this or whatever.
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And then it's more powerful, too, when you're a Samoan person and maybe you also feel the same way.
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And then you see a Samoan person talking about it and bringing awareness to it and kind of, like, trying to, like, have the conversation about it.
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Because that's why, like, when I have talked about Samoan men before, like, I have made fun of them or whatever.
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It's because of misogyny and that's prevalent in our culture as well.
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Even though it's matriarchal, there's still, like, misogyny in there as well.
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But that's, like, that's a white supremacy thing.
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That's literally, it's so much deeper rooted than just, like, you know what I mean?
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So having that conversation, like, I've literally talked about, I talked about a different guy once.
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And I said to, like, I was telling him in Samoan, I was basically saying to him, like, do your, does your mom know that you say these things?
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I f***ing doubt that you've said any of this to her face.
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So I bring that up all the time because, again, we are matriarchal.
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So they do, a lot of times, especially Samoan men, are very close to their moms.
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Would you want another man to say this to them?
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So that's, like, something it's important to talk about because it is there.
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So, like, bringing awareness to it doesn't mean that you're, like, shitting all over your own people.
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It just means that you recognize an issue and that you think it's important we talk about it.
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But, you know, sometimes, but it's easy to get petty sometimes.
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You know, like, it's like, and then it's like, okay, Christian, is this about you or is this about, oh, excuse me.
00:21:20.640
Is this about you or is this about the bigger picture?
00:21:24.640
Yeah, especially when it's coming from your own people, too.
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Like, it's easy to kind of fall prey to that because you're like, this is something that you and I will benefit from if we exercise out.
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If we get rid of it, if we diagnose it and then work on learning it, it'll help both of us in the long run.
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It gets hard, especially, like, I've never really had too many negative interactions with other Polynesian people.
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Like, even when I was, um, I was an API trailblazer for TikTok.
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So, uh, with that, I, I had some Samoan dudes be like, um, oh, she's like, uh, she makes me ashamed to be Samoan or to, to be a Pacific Islander.
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You must not have been very proud in the first place if that was the case.
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You must not tell very many people that you're Samoan.
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And that's why I said, like, I know, I know you don't talk to your mom that way.
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You know, so, especially if you are actually Samoan or not just a s***ing liar.
00:22:46.600
So, um, but speaking of, right, getting roasted, your poor cousin, Lafa.
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Like, if you're watching this, I just put your business on the street.
00:23:05.920
But speaking of, I want to talk about it with you because there's no one better to talk about
00:23:09.500
it with you is, like, our topic for today is talking about our Samoan humor, but basically
00:23:17.340
And it's just, like, I feel like it's an art form we've perfected.
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Polynesians in general can make fun of anybody.
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But, like, the way that we've, like, meticulously put it down to things, that's what I'm saying,
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a skin condition, like, the way that we've, like, tailored it specifically to the person,
00:23:39.260
So, here on the comment section, what we like to do is we bring videos that I was tagged
00:23:42.960
in and we bring them here that are applicable to our topic.
00:23:46.140
And then we just talk about it, laugh, make jokes, all that fun stuff.
00:23:49.240
So, this first one that we have is basically a video of a Samoan man saying that non-Samoan
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or Polynesian people blindly getting Samoan Polynesian tattoos is an example of cultural
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And, obviously, they were getting lit up in the comments.
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And I'd love to know your thoughts on that, just in general.
00:24:12.220
Listen, so, you know, in L.A., in Hollywood, you go to the gym, I guarantee you, at least once
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a week, you're going to find a white man wearing with a Samoan sleeve.
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I'm going to go and talk to them, you know, engage in conversation.
00:24:29.700
So, I'll go up to them and I'll be like, hey, I'd really love to know what made you
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get this, where you found out about it, where you found this design, and what made you get
00:24:41.340
And one guy was just like, I just got it because I thought it looked hot.
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He was just like, oh, you know, I spent a lot of...
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He was French, and he was like, I spent a lot of time in Tahiti or whatever, and this
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And I was like, okay, not Samoan, but he was in Tahiti.
00:25:22.140
But see, the second guy, he was more conventionally attractive, right?
00:25:27.640
Yeah, no to the first one, but the second one, you know, he could keep it.
