China fines comedy troupe $2 million for pranking the military

A Chinese comedy troupe has been fined 14.7m yuan ($2.1m; £1.7m) for a joke about the military that invoked President Xi Jinping’s slogan.

The mockery, which likened the comedian’s dogs’ behavior to military behavior, angered the authorities.

They said that Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co. and comedian Li Haoshi had “insulted the people’s army”.

The company accepted the penalty and terminated Mr. Lee’s contract.

The offensive remarks were made during a stand-up show in Beijing on Saturday, when Mr. Li alluded to two dogs he adopted chasing a squirrel.

said Mr. Lee, whose stage name is House.

The speech is part of a slogan unveiled by President Xi in 2013 as a target for the Chinese military.

In an audio recording of the performance shared on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo, audience members can be heard laughing at the joke.

But he was not well received online, after an audience member complained about him. Beijing authorities said they opened an investigation on Tuesday.

They then confiscated 1.32 million yuan of what was considered illegal income, and fined the company another 13.35 million yuan, according to Xinhua.

Shanghai Xiaoguo’s activities in the Chinese capital have also been suspended indefinitely.

“We will never allow any company or individual to use Chinese capital as a stage for wanton smearing of the glorious image of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.” [People’s Liberation Army]Said the Beijing Branch of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The audio recording went viral, with some nationalists saying they were deeply offended and state media piling on. But others questioned whether the reactions were overblown.

“I am a patriot and I really don’t like others insulting our country…but I really don’t like this atmosphere where every word about politics is sensitive,” reads one post that has been liked 1,200 times.

Mr. Li apologized to his more than 136,000 followers on Weibo. “I am deeply ashamed and sorry. I will take responsibility, stop all activities, think deeply, and learn again.”

His Weibo account has since been suspended.

The incident highlights the challenging climate for Chinese comedians, who have been targeted by authorities and netizens alike.

In late 2020, comedian Yang Li was accused of “sexism” and “man-hating” after making jokes about men. A group claiming to defend men’s rights also called on netizens to report it to China’s media regulator.