Passport Bros: Love, Travel, Or Exploitations?

Cashapp: $Askvelvetpodcast

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome back to Ask Velvet where we talk about real life real people and those conversations that sometimes make you sit back and say, Hmm. Now that's something to think about. And today we're talking about something that you absolutely cannot escape on TikTok right now. Passport bros. If you've been scrolling through TikTok, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Passport bros are everywhere. And one of the people I've been watching in this space is Don P. Sounds all. Now, let me make something very clear right now from the beginning. I follow Don Pete. I watch his TikToks, I watch his lives, and I'm going to be honest with you, I enjoy his content. His videos are very well put together, they're interesting, they're entertaining, and whether you agree with him or disagree with him, he definitely knows how to get a conversation started. And sometimes I'm watching his videos thinking, okay Don, you got a point. And then sometimes I'm watching thinking, now Don, I think you're trying to rage bait these people. Because sometimes he brings up a topic and I'm like, you know what? You just did. But that's social media. And clearly it's working because he has built a pretty large following. Now, before anybody thinks I'm getting ready to attack Don P or Passport Bros, let me say this. I'm not judging anybody. I'm not judging Don P's business. I'm not judging the men who participate in these trips. And I'm certainly not judging anybody for trying to make money because let's be real. We all have bills to pay, we all have to put food on the table, we all have to keep the lights on. So I'm not here to tell anybody how to live their life. Do you? But I can watch somebody's content, enjoy it, and still have questions. And that's what this episode is about. Not judging, not attacking, just asking questions. Now I understand why some men go overseas. I really do. Some men feel like dating in America isn't working for them. Some say American women are too outspoken, some say they want women who are more traditional. Some say they want women who are more submissive or more comfortable with traditional gender roles. And I understand what they're saying, but here's where I have to stop you. Don't put all American women in the same box because we're not all the same. Yes, there are women in America who date men for money. Absolutely. There are women who want somebody to take care of them. There are women who are looking for a certain lifestyle. But there are also women who work hard, pay their own bills, want love, want companionship, want marriage, and want a genuine relationship. So you can't take one group of women and say this is what American women are. No, we're individuals. And the same thing applies to women in other countries. Not every Colombian woman is meek, not every Colombian woman is submissive, not every Colombian woman is looking for an American man. People are people, but I understand that some of these men perceive women overseas as being more traditional, more feminine, softer spoken, or more comfortable with traditional relationship roles. And if that's what you're looking for, okay. Travel, go see the world, eat some good food, experience another culture, meet people, and if you meet somebody you genuinely connect with, hey, love happens everywhere. But here's where things get interesting. What happens when you start putting the entire experience on social media? Because now everybody gets to see it. We see the trips, we see the women, we see the restaurants, we see the nightlife, we see the beautiful locations, we see the companionship, and I have to give Don P credit where credit is due. His videos are good. I'm sitting there watching them like, okay, now that is how you promote a trip. I'm looking at some of these videos thinking I need to step my own video game up because the production is good, the presentation is good. It makes you want to see what the experience is about. But that's also where I understand why somebody looking from the outside might have questions. Because depending on how something is presented, people can interpret it differently. You may see travel, somebody else may see something else, you may see companionship, somebody else may see exploitation. And once you put something on social media, you don't control everybody's interpretation of it. People are going to form their own opinions. They're going to talk, they're going to speculate, they're going to agree, they're going to disagree. And sometimes they're going to say things that aren't true. Now, I know there are rumors and controversies surrounding Don Pete. I've seen some of the conversations. I've seen some of the things people say. Well let me tell you something about TikTok. TikTok is a rabbit hole. You can start with one video, then another video, then another video. And three hours later you're sitting there thinking, how did I even get here? And some of the rabbit holes surrounding people can get very dark. People will say anything for views, anything for likes, anything for followers, anything for engagement. So I'm not going down that rabbit hole. I'm not repeating rumors. I'm not making accusations. I'm not going to pretend that I know something I don't know. That's not my job. What I can talk about is what I actually see. And what I see is a man who has created content around international travel and relationships, has built a following and has created a business around those experiences. And I can understand why Columbia or anybody watching that content might have questions about how that type of tourism is being presented. That's a fair conversation. And that's the conversation I want to have. And here's something else that crossed my mind. Ninety Day Fiancé. Now hear me out because I see a little resemblance between what we're seeing with Passport Bros and what we've been watching on ninety day fiance for years. Think about it. You've got Americans meeting people overseas, they travel to another country, they meet somebody, they develop relationships, they bring those relationships back home. Sometimes they get married, sometimes they don't, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes we're sitting on the couch watching it thinking, girl, what are you doing? Or sir, you better open your eyes, but isn't there a little bit of a correlation? I'm not saying they're exactly the same. They're not. Ninety day fiance is television. Passport bros are more of a lifestyle and social media movement, but there is a resemblance. Both involve people looking outside the United States for relationships and companionship. The