It seems that Xiaoguo Culture is in big trouble.
It is said that the actor House used such a joke (meaning):
He rescued two stray dogs in Shanghai, but it can’t be called rescue, because they are at the top of the food chain on the mountain, unlike other dogs, which are cute and lovely, while these two dogs are very combative and very good at chasing squirrels, just like the animal world on the spot. When I see them, I think of eight words, “Excellent style, capable of winning battles.”
A self-proclaimed audience member exposed the matter on Weibo: “If this joke is unintentional, then I advise you to delete it next time; if this joke is intentional, then I think you are courting death… Your broken joke insults the people’s soldiers.”
Xiaoguo Company and House have both issued apology statements. House admitted that his “metaphor was inappropriate” and suspended his performance indefinitely to reflect and study. The performance life of a stand-up comedian may end here.
It would be fortunate if it ended like this. Beijing Daily immediately published a critical article, and I saw that the first comment on a certain website was: “Beijing Daily, give it some strength… Let them pay the price.”
I understand that this metaphor is of course not good, nor is it a good joke. This actor did not mean to insult the soldiers at all. On the contrary, he may have admired military strength, because he also said, “They are at the top of the food chain.”
But he messed up the performance, because many people think that comparing people to dogs is an insult, which is a unique Chinese culture. It’s not like this in the United States. Many NBA athletes like to call themselves “underdogs”, which means they are at the bottom, but they never give up their efforts, and one day they will be respected – this is typical American heroism.
I don’t want to defend this actor here, nor do I want to discuss cultural differences. What I pay attention to is actually another detail.
The person who exposed this matter online will ruin the actor’s career, but this exposer can be called a refined audience. He did not mention the actor’s name, and pointed out that during the performance, he followed the regulations of the theater (no video, no recording). He said that the staff used laser pointers to shine around during the performance.
The performing party is facing a formidable enemy. Not allowing video and recording, of course, has the idea of protecting copyright and the charm of live performances. After all, it is not easy to create a joke, and it is a loss to spread it or be copied by others. However, their nervousness may also have a consideration, that is, they are afraid that some “jokes” will spread out, which will be unfavorable to them. The ideal performance effect is to laugh and relax in the theater, and forget about it when you go out.
Stand-up comedy performances are very dependent on the atmosphere of the scene. Previously, there was a case in Chengdu where a competitor reported the content of the opponent’s performance to the cultural law enforcement department for violations, which caused a lot of controversy. It is said that many stand-up comedy performances in many places have to submit the performance content to the relevant authorities for review, and can only be performed after approval, and there are also cultural law enforcement officers on the scene to supervise. If they find “jokes” that have not been declared and violated, they can immediately stop the performance and impose penalties.
Such “stand-up comedy” is absurd. Stand-up comedy, as an art form, is said to be the “art of offense”, which is to make people laugh, relax, or make people reflect. However, whether it is using a laser pointer to find it or performing strictly according to the report, it is in a very nervous state in fact – very well-behaved, very nervous.
Understanding this, you will find it difficult to laugh at their so-called “jokes”. Of course, in essence, all of this is ridiculous.
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