Spill the Chai!
What Kamala Harris' VP Nomination Means For South Asian Women
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Kamala Harris selected as Biden's VP running mate as meant a lot in terms of representation for Black and South Asian Women. We talk about Kamala's nomination and other South Asian women in politics.
xo AJ
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Ranking Popular Bollywood Movies
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
We ranked iconic Shah Rukh Khan videos and this week we're going to rank iconic Bollywood movies that we love! We rank the following movies out of 5: Devdas, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Bajirao Mastani, Kal Ho Naa Ho and Padman. Do you agree? What other movies do you think we should watch?
xo AJ
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Aparna Spills the Chai on Netflix's Indian Matchmaking
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Today we're talking to Indian Matchmaking's very own Aparna Shewakramani! From her experience on the show, her dating life - we tackle it all! Did you watch Indian Matchmaking? What are your thoughts on the show?
xo AJ
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Does Career Growth Stagnate as Women Age?
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
The wonderful women at "The Real" recently discussed whether women stop receiving praise after a certain age. We've taken the conversation further to talk about women and aging, and how it plays out in the workplace - specifically behind and in front of the screen.
xo AJ
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Do Ethnic Names Affect Job Prospects?
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Today we're taking our conversation about race into the workplace!
We tackle topics around being South Asian women in the media, whether we've felt limited in growing due to our race and whether having "ethnic" names actually do hold people back at work! Thank you to our special guest, Kajal for joining! You can find her on Instagram @sparkcareerco
xo AJ
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Shah Rukh Khan's Best Songs
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Face Off! We decided to have some fun and rank the most popular Shah Rukh Khan songs! We want to showcase the popularity of Bollywood songs, and so what better than to listen to the songs from the King of Bollywood's famous movies. Play along - do you agree with our reactions?
xo AJ
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Black Lives Matter & Why South Asians Need to Listen
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Hi Spill the Chai fam! Today is going to be a different video - a tough, real and powerful video about the Black Lives Matter movement and why we as South Asian women need to listen and support our Black brothers and sisters.
Resources listed in the video for you to check out: Podcasts: 1619 by the New York Times and Blood Lines Movies: Just Mercy and 13th on Netflix Book: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum Who to follow on IG: @theconsciouskid and @rachel.cargle
xo AJ
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South Asia's Fair Skin Problem
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
This topic is something we hold near and dear to our hearts. Colorism, the prejudice of having dark skin in South Asia, is a topic that many women (and men) face to this day. We share our experiences and break down why colorism still exists and how the problematic thinking resonates in modern times.
xo AJ
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K-Pop
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
EXO, Hyuna and Itzy - STC Producers introduce us the world of Kpop! Did you know how wide the genre is?
We're exploring 5 different groups and their style of music: Twice, Hyuna, Itzy, Exo and Super Junior! If you're a fan, sound off in the comments below! Also, we couldn't cover all the groups, so please let us know if there's anything else we should cover!
xo AJ
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asian mom superstitions
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
This Mother's Day in quarantine is going to be a different one, isn't it? (Insert sound of elder mumbling under breath. Insert Indian head shake and forehead slap.) To lighten up the mood, we've decided to share some funny/weird/quirky superstitions our Asian moms told us growing up! How many of these have you heard?
Did we miss any? let us know in the comments on YouTube! Happy Mother’s day to all the moms.
xo AJ
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brown girls x body hair…it’s time to spill the chai
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
This has been a topic many of you asked us to talk about: body hair!
What are our thoughts and do we keep or remove it? We give our thoughts about body hair, share some of our embarrassing stories and also give some of our tips on how we remove body hair.
xo AJ
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NEVER HAVE I EVER… Watched a show about a brown girl that i loved this much!
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Netflix is airing a new South-Asian inspired show called "Never Have I Ever" - written by Hollywood’s South Asian rising Queen, Mindy Kaling! Watch us review the trailer and share our thoughts on how great it is to see so more relatable shows.
Update: Binged watch the whole season AND followed the entire cast on instagram, in 2 days. Legit - this show is soooooo good!
xo AJ
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Bravo tv’s new (brown) reality show: Family Karma
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Have you heard? Bravo has a new reality show, Family Karma, staring an all Indian-American cast! We react to the trailer and share our thoughts…
Honestly…I just couldn’t get over the overly-groomed eyebrows. Not my cup of tea…but Sangita thinks it’s a show our parents might like. What do you think?
xo AJ
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Disney’s new indian character
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
I always wanted to be a Disney Princess. Who didn’t? But growing up, none quite looked like me. That has all changed thanks to Disney Jr.’s new show, but before we get to that…
Let’s spill the tea on Disney representation, from the point of view of a 6 year old brown girl growing up in the 80’s (ie.ME!), shall we? When Pocahontas came out, I loved it. I realize as an adult the disrespect that movie caused for many aboriginal and indigenous communities. But when I was younger, what I loved about this Disney movie was her respect and love to animals and nature (shocker! I grew up to be an environmental journalist) and also that she was in an interracial relationship.
I grew up idolizing the white-euro look of beauty for both of women and men. I always wondered if the men I found handsome, the Zack Morris type, would ever find a dark skinned girl like me pretty. As a kid, I saw that in Pocahontas (I didn’t realize the power dynamic and colonial/racist undertones as a child. Trust me, see that now.) When Alladin came out, Jasmine had my name and that was great, but I didn’t relate to her. She was a diva, and I always felt like Jasmine had my name, but Alladin had more of my spontaneous courageous personality.
Long story short: I didn’t feel represented by the brand that formed much of my world view and imagination as a child. Which is why this episode of Spill the Chai is so exciting! Finally: South Asian representation in a new Disney Jr. show!
