Latest news with #TheKingofStand-upComedy
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Chinese comedian's viral set on domestic abuse sparks authority intervention on gender based humor in China
TIL Creatives Fan Chunli, a sensation is a 50-year-old comedian from rural China Fan Chunli, a 50-year-old comedian from rural China, became a national sensation after her raw and candid stand-up performance detailing years of spousal abuse and her eventual escape resonated widely with audiences on the streaming platform iQiyi's show The King of Stand-up Comedy . Before comedy, Fan worked as a sanitation worker and had limited formal education, only attending school until junior high. Growing up in a traditional environment where women had few rights to inherit family property and were expected to marry early, Fan initially accepted these roles but later found family and marriage constricted her financial independence. During her set, Fan, performing under the stage name 'Fangzhuren,' shared her painful personal story that highlighted the pervasive issue of domestic violence in China. The performance moved many viewers to tears and earned a standing ovation, culminating in one of the most-liked comments wishing anger upon her abusive the viral popularity of Fan Chunli's set and other similar comedic performances that discuss gender-related issues have elicited a stern response from Chinese authorities, particularly in Zhejiang province. Provincial publicity officials issued a public warning on WeChat admonishing comedians to avoid provoking gender opposition for the sake of being funny. They condemned comedy that reduces complex gender dynamics into simplistic battles between men and women.'Criticism is obviously fine, but it should be… constructive rather than revolve around gender opposition for the sake of being funny,' read the WeChat article by authorities according to Hong Kong Free Press. It urged comedians to analyze phenomena like consumerism's impact on gender roles and to avoid outright antagonism between sexes. This crack down is part of a broader pattern of Chinese authorities suppressing independent feminist activism and rigorously policing content across comedy, music, and public discourse. Over the past decade, China has significantly curtailed feminist movements viewed by the state as influenced by 'malicious Western' ideas. Fan Chunli's story brought to light the taboo and sensitivity around topics like domestic violence and women's rights—issues largely brushed under the carpet in Chinese society and public reaction to Fan's set was overwhelmingly empathetic, reflecting a deeper awakening among Chinese women who question traditional patriarchal norms. However, the state's response signals a desire to control the narrative and limit the scope of gender debates to avoid social discord, emphasizing 'palatable' and state-sanctioned content rather than authentic lived comedians and cultural creators, the authorities' directive means navigating careful boundaries between raising awareness and provoking censorship. As one analysis pointed out, Fen Chunli's candidness struck a chord but also reminded marketers and artists that authenticity in China's content environment carries significant risks of backlash.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Chinese Authorities Warn Comedians Over Jokes About Men and Women
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Chinese officials in the eastern province of Zhejiang have put stand-up comics on notice to avoid jokes that could fuel resentment between the sexes. Why It Matters Introduced to China a little over a decade ago, stand-up comedy experienced something of a boom in the 2010s, moving beyond small local venues and into the national media spotlight, spawning series such as Shanghai-based Xiaoguo Culture Media's Rock & Roast. Social commentary is no stranger to the genre. But Chinese comedians weaving sensitive topics, including the gender divide, into routines have drawn unwanted scrutiny and censorship from the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which has in recent years increasingly cracked down on activities it considers disruptive to social harmony. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry via email for comment. What To Know Zhejiang's propaganda bureau issued a notice Sunday advising stand-up comedians to avoid relying on jokes that "intensify gender antagonism" to boost their profile. "As a new form of performance, stand-up comedy has attracted many young people, and it is normal for it to express different perspectives and even present differences between men and women," the bureau acknowledged while stating that roasting the opposite sex shouldn't be the focus of bits. "For example, some jokes imply that all men are unreliable, while others belittle women's abilities—such content is not only inaccurate but also easily misleads the audience and reinforces gender stereotypes," the notice said. Stand-up comedian Qiqi performs at a shopping mall in Beijing on November 21, 2020. Stand-up comedian Qiqi performs at a shopping mall in Beijing on November 21, 2020. