A TV presenter with a traditional Māori face tattoo has calmly replied to negative comments from a viewer, proudly standing up for her cultural heritage and identity.
Facial tattoos often spark debates online. Some people think tattoos should only be on the body, while others understand and appreciate their cultural importance.
Oriini Kaipara, 41, made history when she became a newsreader for New Zealand’s Newshub. She is the first primetime TV news presenter to wear a moko kauae, a special facial tattoo for Māori women.
The Māori are the indigenous people of mainland New Zealand. They see moko kauae as important symbols of their heritage and identity. These tattoos, traditionally on the lips and chin, show a woman’s family ties, leadership, and honor her lineage, status, and abilities.
Oriini Kaipara. Credit: Oriini Kaipara / Instagram.
Despite receiving praise, one viewer named David expressed his dislike for Kaipara’s moko kauae in an email to Newshub.
He wrote, “We continue to object strongly to you using a Māori newsreader with a moku [moko] which is offensive and aggressive looking. A bad look. She also bursts into the Māori language which we do not understand. Stop it now,” according to the Daily Mail.
But Kaipara didn’t let David’s negative words stop her. She bravely shared screenshots of his messages on her Instagram story and responded calmly.
“Today I had enough. I responded. I never do that. I broke my own code and hit the send button,” she wrote on her Instagram story alongside a screenshot of David’s message.
Kaipara didn’t just share screenshots of David’s email, she also responded to him. She explained that his complaint wasn’t valid because she hadn’t broken any rules for TV.
She also corrected David’s spelling mistake. He called her tattoo a “moku” instead of “moko”.
In her email back to him, Kaipara said, “I think you don’t like how I look on TV. But tattoos and people with them aren’t scary or bad. We don’t deserve to be treated badly because of them.”
She asked him to stop complaining and to try to understand better. She even joked that maybe he should go back to the 1800s if he couldn’t accept people with tattoos.
Despite David’s negative words, Kaipara says she mostly gets nice comments, and mean ones are rare.
In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Kaipara talked about how it’s important to have more Māori people in important jobs. She said, “The fact that my existence makes some people upset shows why we need more Māori people in every job.”
Kaipara’s calm response reminds us how important it is to be proud of who you are, even when people are mean. She’s inspiring others to be proud of themselves and stand up to unfair treatment.
What do you think of this story? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Luke Bryan Thanks Fans for Support After Losing Voice at National Championship Game
After Luke Bryan, a musician, lost his voice while supporting the Georgia Bulldogs during the National Championship game versus the Alabama Crimson Tide on January 10, his fans came together to offer him their well wishes.
Emotions were running high as Georgia won their first championship in more than 40 years, and the game was fierce. In the midst of the excitement, Luke Bryan ended up losing his voice.
Luke Bryan’s physician has directed him to take vocal rest till further notice in order to promote a quick recovery. In typical Luke Bryan style, the “That’s My Kind of Night” singer is preparing for his next gigs at Crash My Playa in Mexico while taking this time to heal.
Luke and his spouse Caroline laughed at the circumstances and posted a lighthearted picture to social media. Caroline joked that she was driving Luke nuts by talking nonstop while he was mute when she shared a picture of herself appearing to tape Luke’s lips shut. Fans were overwhelmingly supportive of their playful banter, with many of them being able to relate to the situation.
When Chase Chrisley from the reality series “Chrisley Knows Best” got in on the prank, the good times got even better. “Send the tape to my mom, I can tell you she wants it for my dad,” he said in a lighthearted manner. It appears that many people who have gone through similar experiences in the past have found solace in Luke Bryan’s voice loss.
Even though Luke is currently unable to sing, he is still aggressively promoting his just released “Up” music video. He looks content in the video and asks his followers to offer prayers for his voice while he takes a vocal break. Supporters have shown their steadfast loyalty by posting heartfelt messages saying how excited they are to party with him at Crash My Playa in Cancun.
Luke Bryan’s voice might be muted for the time being, but his passion and commitment to his craft never waver. Let’s all hope he heals quickly so we may enjoy his incredible performances once more.
Leave a Reply