Thailand's collective appetite for mango and sticky rice went through the roof when Thai teen rapper Milli, whose real name is Danupha Khanatheerakul, performed on the stage of Coachella 2022 on Sunday.
Her rapid spit-fire rhymes in Thai and English were lit in more ways than one as the huge screen behind her and her dancers "exploded" in virtual flames. Towards the end of her seven-minute performance, she paused to take a spoonful of mango and sticky rice and had some more while leaving the stage.
Given her sassy and outspoken image, it should come as no surprise that some of her lines are critical of Thailand's status quo. The notorious kinnaree lamp posts, the perpetual summer of Thailand, our century-old trains -- to name three. She even sang that Thailand as a country itself along with its people and food are good, except for the government which she described as "bood", Thai slang for bad or uncool. She didn't mince her words there and, as an artist, I think she shouldn't.
What also should come as no surprise from the Milli effect is the rise in local demand for mango and sticky rice as reported by many media outlets. Milli should be rewarded with a lifetime supply of mango and sticky rice for this feat alone!
What's more nuanced, surprising and complicated are other consequences.
What definitely is a career milestone for Milli also revived the conversation surrounding soft power and what govt agencies in Thailand have done to promote it.
Her sweet sticky stunt was almost immediately compared to the government's attempt at achieving a world record by serving 4.5 tonnes of mango and sticky rice to lucky Chinese tourists in January 2019. Interestingly, the feat was presided over by deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon, who had remarked insensitively on the boat capsize incident in Phuket that killed 47 Chinese tourists. The world record bid was criticised for resulting in many leftovers and being a waste of the taxpayer's money so that government officials could get a photo opportunity. It reportedly cost B7.48 million. Which of these two stunts is more effective? You be the judge.
In response to Milli's mango sticky rice, government agencies showed their support and approval for her but also stated that they have been pushing for Thailand's soft power all along. Netizens are quick to accuse the government of trying to ride on Milli's coattails. The biggest irony is that Milli was fined B2,000 for criticising the prime minister in a Twitter post.
Milli's political stance also drew a lot of criticism, especially from people and media outlets that are pro-government. A few spun a wild theory that a lot of money had been paid for her 15 minutes of fame and to tarnish the government.
Personally, Milli's stunt reminds me of so many talented and creative Thai individuals who have made it big on a global state on their own merit, without help from the state even though it insists that it's all about soft power.
I wonder how a country with a rigid immutable viewpoint on culture (I'm not talking specifically about Thailand here) and limited freedom of expression can go about promoting its soft power.
I also wonder if Thai cultural agencies, which use the taxpayers' money, have done enough to promote our soft power on a global scale. Or do they endorse only those who are aligned with them politically or their ideas of what Thailand's soft power should be?
It takes only one girl to make a nation question exactly what its soft power is and how we should go about promoting it. In this regard, Milli definitely gets major respect from me.
My only criticism is that she should have eaten khao pad Amae-rican given where she performed. Mango and sticky rice have received plenty of exposure already, you see. I guess it's difficult to find words that rhyme with American fried rice.
Other than that, you go, Milli!