In this episode, we review and react to Disney Jr.'s new show "Mira, Royal Detective" which follows Mira, a young detective in India. We loved seeing our culture on screen - and personally, Mira reminds me a lot of a brown Penny (from inspector gadget!) meets Nancy Drew. Am I dating myself?
But I also stan for Disney. So I’m totally open to hearing why you may not like this show? Either way, I’d love to hear your comments! Come spill the chai with us!
xo AJ
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PDA in asian communities
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
Wait, is it normal to see Asian or South Asian parents kiss in front of you?
In this episode, we tackle PDA (Public Display of Affection) in the Asian community. Why do we feel so awkward seeing our parents show affection? As we grow up, do you expect to show your own kids affection between you and your partner? Share your thoughts and spill the tea on your childhood experiences!
I’m very scarred by Sangita’s childhood memories! LOL. Please let us know what topics you want us to chat about… leave them in the comments here - or on my instagram/twitter/facebook. LOVE that we’re talking to you about this…tea!
xo AJ
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Mental Health x People of Color
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
This week on Spill the Chai! , as we all sit in self-quarantine and deal with our feelings (or eat them), Sangita & I are spilling the tea on why mental health is such a taboo topic to talk about for most immigrant families.
I know this isn’t limited to the South Asian community. Indeed, I feel like this is especially true of so many people of color. My personal experience would suggest that, as a child of refugees, it is a multi-general issue that needs to be addressed so families can find happiness after years of emotional, mental, and physical baggage have been passed down from generation to generation. Would love to hear your thoughts, and experiences, and please share your backgrounds and how mental health is deal with (or not dealt with) in your family/community. Would love to hear more!
xo AJ
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South Asian vs. Western Weddings
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
This week on Spill the Chai! we spill the tea on what we REALLY thought about Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ elaborate wedding. What did you think about over the top South Asian weddings? Watch the show and get in on the comments section! I’ll reply.
I know some people found it a beautiful display of Indian culture for a wedding that was on the world stage. And I agree with that. But tbh - like, totally honest - I also cringed a few times and how extra it was.
Chopra looked beautiful! And I’m not trying to mean girl her at all. I loved that she did her thing, and her thing was extra extra extra! Good for her. Especially since she married an ‘outsider’ it was nice to see him embrace the culture. The reason I cringed watching the royal-inspired over-the-top details is only because around the same time Chopra and Jonas wed, I was helping my sister plan her wedding, and also planning my own. So in contrast to what I want - which is the tiniest little elopement - her wedding embodied everything I didn’t want. It just isn’t my thing.
But that surprises people. Because I’m a brown girl.
And traditionally, brown girls have big elaborate weddings right?! There’s a stereotype that we all want the full shebang! A week of festivities, the horses, the saris, the etc etc etc… and even if WE don’t want it, our mothers threaten us so badly we say we want it out of fear of the alternative. This is true for most of us right? But I’m part of a new wave of said brown girls, that are buying into this.
There’s a lot of reasons I feel this way about throwing my own wedding: rebelling against the misogyny, the religious history, the archaic laws, or the industrial wedding complex…it’s a bit of all of these reasons for me. Ironically, I love attending other peoples weddings. They are the best parties! When else do you get to see a super cute groomsman dancing with old ladies, and then forming a circle for a toddle to do baby shark dance moves? Weddings are to me in my 30’s, what nightclubs were to me in my late teens!
So full disclosure about including cultural or religious elements into MY wedding: I was 100% sure I didn’t want to do anything traditional…my sister, who’s wedding recently took place in Spain, included both her culture and her husband’s into their wedding and the result was sooooooooo beautiful. Like literally, hands down the most beautiful wedding ever. Here’s a blog post she did about her actual wedding day. But scroll through the pics above to see her Indian cultural event the night before the wedding. It was a modern interpretation of the multi-day ceremonies: An all-in-one party with Mandvo, henna, the knuckles cracking, the pineapples, the first foot it, the music party, and the stomping on little plates - all in one night. And I loved it!
I’m not sure what I’ll do. What did you do? What will you do? Let me know your thoughts!
xo AJ
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Spill the Chai: a NEW VIDEO PODCAST FOR WOMEN OF COLOR
We’re spilling the tea, brown girl style.
So excited to share my new passion project with my friend, who also happens to be Entertainment Tonight Canada host (and Canada’s face for Covergirl) Sangital Patel: Spill the Chai!
You know what happens when brown people start talking over chai right? NO FILTER. (I said that in your mom’s voice.)
While I was off from work with my concussion, I had more time to connect with friends on the phone since my screen time (ie. texting, social media, emails) where limited. And when Sangita & I started talking human-to-human more regularly about LIFE STUFF - y’know, some girl stuff, some politics stuff, some ‘holy sht we’re people of color and this world is so f*cked up right now!’ stuff - we realized that a lot of the convo’s we’re having should be shared, let’s start a dialogue, so we don’t all feel so alone.
From politics to pop culture, Bollywood to Hollywood, brown people’s fears about PDA, to Indian weddings, we’re going to spill the tea about a ton of stuff we wish we could have heard South Asian women (or any people of color, tbh) talking about openly when we were growing up.
Sangita’s based in Toronto, Canada, and I live in Los Angeles so the video podcast will also be bi-coastal. We’re still figuring out the technical aspects of shooting on Skype etc (idea? DM me!) but whenever we are in the same city for work or similar shoots, we’ll crash each other’s hotel rooms to shoot an episode.
Watch the trailer - and be sure to subscribe. We’ll be posting new episodes bi-weekly.
Here’s the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4rNYFvO7FZ2X-PSFGIcz_UYTFamnciy9
xo AJ
PS. Here’s the trailer:
Subscribe on youtube: https://youtu.be/nIFHHUyswdY
Subscribe on apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spill-the-chai/id1501103937
