A joke made by a Chinese comedian about the military has caused an uproar online, resulting in a fine of nearly two million dollars for being deemed insulting to the Chinese military. An investigation by the police has been launched, several comedy shows have been canceled, and fears are spreading about the potential end of improvised comedy in China. The controversy stemmed from a joke made by comedian Li Haoshi in Beijing last week.
According to independent political analyst Wu Qiang, "Improvisational comedy was the last refuge where people could enjoy entertaining commentary on public life. After what happened, the space for improvisational comedy and freedom of expression will inevitably start to shrink."
In this context, a Chinese comedian residing in the United States said, "I'm afraid this could lead to the suppression of the entire industry." She added, "Improvisational comedy allows us to feel a little happiness amidst suffering. That's why I believe we should try to do something to resist the oppression. If we don't do anything, we won’t even have the freedom to tell jokes in the future."
A Beijing-based comedian mentioned that "authorities canceled several of his shows following the incident and expressed concern for the future of improvisational comedy."
Beijing police stated that they are investigating Li.
The Beijing Culture and Tourism Bureau affirmed that "we will never allow any company or individual to use the capital city as a stage for deliberately tarnishing the image of the glorious People's Liberation Army."
Other comedy companies have canceled shows that were scheduled without providing a reason. Li, who apologized for the joke, did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
Comedy shows gained popularity in China during the COVID-19 pandemic as people spent more time at home watching them.
