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China news tagged with: cartoons (32)

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Cartoon: “Take it Off. Now It’s Your Turn!” (Updated)

The above cartoon, from Southern Metropolis News, has become an online phenomenon in China: More than 4560 websites have posted it. On Kaidi.net, one of China’s most popular online communities, this cartoon was visited more than 780,000 times in the last nine days and has received over one thousand pages of reader comments.

The related news event took place during the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, when one unnamed representative, a provincial-level official (”The Representative”), answered Caijing Online’s reporter’s question: “How do you see the proposal of publicizing government officials’ financial status?” The representative’s answer was, “Why don’t we publicize financial records of ordinary people?”

After Caijing.com.cn publicized this news on March 10, without mentioning the official’s name, netizens started to heatedly “publicize my financial status.” And the above cartoon became extremely popular in this context.

Here is the original dialogue between the Caijing reporter Wang Heyan (王和岩) and the representative translated by CDT:

Reporter: “Chairman So-and-So, How do you see the proposal of publicizing government officials’ financial status?”

The Representative answered with a smile: “I am sorry. I did not look into this question.”

Reporter: “Aletai in Xinjiang, and Cixi in Zhejiang are all experimenting with this… Would your province be willing to experiment as well?”

The Representative: “I don’t know.”

Reporter: “Have representatives discussed this question?”

The Representative, walking while answering: “No. In our Chinese Communist Party discussion group, no one discussed this.”

Reporter, not wanting to give up: “Would you raise such a proposal or suggestion?”

The Representative turned around and looked at the reporter: “No. If this needs to be publicized, why don’t we publicize financial records of ordinary people? Why are the profits of corporate bosses not publicized to their workers?”

“Why don’t we publicize financial records of ordinary people?” The reporter almost could not believe his own ears and asked immediately, “Corporate bosses? Do you mean managers from state-owned enterprises?”

The Representative answered: “No. I mean bosses of private enterprises.”
» Read more
- April 14, 2009 2:17 PM
Cartoon: The Nth Period of the Celestial Empire

A Chinese blogger posted the following cartoon online, apparently mocking the National People’s Congress. “Celestial Empire” is a term frequently used satirically by netizens to refer to the current regime.

Banner：The Nth Period of the Celestial Empire: The Nth Plenary Session of the Orz People’s Congress
囧

Rostrum

Representative Seat

（List of names by character stroke order: ）

Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz
Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz
Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz
Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz
Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz
Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz
Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz Orz

“Orz” is a frequently used posture emoticon online in East Asia. From Wikipedia:

Orz (also seen as _|￣|o, OTL, Or2, Orz, OTZ, O7Z, Sto, Jto, _no, 囧rz) is a Japanese emoticon representing a kneeling or bowing person, with the “o” being the head, the “r” being the arms and part of the body, and the “z” being part of the body and the legs. This stick figure represents failure and despair. It is also commonly (mis-)used for representing a great admiration for (sometimes with an overtone of sarcasm) someone else’s view or action. It was first seen in late 2002. It was first used at the forum on Techside, Japanese personal website. At the “Techside FAQ Forum” (TECHSIDE教えて君BBS(教えてBBS) ), a poster asked about a cable cover, typing “＿|￣|○” to show a cable and its cover. Others commented that it looked like a kneeling person, and the symbol became popular. These comments were soon deleted as they were considered off-topic. However, one of the first corresponding reactions can be found on the thread on “Techside Chitchat Forum” (Techside一言板。) at the Internet Archive, on December 23, 2002, and spawned a subculture in late 2004.

囧, or “jiong” is another popular piece of Internet slang. Its original meaning is “bright,” though it is hardly used in that context online. From chinaSMACK’s glossary:

A popular Chinese character/pictogram often used on the Chinese-language internet to express being shocked, amused, or stupefied. Possibly originated from Taiwan, and similar to “Orz” which looks like a person kneeling/bowing.
» Read more
- February 11, 2009 10:49 PM
Cartoon: Chinese Netizens on “Netizens’ Day”

Last week, a group of government officials and Internet executives announced the first “Netizens’ Day” on September 14th, which apparently marks the anniversary of the first e-mail message sent from China in 1987.

