Auckland Samoan influencer and his pug Fraser are dedicated to helping men cook

A Samoan social media influencer from Auckland is on a mission with his four-legged best friend Fraser to help men learn “how to cook”.

Daniel Rankin, 29, is a baker. Tik Tok All the rage, his dedication to making men feel comfortable in the kitchen has earned him a huge following.

Rankin’s TikTok account @mancancooknz has accumulated more than 3.7 million likes; Instagram profile.

He said there was a worldwide prejudice against men, especially Samoan men, for not cooking.

But in Samoa, many men do cook, he added.

Rankin was born and raised in Vaolala, Samoa, where he was known as The Chef to his friends and family.

He said he was overweight in his early years, but that began to change as he got older and adopted a healthier lifestyle.

“I started cooking when I was about 10 years old. I started cooking just because I was a big kid. I ate a lot and my parents weren’t around a lot, so I needed to learn how to cook.

Rankin’s video shows him baking with his pug, Fraser, while dancing and singing to music in costume.

His favorite dishes to cook are mainly South American and Mexican.

“I like it because it has a lot of flavor and is great for sharing.”

“I really believe men can cook”

Rankin named his online social content “Men Can Cook” to allay doubts about men’s ability to cook.

“I think there’s a stigma about men not being able to cook, not just in Samoan culture but in society in general. I named it ‘Men Can Cook’.”

“A lot of the chefs I follow (as role models) are men, and that’s where it all started, just to challenge that stigma.

“In Samoa, a lot of men cook. They go out on Sunday mornings to make umu and help with the cooking in the evening.

“I think culturally it’s normal for Samoan men to enjoy cooking from a young age.”

Rankin shot his first YouTube video in 2014, knowing how to shoot it at the time, “just relying on friends to shoot it.”

Cooking videos will be released “every few months,” he said.

But then he bought a camera and created content for the gym he owned.

“So I learned how to use (the camera). Then lockdown came and I was like, ‘Oh, I know how to use a camera, I know how to cook.’

“Let’s create some content for my members so they can stay engaged during the lockdown and learn how to cook delicious and healthy meals.

“I was like, everybody likes Fraser, let’s just put him in there, and that’s how it all started.”

In the beginning, he has a lot of dialogue, with his assistant Fraser standing next to him in his costume, and he talks to the camera.

But even that is a lot of work, including running the gym, coming up with conversations, content, and cooking recipes.

“So I decided to cut it down to a shorter form, 45 to 60 seconds, no dialogue, just pleasant music and pleasant recipes, and that’s where Fraser and I really started,” he said.

“Be kind to negative emotions”

But the life of this internet celebrity baker has not been smooth sailing.

Due to the nature of social media, he has received some negative comments and messages.

“It took me a while to develop a thick skin,” he said.

“I believe in this industry, you have to have thick skin because you get a lot of exposure and not all of it is positive.

“I just deal with it and focus on what I can control. I’ve always found that if I just treat negativity with kindness, I can accept it.”

Rankin said the harshest comments he received were directed at Frazier.

“I think the worst message I’ve ever received is, when your dog dies, what do you do?

“I think if you want to attack me, attack me in a pretty harsh way, but don’t bring Fraser into it.”

He said he responds to negative comments with the “reply with love” emoji and “just respond with kindness and I’ll feel good and move on with my life.”

Rankin said he will continue to create content and bake, and hopes to offer classes for men who want to do something similar.

“We just keep cooking, baking, singing, dancing and seeing what comes out.”