Reality star Tila Tequila is making headlines right now after uploading a photo of her and two friends doing Nazi salutes at a white supremacist conference with the caption ‘Seig [sic] heil!’.
However, believe it or not, there was once a time when she campaigned on behalf of people of color. Actually, to be more specific, she campaigned on behalf of the Burmese people.
In 2008, the U.S. Campaign for Burma shot a series of short videos, each one featuring different celebrities, as a part of a month-long campaign “highlighting the Burmese struggle for liberty, democracy, and human rights”.
Other celebrities who took part in the campaign included Sheryl Crow, Sylvester Stallone, and (our personal favorite) Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian.
In Tequila’s video, the social media personality is a substitute teacher for a (presumably) high school history class. Oh, and in true Tila Tequila-fashion, she also looks really hot.
Starting the class with a pop quiz, substitute-teacher-Tequila asks “Where is Burma?”.
“It’s a country between India and China”, responds a young male student, his mouth agape. Tequila takes off her glasses — a staple of any hot teacher character — as a sign of her satisfaction with his answer.
Next question: “And who is Than Shwe?”
Everyone’s hands go up.
Tequila calls on a female student who answers, “He’s a dictator of Burma. He spreads fear through forced labor, torture, and systematic rape.”
Geez. We’re guessing no one ran this script by Than Shwe’s people.
Tequila also asks “What is 8-8-88?”, referencing, of course, the student-led nationwide demonstrations, marches, and protests against the authoritarian rule of the Burmese military.
Finally, before asking her last question, Tequila takes off her jacket to reveal her ‘sexy’ schoolteacher outfit underneath, complete with a low-cut top.
Then comes the kicker. “What is the United Nations Security Council doing to help in Burma?”, substitute-teacher-Tequila asks a young man sat at the back of the class.
Nervously, he replies, “They’re…doing…nothing.” As we would say if this were an M. Night Shyamalan film: What a twist!
Now, did Tequila agree to participate in this campaign because her team thought it would bring good publicity, or because she was truly concerned about the people of Burma? Who knows? Either way, we’ll take hot-substitute-teacher-who-cares-about-Burma-Tila-Tequila any day over, you know, white-supremacist-Nazi-saluting-Tila-Tequila.
(Also, if you think this video was cringey, we suggest you go and watch the Kardashian one.)