00:25:33.540
I just think, like, of all the things you could get.
00:25:48.240
I think that, too, because I know sometimes people are like, well, it's just, like, it's
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Why do you have to express what means a lot to me?
00:26:00.460
Because a lot of times, it isn't just about expression.
00:26:14.000
Okay, well, you could tattoo a cat on yourself.
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So, but you chose to use something that means a lot to someone else.
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And I, like, for me, I can smell it from a mile away.
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If you're a Polynesian, if you're a Samoan, especially if you're a Samoan, I know.
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Even just by looking at you, I can sniff it off of you.
00:26:38.880
So sometimes I've had people be like, oh, I'm Samoan too.
00:26:43.740
Because they don't look it, which is not an indicator at all, but I could just tell.
00:26:48.540
And then you ask, like, if you're a Samoan, if you're a Polynesian at all, and you tell
00:26:52.260
people that you are, the first thing they ask you is, what's your last name?
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And if you don't know the answers to those questions, are you?
00:27:09.900
Yeah, that's one thing, like, you know, whatever reason, you might not know the culture and
00:27:16.660
stuff, but if you're going to start claiming this and that, like, at least know the issues
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You got to know not just the good, but also the bad.
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That's why I think, too, it's like, it's one of those things with tattoos, especially,
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Every tattoo typically is supposed to be your journey through life.
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So, like, especially if you have something sacred, like, or, like, any sort of, like,
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If you don't live the experience, don't get it.
00:27:54.560
I think it's pretty, I think it's pretty, you said he was more conventionally attractive.
00:27:58.740
Yeah, I mean, I didn't think so, but a lot of people did.
00:28:03.500
Yeah, I think making exceptions for people is why it continues to be an issue.
00:28:08.560
It's why it continues to be, like, well, who cares, blah, blah, blah.
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Google, like, why is this still happening today?
00:28:29.200
Yeah, or Google the meaning behind them, the tattoos themselves, like, why are people getting this?
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Like, I also think, too, if you're someone who's married to someone who's Polynesian, sometimes I think they think that's a pass.
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But, like, to start acting like you're the expert.
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There's a way to appreciate culture, and then there's a way to appropriate culture.
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And it doesn't help when sometimes these tattoo artists, Samoan tattoo artists, are giving them out.
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But sometimes, even sometimes, like, tattoo artists, like, they'll literally be like,
00:29:37.440
So, like, they'll express their disinterest in it, and if they're still like, I don't care,
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I want to get it, sometimes they'll give it to them, sometimes they won't.
00:29:44.880
And they'll be like, I can't in good conscience do that.
00:29:49.700
I just think, like, you know you're cultural appropriating.
00:29:59.880
Just literally just, I don't know, stick to your own.
00:30:14.220
Let's not get started on what English people do.
00:30:16.140
As I said, what did the colonizers like when they came over?
00:30:20.420
Okay, some of the comments on this, this one says, question, what if someone that's non-Polynesian
00:30:27.480
that grew up with you asks for permission to get it?
00:30:34.720
If you have to ask, I feel like you know the answer.
00:30:37.840
Like, just because you're one friend, you know, who's going to say yes to everything, that
00:30:41.740
doesn't mean that person speaks for the whole culture.
00:30:46.100
I feel like if you have to ask, I think you know the answer.
00:31:00.020
Also, the way that, like, you could make a sleeve like a tattoo, because typically that's
00:31:05.200
what they're talking about is, like, the sleeves, right?
00:31:16.080
But, like, the sleeves, you can make a sleeve out of anything.
00:31:19.400
You could literally make a sleeve out of anything.
00:31:29.840
Like, you could make a sleeve out of literally anything at all.
00:31:38.740
You're making a conscious choice to be disrespectful.
00:31:41.560
So, then you can't get upset when people are, like, that's disrespectful.
00:31:47.540
And, like, why not do the research before you get, you know?
00:31:53.880
And then they're like, oh, well, my friend said it was okay.
00:31:57.080
Good luck saying that for the rest of your life.
00:31:59.800
This says you can't blame non-Polynesians for getting traditional tatau because it's the traditional
00:32:17.440
That feeds into it if they're willing to give it to you.
