No Laughing Matters: The State of Stand-up in China Today

Barbarians at the Gate

Has the Chinese government killed stand-up comedy in China?

In May of 2023, a popular standup comedian made an innocuous joke in which he mentioned a phrase used to laud the fighting spirit of the People’s Liberation Army. The next day, a complaint from a nationalistic netizen resulted in the Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Company being fined a whopping $2 million and the temporary shutdown of virtually all the standup TV shows and comedy clubs in China’s major cities.

The immediate aftermath of the incident also cast a pall over other entertainment venues, leading to increased scrutiny of music and live entertainment in clubs and bars. In this episode, we talk with reporter and freelance writer Chang Che, who initially reported this incident and has been interviewing comedians and promoters grappling with the repercussions in the entertainment industry. Chang Che provides insights into how comedians, musicians, and creative media workers must function within a system where the lines for acceptable discourse are nebulous and ever-changing.

Chang Che’s writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, and he was formerly with the New York Times reporting on tech in Asia. His first article on this subject of the podcast can be found at this link:

No Joke: China Fines a Comedy Firm $2 Million for ‘Insulting’ the Military

Chang Che’s website

Our earlier episode on comedy in China:

Chinese Funny Business with Mark "Da Shan" Roswell