Even on a Monday evening, the Er Sansan Talk Show comedy club, in the heart of Shanghai, is full. In front of a hundred young spectators plunged in darkness, a thirty-year-old, shaved head, large white t-shirt and large glasses, gets agitated. He warms up the audience with a few jokes and asks them to practice clapping loudly. He also gives some instructions: videos are prohibited. No question of ” burn “ punchlines, these short, concise and impactful sentences, from comedians on social networks. Four comedians parade, three women and one man. The organizers saved the best for last. The laughter then becomes more frequents. If the audience didn’t mess around, they still had a good time.
“It’s always a little more difficult to make people laugh during the week, they are less relaxed,” remarks Yao (his name has been changed), the evening’s presenter, who prefers to remain anonymous. Another factor also plays a role in the atmosphere: each of the jokes had to be approved by the Culture Office before being told. It is unthinkable to talk about politics or sex – yet favorite subjects of stand-up artists.
Despite censorship, this guy of shows has experienced rapid growth over the past ten years in China. Inspired by the Anglo-Saxon stars of the genre, actors – and many actresses – emerged. In 2016, the show “Rock & Roast” took off the Chinese scene. A talent show in which candidates parade for short performances and are selected by the public.
Laughter despite everything
M The magazine of the World chose laughter as a common thread for its end-of-year issue. In thirteen episodes, find these portraits, reports or investigations on the power of humor.
Episode 1 : Mohammed Amer, once upon a time there was a Palestinian in America
Episode 2: Blanche Gardin, the comedians after her
Episode 3: Waly Dia, fine blade of the political valve
Episode 4: Grandpamini, the art of the satirical cover
Episode 5: Bassem Youssef, a scathing irony on the Israel-Hamas conflict
Episode 6: In Israel, comedians answer the call
Episode 7: Chinese comedians don’t mess around with censorship
Episode 8: In Ukraine, laughter as a bulletproof vest
Episode 9: You asked for Pierre The Police, don’t quit
Episode 10: “I was explaining to them that when I met you, you were the biggest petomane in France”
Episode 11: In Quebec, inclusive humor can be learned
Episode 12: Humor would no longer be what it was or the myth of “it was better before”
Episode 13: Joke to alert, the new mode of action of environmental activists
Today, shows are performed in every major city in the country and there are more and more comedy clubs. But as the discipline reaches a wider audience, it focuses the attention of Chinese censors and “then loses its freshness”, observes Yutao – his first name has been changed at his request – a 28-year-old comedian, based in Xiamen, a city in the southeast of the country.
An allusion to zero-Covid rebutted
In May, a case shook the industry: in Beijing, a comedian describing on stage the passion of his dogs for chasing a squirrel had the misfortune of using a Chinese army slogan to illustrate his joke: “Maintain exemplary conduct, fight to win. » It was bad for him. Spectators filmed his performance, which was then posted on social media, provoking the ire of Chinese patriots.
You don’t mess with an institution like the army. Indeed, the Beijing Culture and Tourism Bureau accused the actor, Li Haoshi, of “serious insult” to the People’s Liberation Army and “harmful societal impact”. THE Xiaoguo studiopromoter of the show, was fined 13 million yuan (1.6 million euros), banned from organizing further performances and invited to a “deep thinking” on his actions.
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