Did iShowSpeed Just Save US-China Relations?

Does iShowSpeed's trip to China really normalize relationships between the two countries, both geopolitically and on a public opinion level? Let's run the clips! This is what China looks like. This is China right here. I ain't gonna cap. This looks fire. Oh my god, check. Oh my god, look at that city. Three, two, one. Let's go! Yeah! All right, you guys. We're gonna be covering five different internet reactions, but then we've got five of our own unique takeaways. I think, real quick, Andrew, I knew this was a big deal once he started learning Shaolin Kung Fu from the Sifu, and he actually was able to replicate it really well considering he only learned for like half an hour. Dude, iShowSpeed, he got some athletic abilities. All right, let's get into the first reaction from the internet. These are not our thoughts. The funny part is he's not even trying to normalize the relationships between the two countries. He's just having fun and having an open mind. The kid has no agenda, and it just shows you how the propaganda machine in the US is BS. This guy's trying to say, obviously, the news in America is always so negative towards China, but iShowSpeed, he's just enjoying it for what it is. There's a lot more comments about his willingness to learn, and a lot of people are comparing it to almost like how Kai Sinat and Ray are. Almost like a real-life Rush Hour type of vibe. Somebody said, I don't like how he's like being ... This is from an ABC. I don't like how he's being treated like a god, like Kobe Bryant, like a human god on earth. Some people are mad that he's getting treated so well. Well, why? Are they mad that Kobe Bryant got treated that well just because Kobe's a great basketball player? No, they're mad that iShowSpeed is getting treated like Kobe, but despite not achieving what Kobe did. Yeah, but he's just the Kobe of this generation, to be honest, Gen Z. I guess in a small-minded way, some people are just jealous that he's getting treated so good because he's just a streamer. Right, but isn't that just fame in general? Because in America, he gets ... I mean, everywhere across the globe, everywhere he's gone, he's been treated almost like a superstar. I think this is a millennial comment where they just can't understand why Gen Z and Gen Alpha treat the streamers like they're superstars. Hey, iShowSpeed is a star, whether you like it or not. Somebody said, at least he's not acting like Johnny Somali. Is he combating the relative negativity that Johnny Somali brought to Asia? He doesn't act like Johnny Somali at all. No, I mean, he's acting more like Chris Tucker, which is way more lovable. Chris Tucker, Kevin Hart in that same lane. Somebody said, it's just really a trade. You praise me, and I'll praise you. It's a win-win for everybody. Okay. I can see that. All right. I think that's some skepticism. I think there's a genuine curiosity. I don't think ... Yes, do I think he did it for the bag, and do I think he did it for his streaming career? But I can see that there's some genuine love for it, and that's what the Shaolin taught me. You know what I mean? Because at first, initially, you don't know if it's love or you're just chasing the bag when it comes to China, right? Hey, I mean, I know black people always love the Kung Fu movies too. So for him to learn Shaolin with the skin cap, his head looked all big because he had to cover the hair to make it look like a monk, it's crazy. Somebody just said, I'm just happy iShowSpeed is showing how advanced China is. China earned it. I'm so unhappy with America's decisions right now. So basically, some people are like, yeah, man, the Xiaomi car, the Su-7 is really fast, but that's because of decisions that they made that we're not making. Right, right. So maybe some Americans are like, yo, man, maybe China could ... I mean, America could learn something from China. All right, guys, now we have covered five different perspectives from the internet. We're going on to our five points. I'll say point number one, it's definitely the most normal representation I've seen from China, especially for content that's geared toward Gen Z or Gen Alpha. Yeah. So here's what's different is that iShowSpeed is very much Gen Z, and so his fans are also Gen Z. But along with Gen Z, there also comes the trolls, which is a very kind of Gen Z thing to do. And so there have been some Chinese trolls. And by the way, I do want to acknowledge there has been some interactions that have ... they've verbally said some racial things, but I don't think it's actually been malicious. It's these people just trying to be clout chasing and be trolls. Right, right, right. Which, by the way, the troll culture was invented in America, in my opinion. Point number two, for older millennials, the closest thing is probably NBA tours or Stefan Marbury becoming a folk legend in Beijing. Right. So, I mean, it does kind of look like when Kirby, Kobe, used to come to China. Right. It does look like a mixture between when Kobe went to China, but then when Stefan was becoming so enmeshed in the culture, because obviously Stefan Marbury, he's seen the Chongqing operas and stuff like that as well. Right, right, right. Point number three, I show speed. Does the loveability show you something that reminds you of Chris Tucker, Will Smith, Kevin Hart? Just something that's so incredible, this raw, chaotic energy, but just really good vibes. Yeah. I mean, I think, to be honest, this is kind of one of the superpowers of the black American comedian archetype, whether