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Thread: Zhou Libo's edgy humor a hit in Shanghai-
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[quote=MARRIE,412986]“From the small, like the common people, to the big, like Obama, I’ll talk about it all,” said Zhou, facing reporters at a Shanghai hotel last month. That Shanghainese is understood by only a fraction of China’s 1.3 billion people probably helps keep him out of trouble, because Zhou is practiced at making fun of leaders who, generally, don’t take ridicule well. “He has an uncanny ability to poke fun at all the present-day problems in China and the world,” said Adam Schokora, founder of NeochaEdge, a Chinese culture and trend-spotting consultancy. “This is not easy to do well in China.” In one of his most famous skits, the comedian does an impersonation of China’s premier, Wen Jiabao, with arched eyebrows and slow, high-pitched speech. “Wen Jiabao is my favorite government leader,” Zhou declares, just before launching into his routine — an impression of Wen at the scene of a natural disaster. “Premier Wen finds the dirtiest person available to shake hands with,” Zhou says, and then turns to his audience, eyebrows high, face serene. He slowly mimes a handshake. “My friend,” he says in his slow, reedy Wen Jiabao voice, “we have come too late.” Though Zhou says no one is safe from parody, he does tread carefully. “I respect the leaders,” he said at last month’s news conference. “I’m not making fun of them; I’m making fun of the whole world.” Zhou has coined the term “Haipai Qingkou,” or “Shanghai-style clean talk,” to describe what he does. His style strays from traditional Chinese comedy, or “cross-talk,” which features two performers playing off each other. Haipai Qingkou is performed solo, and the jokes, delivered deadpan, emphasize Shanghai-specific stories. [/quote]
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