Hyena Loud-Mouth: A Brown girl's take on SIS the Show
Luisa-Tafu Leiataua Tuiloma Tauri-Tei | She/Her
Mild spoilers ahead. If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it first; a) it’s funny, b) for brown excellence, and c) don’t be that cu-
Not gonna lie, I laughed way too hard watching SIS The Show. You could probably hear my super sonic, high frequency cackles all the way down the street and you know what? You’re welcome.
SIS is a real reflection of the everyday humour that can be found in the somewhat awkward, taboo, and difficult topics we as Pasifika face everyday. It exposes the ka’a girls, Malia and Gee Gee, who lowkey lied about losing their virginities—which took me all the way out because, I too, was once a ka’a girl who was also doing moepi meetups like Miki. It played on the tropes we all know and love in a way that’s refreshing and relevant to us today. SIS is putting Brown girls at the centre of narratives that haven’t ever included us. Mean Girls who? Sorry, I only know the Fa’a’s.
The way SIS weaves this story of young brown women together in order to encompass all walks of Pasifika life as well as the many faces of Pasifika identity only goes to show the genius that is their writers—particularly Destiny Momoisea, Maiya Thompson, and Hanelle Harris. Watching as a 19 year old Samoan girl, the kid in me couldn’t help but laugh-cry whilst watching. It is the type of representation that goes beyond the boundaries to heal the children in us. Children who would be teased for having Islander features, who would be teased for laughing too loud, and who would watch our parents dodge calls from debt collectors.
It’s a show for the teine lelei who were never given sex education so they relied on unreliable sources, for the brown girls being followed around the supermarket by white men, and for the girls that have a pitch they’ve never had the opportunity to share. The latter of which was probably why my favourite character is Bubbah, played by Sieni Tiana Leo’o Olo. For some, her jokes may be out the gate, but that’s the reason why I loved it so much. The idea that Brown women can legitimately be more than a tourist image and more than someone that’s reserved and shy made me think of my own family. It was so real and familiar, that I couldn’t help but be glued to the screen.
In addition to that, something that elevates the whole show is the production level. SIS really said “Ua ga budget?” because the lighting, special fx, even the wardrobe was spot on. It’s honestly so dope to see Pacific multimedia —especially comedy—evolve as time passes. Thinking back to the first time I watched Sione’s Wedding as a kid, I was excited just to see a cool transition between scenes. Fast forward to now, when the punchline drops for the debt collector sketch in SIS, I was so hype over the detailing. It made the show so much more visually pleasing to watch and you can tell so much effort went into the little things in each scene.
One day, I will be watching reruns of SIS The Show feeling all nostalgic in my lounge with sheet covered couches and 21st keys above the TV. I’ll remember moments where I was an unapologetic, dirty joke loving, loud-mouth brown girl who lived for this funny as fuck show and I know for sure that all my Pasifika sisters will be right there with me.