Rebecca MacKinnon blogged this news: “Wang Xiu Jun of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology gave a speech. Her remarks are a good illustration of how the Chinese government is putting an increasing amount of energy into trying to shape and guide the Chinese Internet’s development in a “harmonious” direction. She spoke of how, in 2008, Chinese netizens provided support and comfort to disaster victims, and how they showed their patriotism. She emphasized President Hu Jintao’s remarks last summer, in which he said that the Party and government place great importance on the opinions of netizens.”

Here is some additional feedback from the Chinese blogosphere. Cartoonist Guaiguai has published his new work, called “Netizens’ Day“:
» Read more
- January 8, 2009 10:13 PM
China Space Mission Article Hits Web Before Launch

From AP:

A news story describing a successful launch of China’s long-awaited space mission and including detailed dialogue between astronauts launched on the Internet Thursday, hours before the rocket had even left the ground.

The country’s official news agency Xinhua posted the article on its Web site Thursday, and remained there for much of the day before it was taken down.

A staffer from the Xinhuanet.com Web site who answered the phone Thursday said the posting of the article was a “technical error” by a technician. The staffer refused to give his name as is common among Chinese officials.

The Shenzhou 7 mission, which will feature China’s first-ever spacewalk, ended up launching Thursday from Jiuquan in northwestern China late in the evening.

Here is cartoonist/blogger Guaiguai’s take on this one:

Translated caption:

“Get up, my dear!”
“It is too early to watch Shenzhou 7’s launch. Why do you wake me up?”

“Early? The Shenzhou 7 has launched…”
“What? I though it would not launch until the evening of the 25th.”

“It’s September 27th already. Read this Xinhua report.”
“But I went to bed on the night of 24th…”

“It’s really just September 25 today.”
“Shenzhou 7 must have carried a time-machine, across time and space and made it to September 27th. How powerful our motherland is!”
» Read more
- September 26, 2008 9:03 PM
Olympics Cartoon: I Am Awed!

From blogtd.org:

Translated caption:

- “Oh my, the Opening Ceremony is so awesome! Daddy you must really regret that you missed it.”
(I just changed my pigtails into the shape of two bird’s nests.)

- If you want to be awed, why don’t you watch stars in the sky.

- But how can you see any stars in the night sky these days?

- That’s why I am awed. How huge the screen must be to cover up all these stars! How did they do that?
» Read more
- August 14, 2008 9:01 PM
Olympics Cartoon: The New Put-down

Referring to the latest lip-syncing scandal at the Opening Ceremony, cartoonist/blogger Guaiguai published a new work on blogtd.org:

Translated caption: “I just learned a new put-down: ‘your look is violating national interests!!!’”
» Read more
- August 13, 2008 10:40 PM
Cartoon: Watching the Olympic Games

From blogtd.org:

Captions translated:

- Why do you look so down, young man?
- I could not get tickets for the Olympic games, so depressing.

- It’s the same as watching it on TV here. It is on a super large screen.
- It’s not the same thing.

- But if you watch games from here, no one will tell you how to dress, what kind of soft drink to drink, what to shout, and what banners to hold. You can do all these things you won’t be able to do at the stadium. Isn’t that cool?
- Really? That’s excellent.

- Go China!
- …… Wait a minute. No nudity here either.
» Read more
- August 6, 2008 8:08 PM
Cartoon: Netizens’ Olympic Humor

While everyone in China is having an Olympic overdose from official TV stations, newspapers and magazines, there are some comic relief from such images and slogans from witty netizens. Here are two of the latest examples.