00:32:22.280
You didn't have to go, though, in the first place.
00:32:24.800
Like, they wouldn't have given it to you had you not gone.
00:32:27.280
It's not like they're going around being like, get over here and let me give you this
00:32:34.240
But also, you have to think, too, like, if you want to get, if you really want to get
00:32:38.060
into it, that's like capitalism is driving that, too.
00:32:46.180
Everything's tied back to that if you really want to get into the weeds about it.
00:32:51.720
I would argue you're still going to take responsibility for the part, which is the bigger part that
00:32:58.400
Yeah, which is being like, I'm going to get that.
00:33:04.260
And you don't think, like, someone like yourself, like, I would be so humiliated.
00:33:08.520
If someone like yourself came up to me and was asking me questions about it, and I'm like,
00:33:21.760
How does someone embracing the culture take that culture away from you?
00:33:25.500
To me, it's saying don't do Mendi because you're not Indian.
00:33:33.320
I mean, that's why I said appreciating and appropriating are two very different things.
00:33:38.980
Appropriating is taking it and putting it on like a mask and you don't like a costume
00:33:43.820
and you don't live the life of a Samoan person.
00:33:49.500
It's like in the same vein as like when white people get like box braids done.
00:33:57.600
To them, it's like it's just hair, but it's not.
00:34:04.720
You think it's just so superficial where it's just a tattoo.
00:34:07.880
And you don't think like you're completely void of like nuance or depth in any way.
00:34:13.740
So you're not ever thinking like this could mean a lot to somebody, somebody's life experience
00:34:20.840
Or it's like, you know, these are things that are deemed.
00:34:24.800
They've been deemed ugly or, you know, in a culture or ordinary or whatever.
00:34:32.460
And now, you know, it's so it's it's dressed up and sold as something new and original
00:34:39.140
And it's like, yeah, we don't get that same recognition, you know, like it wasn't like
00:34:46.200
But that's why I think, too, it's it's one of those things where it's like if it's that
00:34:54.880
Like it's nothing more to you than like a thing on your arm.
00:35:00.320
Like you don't see it as anything more than that.
00:35:02.740
That's why it's upsetting to like someone, people who like this is literally part of
00:35:08.440
And this like tattooing is a sacred practice in Samoa.
00:35:11.900
Like it's something that's so like intimate and specific to the person.
00:35:16.800
So like that's why like when you get the pads, like it's a spiritual journey that you take
00:35:22.140
and you like do it over the course of like multiple days.
00:35:24.540
For those of you who don't know, like up as like the tapping on the legs and like for
00:35:34.240
It's like it's the legs, the butt, the butthole and also and also the belly button.
00:35:47.500
A journey like truly it takes so long to get it done the traditional way.
00:35:56.180
It's a whole ceremony and you can't do anything to like ease the pain.
00:36:03.520
That's why I was like you don't know any of that.
00:36:13.060
I always think they're like let people enjoy things.
00:36:17.420
Or just enjoy it on like Google, like YouTube or whatever.
00:36:25.320
Like you can look at it and be like wow that's beautiful.
00:36:34.520
I was just going to say that that's the thing right is like so many you know white people
00:36:44.280
And it's just like anytime anyone puts up a boundary or shows resistance to that.
00:36:54.140
You're so like why does it have to be that way.
00:37:00.800
That's why I've said that before about the way that I make fun of dudes.
00:37:04.820
It's I then they're like I just don't understand why you can't take the high road.
00:37:08.900
Why do you feel so entitled to my reaction to disrespect.
00:37:13.160
I have to react in a way that's palatable and comfortable for you.
00:37:17.240
That's why I was like trying to police your tone policing.
00:37:21.360
And telling me what I should do when you upset me.
00:37:27.180
That's why I said you feel entitled to that because you're white.
00:37:31.280
And that's why I was like I wish I was welcome at every table.
00:37:35.960
And that I could just tell people I don't like that.
00:37:41.680
I tell people like don't do this or I'm going to make fun of you.
00:37:46.320
They're like I can't believe you did that to me.
00:37:58.460
It's so it's just so that's why I said it's embarrassing.
