After a comedian made jokes about the People's Liberation Army (PLA) last week, a Chinese entertainment company was fined heavily and had its shows in the capital city canceled.
The Beijing city cultural and tourism regulator stated in a notice released on Wednesday, May 17, that Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media is obligated to forfeit 1.35 million yuan ($192,000) in profits from performances in the capital city and pay a punishment of 13.35 million yuan ($1.9 million), Reuters reported.
A Call to Exercise More Self-Discipline
"The company and actor Li Haoshi wantonly tampered with the preapproved content of the performance," the letter stated, quoted by South China Morning Post (SCMP). "There was humiliating material against the People's Liberation Army in two performances in the afternoon and evening of May 13, causing very bad social effects."
The note also said that the business was permanently barred from performing in the nation's capital.
The notice did not specify the violation, but social media in China said that Li had mocked a famous PLA motto about winning wars by drawing a comparison between the motto and the antics of two dogs pursuing a squirrel.
The Beijing regulator statement urged the sector to "correct their creative thinking." It warned against reckless slandering of the glorious image of the army or even making fun of serious subject matters on stages in the capital city.
A post on the messaging app WeChat claims that the Beijing municipal police have also launched an inquiry into Li's actions.
Shanghai's administrative body has also taken action, ceasing the group's performances in the city while issuing a reprimand and an order for rectification on the part of the firm.
Meanwhile, a notification was sent out by the China Association of Performing Arts urging its members to not support Li. The group also requested that organizations better oversee and educate performers and that the industry must exercise more self-discipline.
Rebuttal to a Contentious Statement
Earlier this week, both Li and the Xiaoguo company issued apologies.
On Wednesday, the company also said it would begin taking steps to make amends. This includes creating a new division whose job is to evaluate previous performance to prevent ignorance that leads to crossing political red lines.
Li, popularly referred to as House, has also been released from his contract. He has expressed apologies for the uproar and admitted to using an inappropriate metaphor. "I will take all the responsibility and call off all my performances to deeply reflect and reeducate myself," he stated, according to CNN.
People's Daily, the Communist Party's mouthpiece, also weighed in on the matter. In a Weibo post, as reported by SCMP, it said the entertainment business should watch its language and that stand-up comedians should not cross any lines.
Weibo users were split on how they felt about Li's comments, with some finding his statements offensive while others defending him or saying the backlash was unjustified.
