Mayday frontman Ashin showed up at Apple's product launch event and unexpectedly ran into globally known livestreamer IShowSpeed. The two happily chatted about the new iPhone lineup, with Ashin even inviting IShowSpeed to come see a Mayday concert. But once the full livestream clip started circulating online, a brief moment before their actual conversation began ended up drawing most of the attention. An Asian woman at the event introduced Ashin to IShowSpeed by describing him as being "From China," instantly turning the moment awkward. A beat later, a man in a white shirt, apparently an Apple staffer, stepped in and quickly told IShowSpeed, "Wait, don't mention he's from China. He doesn't like to talk about it."
Woman Says From China, Man In White Immediately Steps In
In the video making the rounds online, the Asian woman mentions "From China" while introducing Ashin to IShowSpeed. A man in a white shirt standing nearby immediately picks up on the awkwardness and quickly interjects, "Wait, don't mention he's from China. He doesn't like to talk about it." The sudden correction made IShowSpeed pause for a moment, and he did not press further on the subject. Plenty of viewers online praised the man's quick reaction as a timely save.
Notably, "From China" was never Ashin's own description of himself in this exchange, it was the woman's phrasing directed at IShowSpeed. Viewers who went back through the fuller footage found that when Ashin later told IShowSpeed where he was actually from, he said it himself: "From Taipei." Once the more complete clip surfaced, many online argued that the woman's introduction, the man's warning, and Ashin's own words should be treated as three separate things rather than lumped together as if they reflected a single stance.
Debate Splits Threads Users, Woman's Identity Also Questioned
Once the clip spread on Threads, it quickly sparked debate. Some users questioned why the woman had not simply introduced Ashin as Mayday's lead singer and instead chose to specifically highlight "From China," calling the framing jarring and suggesting it risked turning IShowSpeed's Apple livestream into a debate over Taiwan's sovereignty. Others focused instead on the man's remark, debating why Ashin supposedly "doesn't like to talk about it."
Setting the unexpectedly sensitive moment aside, the actual interaction between Ashin and IShowSpeed was lighthearted. IShowSpeed asked Ashin which new iPhone model he liked best, and after Ashin, who did not catch the question the first time, was asked again, he answered "iPhone Duo," prompting IShowSpeed to happily shake his hand. IShowSpeed then showed off a few words of Mandarin, delighting Ashin, who went on to invite him to come see a Mayday concert. IShowSpeed did not initially seem to realize Ashin was a professional singer, asking "You can sing?" before happily accepting the invitation once he found out. （Related： They're All Foldable Phones, So What Makes Apple's iPhone Duo Different ｜ Latest ）