it's Chris Tucker. It's like, you can go to China, be open-minded, go to a different culture, be a fish out of water, enjoy it. It doesn't have to be political. You know what I mean? And it's almost just on this cultural exchange. And I think, to take it a little deeper, right, that black people in China always kind of make for really good diplomacy in a way. You talking about even Malcolm X meeting with Mao Zedong or something like that? That was probably more political, but- But I'm saying that- Black entertainers. Even like Dennis Rodman hanging out with Kim Jong-un. That's a great point. Actually, that is, I mean, you want to talk about something to an entertainer that turned into diplomacy in a way, Dennis Rodman, perfect example. Right. Point number five. The vibes are up. And despite a few incidents here and there, I think it's just gone even better than both parties expected. I think Aisho Speed, from what I could tell, is having more fun than he expected. And I think China is receiving him better than I expected as well. Right now, he's in Chengdu. No, I think it is. And even though I'm not watching the streams in full, I'm just seeing the highlights, it's still funny for me to see the clips. Am I also kind of like, dang, I wish some Asian streamers could go to other countries and get that kind of love. But as we understand, that is not how it necessarily works. No, that's not how it goes down. But I guess you have to really look at things. You can't get lost in the trees. You have to look at the forest here. This is ultimately a good thing. But it's interesting because Gen Z and Gen Alpha, they're going to have a more positive, normalized image of life in mainland China, right? Because otherwise, it was always geopolitically driven by everybody else. But they're not going to come into power for another 20 to 40 years. Yeah, that's true. I mean, so do you think this iShowSpeeds tour in China, to his fan base, which he has a huge fan base across the world, it's not just America, do you think to his fans, it is changing the perception of China? Yes or no? I don't even know if they had a negative preconceived one, but absolutely, it is changing their minds. So it'll be interesting to see because somebody's going to be coming to the dinner table being like, hey, mom, dad, I really love iShowStream's Chongqing opera video. And their parents are going to be like, what? I think China's evil. You know what I mean? Can you imagine what that dinner table discussion is going to be like? Well, you know, I mean, at the end of the day, listen, iShowSpeed, he's not experiencing the government of China. He's just there experiencing the people and the culture, which is different. And the truth is, a lot of it was sponsored by big tourism companies in China, which probably, to be honest, I think they paid him millions. Right. Now, do you think iShowSpeed is being pressured to say certain things or just pressured not to say anything bad? Or he wouldn't want to say anything bad anyways. I mean, it's like a brand deal, but there's still limitations to the brand deal. Something super whack happened to him. I'm sure he'd be like, yo, that was whack. Right. I mean, ultimately, guys, it reminds me of just like a little bit like Kanye, Kanye's always spending time in China. Obviously, he lives in Tokyo, but like Kanye spent a year of his life when he was seven in Nanjing. I don't know. I mean, Kanye, iShowSpeed, Chris Tucker and Rush Hour. Yeah. I mean, I just think it's like it's always kind of cool. And so I would say this, like the relationship between Chinese people and black Americans in media is actually relatively new. I would say the first time is really Bruce Lee and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Bruce Lee movies. Right. And then from there. So it's a relatively new relationship. So there's not really any history, good or bad to it, attached to it. So that's why when it's like you see black Americans go to China or go to a very foreign place and just like enjoy it for what it is and enjoy the people and have funny interactions. It's so it's so useful. Yeah. And the truth is, I haven't seen white Americans have those same positive interactions with Chinese people, but I have seen white Canadians like Dashaun is Canadian. And there's like a ton of actually like Canadians that it's just there's something about the relationship. And maybe it's because of like superpowers jostling or like, you know what I mean? Who's 1A, 1B. White people are in power. So of course, like I just know if Logan Paul went and did this tour of China, like I Show Speed, he'd just say something way off tone. Right, right. Well, as he kind of did in Japan. So you know what I mean? So yeah, I guess I guess to wrap it up, you know, I support I Show Speed being in China. I think that what he's showing is fun. I think that on the shallow level, it is diplomacy in a way. So it's overall positive. I mean, I'm not the biggest I Show Speed fan, but I'm going to tap in to see the rest of his journey. Anyway, guys, like we said, you know, it's very, very interesting. And it's more interesting than I thought it was going to be. I thought it was just going to only be entertainment. I definitely think it's overblown into the sense of like, this is going to calm geopolitical relations. But it's in the middle. The truth is in the middle, guys. Let us know what you think of I Show Speed's streaming journey throughout China. And until next time, guys, Hop Hop Boys live from Hong Kong, actually in Alouette in Hong Kong. We out. Peace.