• ABOUT
  • ADVERTISE
  • SUPPORT
  • CONTACT
  • WORK
Friday, February 22, 2019
Shanghaiist
8 °c
Shanghai
7 ° Sat
6 ° Sun
6 ° Mon
5 ° Tue
5 ° Wed
9 ° Thu
  • NEWS

    Taiwan finally proposes Asia’s first draft law on gay marriage

    Trump praises China’s use of death penalty for drug dealers, implies that the US should follow suit

    Chinese billionaire calls Australia a “giant baby” after having his permanent residency revoked

    Air NZ flight to Shanghai was forced to turn back because of Taiwan reference in paperwork

    China releases video of Uighur musician to show he wasn’t tortured to death in re-education camp

    On mock cooking show, Taiwan premier trolls China with Winnie the Pooh doll

    China does even worse than usual in latest global freedom ranking

    “Exploitation.” Awkward translation faux pas spotted at China-Africa friendship event

    US hits Huawei with 23 criminal indictments for violating Iran sanctions, stealing trade secrets

    Canada’s ambassador to China fired after making more controversial comments about Meng Wanzhou case

    George Soros calls Xi Jinping the world’s “most dangerous opponent” to open societies

    Bing is back! Microsoft’s search engine is no longer blocked in China

    Chinese meat giant’s stocks surge after founder returns home following 3-year “disappearance”

    Canada’s ambassador to China says Meng Wanzhou has a “strong case” for fighting extradition

    China has blocked Bing

    Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun detained in China

    McDonald’s accused of supporting Taiwan independence with “controversial” commercial

    Massive sky corridor connected atop four skyscrapers in Chongqing

    Huawei founder says his company does not spy for China and would refuse if Beijing asked

    China issues travel alert of its own, warning its citizens about visiting Canada

  • L!FE
  • FOOD
  • GALLERY
  • VIDEO

    WATCH: Dad spotted driving on snowy road, pulling son behind in tire sled

    This is what a ¥10,000 seafood dinner looks like in Guangzhou

    WATCH: Heroic firefighter drags burning gas cylinder out of house

    WATCH: How to run a tea scam at Starbucks

    WATCH: Dude writes Chinese calligraphy on stone with power grinder

    WATCH: Rodrigo Duterte, Kim Jong-un impersonators mobbed in Hong Kong

    WATCH: Incredible synchronized performance from Shaolin students at this year’s Spring Festival Gala

    WATCH: Aerial footage of massive 5 km long traffic jam on Guangdong expressway during CNY rush

    PLA soldiers celebrate Chinese New Year by forming the shape of Peppa the Pig

    Photography Friday: An interview with Huang Xiaoliang

    Hangzhou hotel opens up hot pot-style hot spring for hungry guests

    Boy puts lit fireworks down manhole cover, blows up sidewalk

    Meet the kids who grew up in Chinese restaurants

    WATCH: Apple marks Chinese New Year with short, sweet film shot by Jia Zhangke on an iPhone XS

    Chinese internet falls in love with big fluffy emotional support dog on passenger plane

    WATCH: Bull escapes slaughterhouse, charges woman in restaurant

    WATCH: Aerial footage of Wuhan’s mindblowingly massive bullet train maintenance center

    WATCH: Shanxi principal replaces boring morning exercise routine with super cool dance moves

    WATCH: Laowai rents a Chinese dad

    WATCH: Chinese passersby get asked if they live in a democratic country

  • EVENTS
    • DINING
      • BRUNCH
      • AFTERNOON TEA
    • NIGHTLIFE
      • LADIES’ NIGHT
      • HAPPY HOUR
      • MUSIC
    • EXHIBITIONS
      • ART SHOWS
      • TRADE FAIRS
    • COMMUNITY
    • EDUCATION
    • ★ LIST YOUR EVENT
    • ★ BE A VENUE PARTNER
    • ★ SUBMIT A GALLERY
  • TICKETS
    • FAQ
No Result
View All Result
Shanghaiist
No Result
View All Result
Shanghaiist
No Result
View All Result

