From Court Fools to Stage Puppets: Country Bumpkins in the Skits on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, 1983–2022

Abstract

The satiric skits (xiaopin) on the annual Spring Festival Gala on China Central Television (CCTV) are arguably the most popular performances in the most-watched show on the most-censored television channel in China in the reform era. Through witty satire of emerging social problems, these performances help the audience to relieve anxieties accumulated in a fast-changing society. In particular, country bumpkin characters play a crucial role in providing a platform for the populace and the state to meet, contest, negotiate and compromise. However, they suddenly disappeared after Xi Jinping took power in 2012, which, examined in the context of socialist comedy, signals a new stage of China's post-socialist condition.

From Symbol to Reality: Societal Decoding of Power Relations and Cultural Appropriation

“…Research from communication scholars further corroborates this phenomenon. Huang and Zhan note that the national discourse within Chunwan is meticulously designed and constructed, encompassing the portrayal of a vibrant national image, strengthening the amalgamation of national goals with individual aspirations, and exploring profound societal issues via entertaining formats [12]. Documents from the General Office of the Communist Party of China emphasize the pivotal role of mass media in disseminating socialist core values.…”

A Study on the Propaganda Function of Official Media on Chinese Culture from the Perspective of Modern Communication

“…Foreign media will interpret a certain event from different aspects, including negatively, and will report on some issues that Chinese media will not. For example, the comedy sketches (xiaopin) on Spring Festival Gala are perhaps the most popular performances in the most-watched show on China's television channel in the reform era [9]. These performances let the audience relax tensions acquired in a fast-changing society through the clever satire of developing social problems [9].…”

“…For example, the comedy sketches (xiaopin) on Spring Festival Gala are perhaps the most popular performances in the most-watched show on China's television channel in the reform era [9]. These performances let the audience relax tensions acquired in a fast-changing society through the clever satire of developing social problems [9]. However, at the 2018 Spring Festival Gala, there were some disagreements concerning a comedy sketch titled "The same joy, the same happiness", in which blackface was utilized [10].…”