Oscars red carpet host labelled 'ignorant' after asking Aquaman star Jason Mamoa to perform 'haka move'

February 27, 2019

Supermodel Ashley Graham has copped criticism online for asking Aquaman star Jason Mamoa to perform a "haka move" on the Oscars red carpet. 

"I gotta get a haka move. I gotta get, like, one haka move," Graham, who was working for US television network ABC asked Mamoa.

Lisa Bonet, Momoa’s partner shut down the request.

But the Aquaman star was a good sport and stuck his tongue out and gave Ms Graham a Māori pūkana.

Some viewers labelled Graham as "ignorant" and "really inappropriate" for making the request.

Mamoa was born in Hawaii and is not Māori.

One viewer wrote online: "Jason Momoa is Hawaiian. The haka is a Maori ceremonial dance. Whoever this woman is that was interviewing people on the red carpet shouldn’t and Lisa’s response was just right."

Another wrote: "Ashley Graham asking Jason Momoa for 'a haka move' like it’s the latest dance craze and not a culturally significant ceremonial dance was really inappropriate."


SHARE ME

More Stories