Chinese authorities have warned comedians against stirring up gender discord, criticising comedy shows for turning into a 'battlefield' that simplifies gender issues into opposition between men and women. The warning, issued by the Zhejiang provincial publicity department over the weekend, targeted the show The King of Stand-up Comedy on streaming platform iQiyi, though no specific comedian was named.
The caution follows a series of performances by female comedians addressing gender bias, which have gained popularity in China. One such performance by 50-year-old comedian Fan Chunli, known as Fangzhuren, focused on her marriage and why she left her husband, moving audiences to tears and going viral on social media.
The notice, published on WeChat, stated that criticism is acceptable but should be 'constructive rather than revolve around gender opposition for the sake of being funny'. It suggested that instead of mocking 'blindly confident men', comedy should explore the social causes behind such attitudes, and instead of ridiculing 'materialistic women', it should reflect on how consumerism shapes gender roles.
Women's rights remain a contentious issue in China, with the government accused of dismantling independent feminist activism, including the MeToo movement, over the past decade. The warning drew criticism on social media, with one Weibo user asking: 'Simply stating the facts now counts as inciting conflict between men and women?'