WATCH: CCTV host filmed cursing Chairman Mao at private dinner

by Kenneth Tan
May 5, 2018
in News

cctv-host-dinner.jpg
A video of a famous Chinese TV personality belting out a drunken rendition of a classic revolutionary song sprinkled with the occasional expletive and snide remark about one Mao Zedong (whom he refers to as a “son of a bitch”) has naturally gone viral online and is brewing up a shitstorm of a scandal for the celebrity host, as well as heated discussion online over the limits of free speech in the country.
Bi Fujian, who appears regularly as a host on CCTV and has served as a co-host for the Spring Festival Gala since 2011, was videotaped in a private dinner room after what we can only assume was a very boozy evening. It’s unclear who filmed the footage, which trickled into the web sphere on April 5, but thousands of netizens have since jumped on the opportunity to see a household name of China’s state-run broadcaster criticizing the country’s revered former leader.
Bi, sitting at a restaurant table with a few laughing acquaintances, is recorded singing “The Taking of Tiger Mountain“, a song from the well-known and Mao-sanctioned 1958 revolutionary opera Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy. Occasionally he would break from his mockingly patriotic performance to add his own slurred and snarky commentary. According to a Foreign Policy translation:

After the lyric “we wear a red star on our heads, a red flag on either side of us,” for example, Bi joked, “What kind of get-up is that?” In what was perhaps the most inflammatory line, Bi called Mao an expletive similar to “a son of a bitch,” one who had “really hurt [Chinese people] bitterly.”

Since the video went viral online, CCTV said it had suspended all of Bi’s shows until further notice, describing his remarks as having “a major social impact”. An employee at the station said in a Sina News report that it was uncertain whether the programs would be broadcast again after this Sunday.
An editorial from state-run newspaper China Youth Net condemned Bi’s comments and demanded that he make an apology to the public. “Mao Zedong was a great man…and the founding father of the People’s Republic…[Without Mao and the party], would Bi Fujian be able to enjoy his big dinner while criticizing the people who have fought for his happiness?” the commentary asked.
“Not everyone and everything can be joked about and mocked without consideration, even if it’s at a private gathering or in the private domain.”
Not all web users, however, agreed. The video has opened up debate among Mao loyalists and critics.
“For the host of a ruling party’s top media mouthpiece to curse the party’s and nation’s founder calls for more than such trivial measures as being fired,” wrote Duan Wei, a widely-followed commentator on the Chinese micro-blogging service Weibo (via FP).
Weibo user jssz201010 agreed: “How can a [high-profile personality] attack a late founding leader in this way? It’s surprising that such a psychologically deformed person works at CCTV. Does he want to revolt? ”
Web user 加V认身份不证智商 wrote: “I’d like to say something about the video. First, always pay attention to the occasion. It’s a completely private gathering. If what he said calls for criticism, this is no different than the British novel 1984. Second, pay attention to the context […] He made fun of all of the lyrics and sang carelessly. Third, be aware of who you’re criticizing. Sure, Bi is a hypocrite, but the one who posted the video online is a betrayer.”
Novelist Xia Wenyu similarly commented that the anonymous publisher of the video brings to mind Cultural Revolution-era “informants” who would sell-out even their own family members.
Qiao Mu, a journalism professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, agreed that Bi’s suspension was harsh, especially considering his remarks were made privately.
“Mao is a public figure. If people can comment on Chiang Kai-shek or Sun Yat-sen, why shouldn’t they be allowed to comment on Mao?” Qiao asked.
“Without Mao it wouldn’t hurt, but without Bi, middle-aged women would find their weekends quite idle.”
Watch the video here:

Share this:

  • Pocket
  • Telegram
  • Print
Shanghaiist

© 2005-2018 Shanghaiist - China in bite-sized portions!

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Join the Community
  • List Your Event
  • Be a Venue Partner
  • Submit a Gallery
  • Work with us
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS
  • L!FE
  • FOOD
  • GALLERY
  • VIDEO
  • EVENTS
    • DINING
      • BRUNCH
      • AFTERNOON TEA
    • NIGHTLIFE
      • LADIES’ NIGHT
      • HAPPY HOUR
      • MUSIC
    • EXHIBITIONS
      • ART SHOWS
      • TRADE FAIRS
    • COMMUNITY
    • EDUCATION
    • ★ LIST YOUR EVENT
    • ★ BE A VENUE PARTNER
    • ★ SUBMIT A GALLERY
  • TICKETS
    • FAQ

© 2005-2018 Shanghaiist - China in bite-sized portions!