China | The last laugh

A female comedian has Chinese men up in arms

They are proving to be a rather prickly bunch

Yang Li performing
Burning menPhotograph: YouTube

Yang Li is no stranger to online uproars. Four years ago the stand-up comedian (pictured) riled many Chinese men with a mildly worded ribbing on a streamed show. Her line, “Why does he look so ordinary, but can still be so confident?” remains infamous among touchy male netizens. On October 18th one of China’s biggest e-commerce firms, JD.com, dropped Ms Yang as a promoter of its services after an outcry from still-offended men. Yet women are fighting back.

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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “The last laugh”

From the October 26th 2024 edition

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