00:38:06.300
There's many things that I appreciate from other cultures that I will never appropriate.
00:38:22.900
And all this is funny because it's all like in the same vein of like Samoan humor.
00:38:28.860
But this one was actually made by one of my mutuals.
00:38:31.600
I don't know if you've ever seen him on TikTok.
00:38:51.520
And then Stanson stitched it and was basically calling them out for culture appropriation.
00:39:04.580
Like it makes my my literal spine like twitch so poorly.
00:39:15.620
Which is funny because they were like they were in these like costumes and they were like twerking and stuff.
00:39:27.440
I don't even know how you would describe it of like hula.
00:39:33.420
It's just the stripping of it essentially of all its spiritual practice.
00:39:39.500
Truly like the way that they've just obliterated hula.
00:39:42.500
Um obviously because as we all know like the way that it occupied Hawaii was also terrible.
00:39:50.020
But the the way that like their idea of Hawaii is that.
00:39:57.760
Like I don't know how many times this has happened to you in your lifetime because you grew up in New Zealand.
00:40:05.320
But like with in the States obviously like for me sometimes they'll be like oh what are you?
00:40:11.180
And then I'll say oh I'm Samoan and they're like so like Hawaii?
00:40:31.500
Like that's literally something where they'd be like oh like like hula.
00:40:44.940
Oh is that like oh you know oh so you do the haka.
00:40:52.800
I know I've had people ask me that too like about the haka and I'm like well I'm not
00:40:59.780
I have done I've performed a haka before when I was dancing like cultural dancing but no
00:41:13.600
That's that was honestly that was something that I thought about especially when Moana came
00:41:19.520
out well because when I was dating my boyfriend at the time when Moana came out too and like
00:41:24.900
when that had come out the amount of people that would be like you know who you look like.
00:41:37.740
Like my dad's no like you're so you're not even close like just say that's the only idea
00:41:45.580
of Polynesia you have in your head and you're like these people are.
00:41:51.600
They look like I bet you they would love that joke.
00:41:54.080
And it's racist to say that and I've said that to people before like I'm like no and
00:41:59.420
like when they they would say that to my boyfriend who looks even less like it's not
00:42:04.620
even close like and I started saying no he's just big and brown.
00:42:09.000
That's what I started telling people and they're like oh like they get embarrassed.
00:42:18.460
I once my boyfriend and I were we were at like a bar and this guy came up to us and
00:42:24.460
he was like he was there alone red flag weirdo you're there by yourself at like two in the
00:42:31.880
So like he was there and he was like he started trying to talk to us and then he goes where
00:42:38.020
And we're like oh we're from like Riverside County.
00:42:42.220
And he does this dude's from Ohio so he doesn't know anything about California.
00:42:46.360
We're like and so we go we're like we live like an hour away from here and he goes no
00:42:53.020
You know those questions when they do that I'm buckled in.
00:42:56.420
I'm not answering the question unless you ask me for real.
00:43:05.080
I'll go okay well then you wouldn't know where I'm from anyways.
00:43:10.320
And then like after like two minutes he goes where are your ancestors from.
00:43:24.220
And I was like if you're asking what our races were Samoan.
00:43:38.140
Congratulations like what do you want me to say.
00:43:45.660
He goes yeah you know like I just figured you know since you got.
00:43:50.240
Like I don't know if you're trying to relate but it's just racist.
00:43:59.720
So sometimes dudes will purposely mispronounce my last name.
00:44:08.540
Stitch videos where dudes are purposely mispronouncing my last name.
00:44:11.720
And they're like if you're gonna talk about her pronounce the name right.
00:44:16.860
I've said that many times but you know they don't listen to me.
00:44:20.020
And I've talked about how that's a microaggression.
00:44:26.420
And I've I've I've said this too on episodes but my last name is off wallow right.
00:44:32.480
So like they sometimes will I don't know where they got it from.
00:44:37.260
I think one dude said it and then it just kind of carried within the shithead community.
00:44:40.700
But like they call me Drew Buffalo which is also racist because like we're indigenous so it's like you know what I mean.
00:44:50.000
Like they're just like trying to think of a big fat animal and they're mispronouncing my name and on top of that.
