Stand-up is booming in China, with women centre-stage
3 years, 11 months ago

Stand-up is booming in China, with women centre-stage

The Economist  

Listen to this story. An academic at Peking University called Ms Yang and her admirers “internet feminists, the most emotional and least tolerable people”. Chizi, a popular male contestant on “Rock and Roast” with a penchant for boorish jokes about women, sniffed that Ms Yang was “not performing comedy”. With stand-up, says Evangeline Z, a 27-year-old comedian in Shanghai, “there are no barriers to joining as long as you can talk.” Women bring new themes to the stage. Xiao Ju, a 22-year-old part-time comedian, also in Shanghai, says that showgoers expect to come in for “a bit of easy laughter”, so are ruffled when the ribbing reveals something about themselves.

Women Male Shanghai Ms Yang Xiao Ju  standup  shanghai  rock  comedy  roast  yang  male  xiao  china  centrestage  booming  ms  women

History of this topic

Comedian gag sparks gender debate
1 month ago

Comedian gag sparks gender debate

China Daily  

Stand-up comedian Yang Li. It all dates back to the summer of 2020, when Yang's gag about men who look mediocre but are self-absorbed on the popular stand-up comedy program Rock &Roast Season 3 provoked fierce discussions online, leading to the coining of the term puxinnan. After the male friend says: 'But nothing can be done', I laughed out loud, …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

Participants attend a training camp held by Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, in May. Since the 1980s, stand-up comedy shows have accounted for 40 percent of the television programs in the US, chronicling significant changes in culture and society, with content focusing on political, economic, cultural and social development. In China, stand-up comedy began with a …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

Leading stand-up comics take the stage at Shanghai Grand Theater, a venue for the genre and other performances, including ballet, drama and classical music concerts. Photo provided to CHINA DAILY Younger audiences warm to jokes based on topical material Zheng Bowen, known to audiences as Xiao Mai, began to perform stand-up comedy in 2019 at a time when the entertainment …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

Leading stand-up comics take the stage at Shanghai Grand Theater, a venue for the genre and other performances, including ballet, drama and classical music concerts. Photo provided to CHINA DAILY Younger audiences warm to jokes based on topical material Zheng Bowen, known to audiences as Xiao Mai, began to perform stand-up comedy in 2019 at a time when the entertainment …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

A visitor tours a stand-up comedy exhibition in Shanghai in July. WANG GANG/FOR CHINA DAILY Numerous reasons There are many reasons for the genre's rise, one of them being that stand-up comedy mainly attracts young people. He Xiaoxi, co-founder of Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co, said: "Young people like new things, and they will connect with and even pursue a …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

Leading stand-up comics take the stage at Shanghai Grand Theater, a venue for the genre and other performances, including ballet, drama and classical music concerts. Photo provided to CHINA DAILY Younger audiences warm to jokes based on topical material Zheng Bowen, known to audiences as Xiao Mai, began to perform stand-up comedy in 2019 at a time when the entertainment …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

Leading stand-up comics take the stage at Shanghai Grand Theater, a venue for the genre and other performances, including ballet, drama and classical music concerts. Photo provided to CHINA DAILY Younger audiences warm to jokes based on topical material Zheng Bowen, known to audiences as Xiao Mai, began to perform stand-up comedy in 2019 at a time when the entertainment …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

Leading stand-up comics take the stage at Shanghai Grand Theater, a venue for the genre and other performances, including ballet, drama and classical music concerts. Photo provided to CHINA DAILY Younger audiences warm to jokes based on topical material Zheng Bowen, known to audiences as Xiao Mai, began to perform stand-up comedy in 2019 at a time when the entertainment …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

A visitor tours a stand-up comedy exhibition in Shanghai in July. WANG GANG/FOR CHINA DAILY Numerous reasons There are many reasons for the genre's rise, one of them being that stand-up comedy mainly attracts young people. He Xiaoxi, co-founder of Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co, said: "Young people like new things, and they will connect with and even pursue a …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

Leading stand-up comics take the stage at Shanghai Grand Theater, a venue for the genre and other performances, including ballet, drama and classical music concerts. Photo provided to CHINA DAILY Younger audiences warm to jokes based on topical material Zheng Bowen, known to audiences as Xiao Mai, began to perform stand-up comedy in 2019 at a time when the entertainment …

Stand-up comedy hits new heights
2 years, 10 months ago

Stand-up comedy hits new heights

China Daily  

A visitor tours a stand-up comedy exhibition in Shanghai in July. WANG GANG/FOR CHINA DAILY Numerous reasons There are many reasons for the genre's rise, one of them being that stand-up comedy mainly attracts young people. He Xiaoxi, co-founder of Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co, said: "Young people like new things, and they will connect with and even pursue a …

Online show spotlights women's struggles through comedy
3 years, 8 months ago

Online show spotlights women's struggles through comedy

China Daily  

Singer Wang Ju and TV host Shen Mengchen An online reality show that invites female celebrities to stage stand-up comedy performances has recently been aired on streaming site Mango TV, creating a platform for women's self-expression. In its first episode, the show Listen to Sister gathered 18 celebrities from varying age groups, including veteran actress Zhang Kaili, taekwondo-athlete-turned-actress Zhang Lanxin, …

It's funny, but no joke for female comedian
4 years, 4 months ago

It's funny, but no joke for female comedian

China Daily  

Stand-up comedian Yang Mengqi. Working as a sales director in the daytime, Yang Mengqi does stand-up at various clubs and pubs at night in Shanghai. "Compared to our male counterparts, female comedians face greater challenges," Yang says. She has gone viral on social media after participating in the ongoing season of Rock and Roast, a show to promote stand-up comedy …

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