Chinese provincial officials have warned comedians against stirring up discord between the genders, instructing them to criticise constructively rather than “for the sake of being funny”.
The warning came from authorities in eastern Zhejiang province on WeChat over the weekend after a comedian referred to her allegedly abusive marriage in a performance that went viral on Chinese social media.
Women’s rights are sensitive territory in China – over the last decade, authorities have cracked down on almost every form of independent feminist activism.
Zhejiang’s publicity department chastised some comedy shows for becoming a “battlefield” and simplifying gender issues into “opposition between men and women”.
“Criticism is obviously fine, but it should be … constructive rather than revolve around gender opposition for the sake of being funny,” Sunday’s WeChat article read.
The department also offered comedians tips on how to discuss gender in their sets.
“Instead of mocking ‘blindly confident men’ it is better to explore the social causes for this mentality,” it suggested. “Instead of blindly ridiculing ‘materialistic women’, it is better to reflect on how consumerism shapes gender roles.”
The warning did not name a specific comedian, but called out streaming platform iQiyi’s The King of Stand-up Comedy, and mentioned a newcomer dubbed an “industry gem” online .
Earlier this month, the show broadcast a performance by Fan Chunli – who goes by the stage name “Fangzhuren” – whose set revolved around her allegedly abusive marriage.
Members of the audience were moved to tears and many stood to applaud when she revealed she had left her ex-husband. Clips of her set spread across the Chinese internet, earning the former sanitation worker from northern Shandong province legions of new fans.
The Chinese arts scene has always been heavily censored by the ruling Communist party, and authorities have tightened that oversight in the past decade. But Sunday’s warning sparked some criticism online.
“Just saying the facts of what happened is provoking opposition between men and women?” one top-liked Weibo comment reads.
“Once something is discussed from a female perspective it is labelled gender opposition, isn’t that too sensitive,” reads another.
Women have faced backlash for joking about gender issues in the past.
In 2024, retail company JD.com dropped its sponsorship of Yang Li, a comedian known for asking why men “look so mediocre yet still have so much self-confidence”.
Irked customers, mostly men, filled the company’s social media with angry comments after Yang appeared at a promotional event.
But this month, fans applauded Fangzhuren for telling her story.
“The environment changes people, and will prompt women’s awakening,” she posted on Weibo.
“When I said in the village I wanted a divorce, I was … unforgivable,” she wrote. “On the outside, when I talk about my divorce, the audience applauds.”