00:44:55.120
You know what I mean it's like a little shit sandwich that I get to eat all the time.
00:45:14.060
But then two it's like like you said it's disrespectful.
00:45:17.420
Like these are these are names that come from that that are from our ancestors.
00:45:22.840
Like they're culturally like that's just culturally insensitive.
00:45:26.100
But then three like whether it was Buffalo or something like when you change.
00:45:30.160
The other thing is when you when you mispronounce a name or change letters or something it can take on a whole nother meaning.
00:45:39.400
And it's like yo you're not about to what what you're not going to do is disrespect my family.
00:45:46.240
I'm like you can say whatever you want just pronounce my name right.
00:45:53.440
So like that was also that's also a very important Samoan last name.
00:45:59.980
Sometimes when people ask me how do I start standing up for myself I always say like start with something like your name.
00:46:07.640
I've met many people of different minorities who are like my name's actually this but people always call me this.
00:46:16.380
So I tell them tell them if that's not your name tell them.
00:46:19.780
So like my boyfriend's government name is Pili like P-I-L-I.
00:46:25.520
But like he lets people call him Billy because he was tired of having them say his name and then mispronounce it.
00:46:32.100
And then he was like I just you could just call me Billy.
00:46:34.640
So recently actually he's been telling people I think I want to start going by Pili again.
00:46:45.260
To like just the whole the whole like notion of like having to assimilate.
00:46:50.080
To you know American culture or like be palatable.
00:46:57.740
That's always like pronounce it the way it's supposed to be pronounced.
00:47:00.420
No like like when my mom's family migrated from Samoa to New Zealand.
00:47:06.920
Basically they went to schools that were run by like the Catholic Church like nuns.
00:47:12.520
And they could like my one auntie her name was Fiatamali'i.
00:47:21.280
The way that they just are like I'm not doing that.
00:47:30.580
Well my boyfriend too his name's Peely obviously.
00:47:36.020
But like on the roll sheet like when they'd call his name.
00:47:55.580
One time this guy that we know that was like he used to work with my family.
00:48:02.800
He came up to my boyfriend and he was like he was like patting him on the back.
00:48:11.460
He goes I bet you only your mom calls you that.
00:48:15.380
And then he goes well that's what Billy's short for right.
00:48:34.680
And then he goes because I don't want to sit there and explain it.
00:48:38.620
And if this is what's going to end this conversation faster then let it be done.
00:48:55.060
And we have some friends like our friend Carlo who's been on my show before.
00:49:00.200
So he only calls my boyfriend Pee-wee because he was like you're not a Billy dude.
00:49:04.700
Like if I look at you I was like you're not a Billy.
00:49:16.640
And it's like it's another form of a microaggression.
00:49:21.340
Like even it's a first name a last name doesn't really matter.
00:49:30.560
But you know like we said someone's Tongans a lot of times they are very prominent athletes and very talented.
00:49:39.560
And there was this one football player who was going to get drafted and he was Tongan.
00:49:44.720
And you know Tongans they have a lot of K's and a lot of A's in their names a lot of times.
00:49:49.500
So he had a really long name like last name and first name.
00:50:03.560
And she she was like I'm going to try to pronounce your name like to be funny.
00:50:09.500
And then she just like absolutely butchered it.
00:50:22.540
And a lot of people I saw a lot of people in the Polynesian community online be like this
00:50:27.380
is so disrespectful to do this in front of his mom.
00:50:40.800
You can't just be like are you excited for tonight.
00:50:43.160
Isn't your language and your culture and your like such a joke.
00:50:50.520
Like and I and back when I was in college there's like you know they have like the Polynesian
00:50:56.720
bowl in Hawaii for those of you who don't know.
00:50:59.120
So they have like all the Polynesian kids from all the prominent schools who play football.
00:51:04.860
So they all come and they play in the same spot.
00:51:06.680
And I think it's really cute because you get to like amplify each other and like connect
00:51:11.920
And so there's lots of Samoan Tongan people and everyone else who is Polynesian.
00:51:16.940
And I remember one time when I was a reporter one of the announcers he was like someone
00:51:25.520
He was talking to me and he's like can I ask you a question.
