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.
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Moments of Authenticity: Adele Embraces Comfort and Normalcy
Everybody has times when they just want to feel at ease, carefree, and authentic. And what do you know? Adele, the superstar, is no different. The singer was caught off guard and without makeup in a rare moment that the paparazzi just managed to film. She looks extremely gorgeous, I must say!
Adele has never been out of the spotlight because to her unforgettable vocals and stirring performances. However, after she underwent a dramatic makeover and dropped a few pounds, the public has grown quite interested in what she looks like. The paparazzi are always waiting to catch her every move when she comes outside.
Adele hasn’t performed on a stage in three long years, and her agonizing divorce from her husband—the father of her son—is the reason behind her absence. Her mental health was negatively impacted by this heartbreak, and she still gets emotional when she talks about it. Adele, meanwhile, has remained a strong and committed lady throughout it all.
Adele attracted attention with her chic all-black outfit during a recent sighting. Fans started talking about her because of her carefree appearance and slightly enlarged face. Some fans even made remarks about how heavy she was, while others complimented her on being a wonderful mother in addition to a brilliant vocalist.
These kinds of incidents serve as a reminder that famous people are people too. They should have times of solace and normalcy because they are human and have their own ups and downs as well as struggles. Adele is an inspiration to many people who struggle with self-image because of her carefree appearance and informal clothes.
Therefore, let’s celebrate Adele for who she really is—a brilliant artist with a tale to tell—and love her in all of her sincerity. Let’s not forget that genuine beauty originates from within and that everyone of us can find solace in being who we are.
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