A British-Malaysian comedian was banned in China over the weekend after having made jokes about China and its censorship regime. Comedian Nigel Ng, popularly known as Uncle Roger, had his social media accounts banned on Chinese social media websites Weibo and Bilibili due to the “violation of relevant laws and regulations.” It is speculated that the ban was prompted by a promo of the show that Nigel Ng posted on YouTube and Twitter, which featured jokes about China’s surveillance state and its social credit score system.
Why China has banned Uncle Roger
Ng shared the clip of his upcoming show on Tuesday with the caption, “Uncle Roger about to get canceled.” The clip has so far generated views in millions across social media platforms. The video shows Ng saying “China is a good country,” upon learning that one of his audience members is from China’s southern Guangzhou province. He then says, “We have to say that now, correct? All their phones listening.”
Watch: Gravitas: China slams comedian for cracking a joke
He further says, “Long live President Xi”, before joking about his “credit score going up.” He then goes on to mention Taiwan, referring to it as “not a real country” and one which will “rejoin the motherland.” He then asks the Chinese member to heap praises upon him before the Chinese government, before saying, “Uncle Roger good comrades” and “Don’t make him disappear please.”
Interestingly, Ng’s full stand-up comedy show is scheduled to be released on June 4, the anniversary of the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, which is a highly politically sensitive date for Chinese authorities.
China’s ongoing crackdown on comics
Of late, there has been a renewed emphasis of the Chinese Communist Party on comics, which has prompted a crackdown on individuals who are perceived to have breached political boundaries.
Recently, Chinese comedian Li Haoshi faced severe consequences for a joke that vaguely alluded to the army, provoking a significant backlash from the authorities. As a result, the entertainment company he was affiliated with was fined over $2 million and prohibited from organising performances in major cities.
Furthermore, the police initiated an investigation into Li, which could potentially lead to his imprisonment. In response, Li has chosen to cancel all of his upcoming engagements, and his posting privileges on Weibo have been revoked.