00:51:33.060
I just like to know like can I run some of these names by you and can you tell me if I'm
00:51:41.640
To like be like hey how do you pronounce this so I don't say it incorrectly.
00:51:50.320
So like some of them were even kind of hard for me to pronounce.
00:51:52.760
But I was going through them with him and he was like oh okay okay.
00:51:55.580
He was recording me saying that so that he could practice and phonetically say them so
00:52:06.480
I did something similar so in Australia there's the NRL which is the National Rugby
00:52:18.660
So I used to work quite closely with a lot of the players.
00:52:23.940
Because almost 50% of the sport is made up of Pacific Islanders right.
00:52:28.180
The white commentators butcher their names every week so I took it upon myself to actually
00:52:33.840
get the boys and made like a game like a video like where it's just like okay so I'm
00:52:39.600
going to get you boys to pronounce it how the commentators say it and then pronounce
00:52:43.540
it how you're supposed to and then we like break it down.
00:52:46.700
And you know a lot of people like love the video and I was like okay you know and again
00:52:51.240
I tried to do it in a in a way that was palatable you know so that people would take
00:53:14.080
But oh but so I did that video but then like a year or two later New Zealand started to
00:53:19.920
kind of copied it and then and so it's starting to pick up now so.
00:53:25.160
So I feel like the commentators in New Zealand at least.
00:53:29.200
Yeah like they're at least giving it a good old college try.
00:53:43.600
And then it costs you nothing people appreciate it I love when people ask me that like before
00:53:48.320
they interview me whether it's like on something like live or if it's like for like a magazine
00:53:54.100
or anything like they'll ask me can you pronounce your last name for me so I have it on recording
00:54:07.180
I promise you every single time people are going to like it like if they have a name that's
00:54:18.100
And I promise you it'll it'll go like so far and not unnoticed for especially like
00:54:24.780
Okay so one of the comments on this cultural appropriation video it says why do people still
00:54:29.960
make themes for schools events or parties Hawaiian.
00:54:42.880
With all the knowledge you've gained at this point and Google is free.
00:54:58.220
I was like you could do something made up like Game of Thrones.
00:55:06.500
I think like using it's the same thing I think too with like any sort of like Cinco de
00:55:18.300
I've seen some terrible ones like what's the point?
00:55:28.580
Like these are supposed to be learning institutions and this is like like these are supposed to
00:55:39.140
That's what I feel like truly about anything having to do with Polynesian.
00:56:12.160
And I think sometimes too with we never we didn't really touch about this but just in
00:56:16.880
case fetishization is another thing that I think especially Polynesian men have to deal
00:56:24.420
I would say Polynesian women are fetishized too for sure.
00:56:27.420
But I feel like with men it's a lot more brazen.
00:56:30.980
So if and it goes for all minorities but obviously we can only speak to the one that we're a part
00:56:36.540
But like if you exclusively seek out Samoan men to date you got a problem babe.
00:56:44.120
And you're not Samoan and it's not like a culture thing.
00:56:46.720
It's not because you gravitate towards them culturally.
00:56:48.640
If you're only seeking them out and you say things like oh I'm trying to have some D1
00:56:58.400
Because all you're seeing you're just seeing us as sexual objects at that point.
00:57:15.000
I've had people make that joke to me and my boyfriend.
00:57:18.300
They're like you guys are going to have like D linemen for kids.
00:57:27.860
And that's I think that too like that's something with Polynesian people too especially Polynesian
00:57:40.580
Sometimes before this obviously before I got this platform older white women were very
00:57:46.340
brazen to my boyfriend especially when Aquaman came out.
00:57:51.000
When Aquaman came out hell on earth for all of us.
00:57:53.880
It was we never I never knew peace when that movie came out.
00:58:09.000
The way that they would go feral like the frothing at the mouth was insane.
00:58:17.040
And this was before I was a public person at all.
00:58:20.720
The things that they would say and do around him especially when he was alone.
00:58:24.380
When I was with him sometimes they wouldn't care or they would say things like oh you're
00:58:42.740
That's why I'm like I if you have those thoughts keep them in there.
00:58:47.380
Keep them locked up tight and also maybe go to therapy if that's the case.