difference may simply be how they're doing it and why they're doing it. And that's where I think the conversation gets interesting because ninety day fiance has made international relationships entertainment. Passport bros have made international dating part of their lifestyle and in some cases their business. So I have to ask, what's really the difference? Is there a difference? Or are they basically two different versions of the same idea? Again, I'm not saying one is better than the other. I'm not judging either. I'm just making the comparison. Because sometimes you have to step back and say, wait a minute, haven't we been watching something similar on television this whole time? And then there's another question. Why are passport bros suddenly everywhere? Because I cannot get through TikTok without seeing somebody talking about passport bros. They're everywhere. And that makes me wonder why? Why has this become such a huge social media conversation? Is it because men are genuinely frustrated with dating in America? Is it because international travel has become easier to see through social media? Is it because people are discovering cultures and relationships they didn't know much about? Or is it simply because controversy gets views? Maybe it's all of the above, and that's what makes this conversation interesting. Now let's talk about exploitation. Are women being exploited in Colombia? They could be, but let's not act like exploitation only happens in Colombia. Women are exploited here in the United States too. Women are exploited all over the world. So if we're going to have this conversation, let's have the whole conversation. Let's not point fingers at another country while pretending everything is perfect here. It's not. There are women here who are exploited. There are women overseas who are exploited. There are people all over the world who find themselves in situations where money, power, and desperation can create an imbalance. So I'm not going to sit here and pretend this is just a Columbia problem. It isn't. But then something else happened that really made me think. On august tenth, Colombia was hit by a devastating seven point four magnitude earthquake. The disaster caused widespread destruction across Western Columbia, including collapsed buildings, damaged homes, schools and hospitals. As of August thirteenth, routers reported at least two hundred and eighty-one deaths, more than three thousand nine hundred injuries, and hundreds of people still missing. And when I saw what was happening, I thought about all these people who love Columbia, all these people who travel there, all these people who talk about the country, all these people who enjoy the food, the culture, the nightlife, the people, the relationships. And it made me ask one simple question. When the country you've been enjoying is hurting, what do you do? I'm not saying anybody is obligated to send money. I'm not saying anybody owes Columbia anything because they vacation there. That's not what I'm saying. I'm asking a bigger question. If you've built friendships there, if you've built business relationships there, if you've made money from content about that country, if you've enjoyed everything that country has to offer, do you give something back when that country needs help? Maybe you donate. Maybe you promote legitimate relief efforts. Maybe you use your platform to bring attention to the people who need help. Maybe you support businesses and communities that have been affected. Or maybe you simply show the people the same love and respect you showed them when everything was good. Because that's what relationships are supposed to be about. It's not always what can you do for me? Sometimes it's what can I do for you? And maybe that's the bigger question in this entire conversation. If you're going to another country, respect the country, respect the culture, respect the people, and especially respect the women you're meeting. Because whether she's American, Colombian, Brazilian, Dominican, Filipina, or from anywhere else in the world, she's a person. She has a family, she has dreams, she has opinions, she has a life. And just because she comes from a culture where traditional relationships may be viewed differently doesn't mean she doesn't have a voice. The same thing applies to American women. Stop putting us all in the same category. We're not all gold diggers, we're not all difficult, we're not all angry, we're not all looking for somebody to pay our bills. And we're definitely not all the same. So where do I stand? I'm still watching, I'm still listening, I'm still learning, and yes, I'm still going to watch Don P. Sounds off because I enjoy his content. I enjoy his lives. I enjoy the conversations they create. And sometimes I even learn something. But enjoying somebody's content doesn't mean I have to agree with everything. And asking questions doesn't mean I'm judging somebody. It means I'm thinking. And that's what I want everybody listening to this episode to do. Think. Think about why passport roles have become so popular. Think about why some men feel like they have to leave America to find the relationship they're looking for. Think about whether we're being fair when we group millions of American women together. Think about whether we're being fair when we assume women in other countries are all the same. Think about the difference or the similarities between passport bros and ninety day fiance. And think about where the line is between international dating, tourism, business, companionship, and exploitation because maybe the answer isn't as simple as passport bros are good and maybe it isn't as simple as passport bros are bad. Maybe it's somewhere in the middle, and that's where the best conversations happen. So I'm not here to tell you what to think. I'm asking you to think for yourself. And if you're a passport bro, if you're a woman who's dated one, if you've been involved in an international relationship, if you've watched ninety day fiance, or if you're just somebody watching all of this unfold on TikTok, I want to hear what you think. Because this conversation isn't over. Not even close. And that's the beauty of Ask Velvet. We don't have to agree, we just have to be willing to talk. So until next time, this is Velvet reminding you travel the world, experience the culture, meet the people, find love if that's what you're looking for. But wherever you go, don't forget to bring one thing with you respect. And remember, if you love what a place gives you when times are good, what are you willing to give that place when times are bad? That's something to think about. I'll see y'all on the next episode of Ask Velvet. Do you? But let's have the conversation.