(1) From photobucket.com:

- “My dear, why does your dangerous period for this month have so many days?”
- “……”

(2) From He Caitou’s blog:

More Beijing Olympics related online humor are here and here.
» Read more
- August 3, 2008 7:56 AM
Cartoon: Bus Explosion Anxiety

Although Chinese media are playing down reports of bus blasts in southwestern Kunming, and authorities dismissed a Uighur separatist group’s claims of responsibility for these incidents, many Chinese urban residents start to feel the terror effect while the Beijing Olympics approaches. The following cartoon captured such anxiety. From izaobao.com:

- Why don’t we get on this bus?
- Something is wrong. Let’s wait for the next one.

[The ads on the bus reads: "Summer Passion Explodes -JJ Bar"]
» Read more
- July 28, 2008 8:43 PM
China Extends Prime-time Ban on Foreign Cartoons

In an attempt to provide a favorable environment for the innovation of China’s cartoon industry, SARFT says that from May 1, the prohibition on broadcasting foreign cartoons will be extended for one more hour. From Reuters:

China will extend its prime-time ban on foreign cartoons by an hour and demand that local television stations seek approval from censors before broadcasting them, the country’s media watchdog said in a circular…

The watchdog also demanded TV stations observe a daily broadcast ratio of 7:3 for Chinese-made cartoons versus foreign cartoons, as part of a campaign to “provide a favourable environment for the innovation of China’s cartoon industry,” SARFT said in a statement posted on it’s Web site (www.sarft.gov.cn) late on Tuesday…

The regulation follows an order last week by China’s General Administration of Press and Publications (GAPP) to producers to cleanse their broadcasts of ghosts, monsters and other video content made “for the sole purpose of seeking terror and horror”.

See also AP’s report: China Extends Ban on Foreign Cartoons
» Read more
- February 19, 2008 11:34 PM
Video: TV Watchlist of a Generation

As China’s first post-reform generation reaches adulthood, “Born in the 70s” nostalgia continues to spread. The latest example is this series of video clips recalling the cartoons and TV dramas of the early reform days, recently posted on various video sharing sites.

Cartoons of the 70s/80s:

Three-part series on TV dramas of the 70s/80s:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

» Read more
- January 27, 2008 4:30 PM
Olympic Events for Chinese Journalists - CPJ

Although the Chinese government has promised greater access to foreign journalists covering the Olympics, domestic journalists may not share the same fate. This cartoon is by Mick Stern at the Committee to Protect Journalists:

» Read more
- July 9, 2007 1:03 PM
Video: My Life as McDull

“My Life as McDull (È∫•ÂÖúÊïÖ‰∫ã)” is the most successful Hong Kong animated feature film so far, which was released in 2001. McDull, the pink cartoon pig character, became very popular in China since then. The stories focus on the life of McDull and reflect the culture and realities of Hong Kong.

- More info here from Love HK Flim.com

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- July 4, 2007 6:55 AM
Sanmao Goes Overseas - Joel Martinsen

From Danwei:

Sanmao(‰∏âÊØõ), the wandering orphan created by cartoonist Zhang Leping in the 1930s, has been adapted for the screen many times over the years.

The latest adaptation, a live-action movie, is a Sino-Belgian co-production; some fans are worried about the prospect of Sanmao being “updated” and deprived of his Chineseness. Here’s a recent article by Zhang’s son Zhang Rongrong that explains how and why the family decided to grant a Belgian director the rights to the project…[Full Text]
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- July 3, 2007 5:05 AM
Cartoon Channel Cancellation Received Mixed Reactions - Josie Liu

From China in Transition blog:

While the cancellation of a cartoon channel in Zhengzhou, capital of central China’s Henan Province, may not be good news for young children, some parents were happy that it was no longer on air.

The parents complained that their children spent too much time, including sleep and homework hours, watching the cartoon channel, a subsidiary of Hunan Satellite TV and available in about a dozen Chinese cities. [Full Text]
» Read more
- May 1, 2007 9:47 PM