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images Comedians should ensure their words promote social responsibility, and their industry should self-regulate and "deliver high-quality comedic works," the bureau said, warning that failure to do so will be met with tighter regulations. Several gender-related routines by female comics have garnered attention in Chinese media. Fan Chunli, who performs under the stage name Fangzhuren and is a former sanitation worker from Shandong province, gained a surge of new fans after her appearance on The King of Stand-up Comedy on the iQiyi streaming platform, where she revealed how she had left an allegedly abusive marriage. Other comedians have faced backlash for their routines, such as Yang Li, whose sponsor, dropped her last year after outraged men flooded the retail giant's social media with complaints. Yang had previously sparked controversy over a 2020 joke about some average-looking men, quipping, "Why can they look so ordinary yet remain so confident?" Comics in China must tread carefully to avoid provoking authorities, a lesson learned by stand-up comedian Li Haoshi in 2023 after a joke about his dogs using a well-known military slogan was deemed "severely insulting" to the People's Liberation Army. Despite a public apology, Li was placed under investigation, and his production company, Xiaoguo Culture Media, was fined $2 million. The episode continues to cast a shadow over China's emerging stand-up comedy scene. What People Are Saying Teng Wu, director of South China Normal University's Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies, wrote for Sixth Tone in September: "China's stand-up, but its history—a foreign comedy performance art that was successfully localized, industrialized, then devastated only to be revived—reveals the pitfalls and risks of the country's popular culture model." One user wrote on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo: "Stand-up comedy is, at its core, all about talking about things you've experienced. The content of stand-up shows has started to change simply because in the past couple of years, the proportion of male and female performers has shifted." Another Weibo user wrote: "There isn't really any gender antagonism, just excessive feminism, with one-sided attacks on Chinese men." Another Weibo user wrote: "It's just a few female stand-up comedians expressing some factual opinions—are people really this afraid? Men have held the power of discourse for thousands of years."
HKFP
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- HKFP
Chinese officials warn comedians against provoking ‘gender opposition'
Chinese officials have warned comedians against stirring up gender discord, instructing those who invoke a battle of the sexes to criticise constructively rather than 'for the sake of being funny'. The WeChat article posted over the weekend by authorities in eastern Zhejiang province comes after a comedian detailed her abusive marriage in a performance that went viral on Chinese social media. Women's rights are sensitive territory in China — over the last decade, authorities have cracked down on almost every form of independent feminist activism. Zhejiang's publicity department chastised some comedy shows for becoming a 'battlefield' and simplifying gender issues into 'opposition between men and women'. 'Criticism is obviously fine, but it should be… constructive rather than revolve around gender opposition for the sake of being funny,' Sunday's WeChat article read. The department also offered comedians tips on how to discuss gender in their sets. 'Instead of mocking 'blindly confident men' it is better to explore the social causes for this mentality,' it suggested. 'Instead of blindly ridiculing 'materialistic women', it is better to reflect on how consumerism shapes gender roles.' The warning did not name a specific comedian, but called out streaming platform iQiyi's 'The King of Stand-up Comedy', and mentioned a newcomer dubbed an 'industry gem' online. Earlier this month, the show broadcast a performance by Fan Chunli — who goes by the stage name 'Fangzhuren' — an affable 50-year-old whose set revolved around her abusive marriage. Members of the audience were moved to tears and many stood to applaud when she revealed she had left her ex-husband. Clips of her set spread across the Chinese internet, earning the former sanitation worker from northern Shandong province legions of new fans. 'I hope Fangzhuren's ex-husband hears this and dies of anger,' reads the top-liked comment under a clip re-shared by the programme's official Weibo account. 'Just saying facts' The Chinese arts scene has always been heavily censored by the ruling Communist Party, and authorities have tightened that oversight in the past decade. But Sunday's warning sparked some criticism online. 'Just saying the facts of what happened is provoking opposition between men and women?' one top-liked Weibo comment reads. 'Once something is discussed from a female perspective it is labelled gender opposition, isn't that too sensitive,' reads another. Other women have faced backlash for joking about gender issues in the past. Last year, retail giant dropped its sponsorship of Yang Li, a comedian known for asking why men 'look so mediocre yet still have so much self-confidence'. Irked customers, mostly men, filled the company's social media with angry comments after Yang appeared at a promotional event. But this month, fans applauded Fangzhuren for telling her story. 'The environment changes people, and will prompt women's awakening,' she posted on Weibo. 'When I said in the village I wanted a divorce, I was… unforgivable,' she wrote. 'On the outside, when I talk about my divorce, the audience applauds.'