00:59:00.320
And so I think just to wrap up what do you want people to know about someone people humor
00:59:07.120
culture as a whole what's something that you want them to take away?
00:59:12.560
I think one thing I always encourage people to do is look like we are more than what our
00:59:28.060
So when I think of our culture I think of our values pre-colonization, you know?
00:59:33.000
And I really encourage people to just do your Googles, do your research because the information
00:59:39.620
Just read up on our books that are written by Samoans that aren't, you know, because our
00:59:46.100
cultures are so intrinsically tied to Christianity and it's like we existed before that.
01:00:02.040
So I guess that's the big thing is just, yeah, as far as our culture, like, you know, we
01:00:08.120
had our own practices and our own knowledges and they are valuable, you know?
01:00:14.060
And I think even for other Samoans, like, we need to understand that because I think a
01:00:21.520
Yeah, I think, yeah, I think, too, I always think to seek out Samoan creators like Crit,
01:00:30.580
If you really want to learn more, if you want to, like, educate yourself, that's great.
01:00:37.300
And I think, too, like, if you are Samoan and you want to connect to other Samoans, that's
01:00:44.680
Because, you know, seeking culture and community is natural, like, outside of your own family,
01:00:49.420
too, like, or maybe you're not close to your Samoan family and you want to get close to
01:00:54.060
something, that's another great resource is to utilize Google's.
01:00:58.240
I think also, too, if you are someone who's not Samoan and you admire them or whatever,
01:01:05.660
or you know a lot about them or you want to learn more, I think a huge thing I always
01:01:10.100
want people to take away, too, and I guess this goes for if you're Samoan also, is, like,
01:01:14.860
Samoans are so much more than what they bring to the table athletically.
01:01:19.420
Physically, because that's what they're typically known for.
01:01:26.120
Samoan men are, like, four times more likely than any other race to get drafted to the NFL,
01:01:35.700
That is way, way, way higher than, like, anything else ever.
01:01:40.460
So it's shocking, really, like, how often they're drafted to the NFL.
01:01:46.380
My dad didn't start playing football until he was in junior college, and my dad got drafted
01:01:51.520
So, like, my dad was only playing for, like, two, three years and got drafted.
01:01:54.840
So it's just something that comes natural to them, which is a great and beautiful thing.
01:01:58.440
It's given a lot of Samoan people lives and, like, futures because their family members
01:02:03.720
have been able to do these wonderful things, and that's great.
01:02:05.900
But there's so much more to Samoan culture than just that, than just rugby, than just
01:02:13.140
So many of them are such talented artists, dancers, singers, right?
01:02:23.260
You don't have to solely rely on your physicality to have purpose in this life.
01:02:28.700
That was, like, one of the things I probably would have done if I hadn't got into sports
01:02:34.140
I would have helped Samoan men, especially, transition from college to the real world.
01:02:40.760
Because a lot of times, it's, you know, this is a Samoan thing, but we put so much emphasis
01:02:47.220
And not so much on academia, which is something I feel very passionate about when it comes
01:02:52.000
So I feel like I highly encourage, especially Polynesian kids, to pursue a secondary education
01:02:59.720
It's just so important to, like, I just think it's a wonderful thing and it's a blessing
01:03:05.240
But, you know, when you have that, you just know that your worth and value doesn't solely
01:03:10.240
come from what you, you know, can provide athletically.
01:03:13.440
Like, if you get hurt, right, if something happens, like, what are you going to do after
01:03:17.560
And a lot of times, they're just left in the dust as soon as they get injured.
01:03:21.560
These corporations don't care about them, right?
01:03:25.940
So that was something I was really passionate about was, like, helping them transition to
01:03:29.760
normal life and pursuing, like, avenues that don't have to be, like, something like construction,
01:03:41.300
Because you're so much more than what your body can provide the world, right?
01:03:48.600
But I'm so, so happy I got to have you on my show.
01:04:02.840
Just at what would, oh my gosh, I can't even remember.
01:04:17.880
Crit is an amazing someone, creator to follow, and someone who can teach you a lot if you
01:04:23.240
want to learn a lot, or if you want to feel closer to culture.
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Okay, so thank you all for joining us on this episode of the Comment Section Show.
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