On the list of topics best avoided by Chinese comedians, there are a few things that are obvious. Such as politics. Such as soldiers.

Now add to that: the fragile male ego.

At least, that’s the message this month when a major e-commerce platform abruptly ended its partnership with China’s most famous female talk show performer. The company bowed to pressure from men on social media who called talk comedian Yang Li a man-hating witch.

In China, speaking out for women’s rights has become increasingly sensitive, and the talk show stage is the latest battleground. More and more women like Yang Li are speaking out, exposing — and mocking — the injustices they face. This fall, female performers stand out on two hugely popular talk shows, thanks to some of their best jokes, such as how hard it is to find a good partner or how men are afraid to talk about menstruation.

But backlash has occurred because men don’t want to be the butt of the joke. They attacked the actors on social media; Yang Li described receiving threats of violence. These women’s newfound attention can also be easily erased. Shortly after e-commerce company JD.com dropped Yang Li, it also deleted posts from its official social media accounts about two other female talk show performers.

The debate surrounding women’s jokes reflects a broader paradox of Chinese feminism. On the one hand, feminist rhetoric is more common than ever, and once niche discussions about gender inequality are now openly aired. But efforts to suppress such speech are also growing, encouraged by the government, which itself is clamping down on feminist activity and pushing women into traditional roles.

On the nationalist commentary website Observer.com, an articleeditorialClaimed: “The fewer public opinion-splitting symbols like ‘Yang Li’, the better.”

Even before the JD.com controversy erupted, Yang Li, 32, had spoken about the dangers of making fun of men. She said on a recent show that some young female stand-up comedians would ask her whether certain jokes should be told or not.

“I can’t judge this matter with ease,” Yang Li said. “I’ll let them speak. I’m worried about their future situation. I won’t let them speak. I’m worried about the effect of their performance.”

Yang Li, who declined an interview request through a representative, was one of the first Chinese comedians to demonstrate the possibilities for women on talk shows.

Yang Li, who is from Hebei and whose family is involved in pig farming, rose to fame in 2020 as a graphic designer and aspiring stand-up performer who often talks about her dating woes. “Why can men be so confident even though they look so ordinary?” This witticism went viral on the Internet.

To many women, she became an icon. But many men viciously denounced her, accusing her of fomenting “gender antagonism” – a term often used by state media to denounce feminism – and even reported her to the government. When Intel and Mercedes-Benz used her image in a 2021 ad campaign, online outrage prompted Intel to drop her and Mercedes-Benz to limit the ad’s exposure.

Yang Li is unapologetic about this. gradually,More women joined her. In one show this year, a female contestant thanked Yang Li, the show’s chief writer, for playing the role of “sister” in a male-dominated field.

These women have always forged their own paths, and their jokes sometimes go deeper than Yang Li’s or touch on new aspects of women’s daily humiliation. Several performers talked about men commenting on their weight, or their parents’ preference for their sons. A contestant named Cai Cai talked about her purchase of sanitary napkins.storythe errand boy even refused to say the word.

“What’s so revealing? You’re going to jail for buying sanitary napkins?” she said.

Jenny Zhang, 30, an IT worker and talk show fan in Shanghai, said watching female talk shows helped her realize the injustices in her own life.

“Then after you listen, you can actually feel that you will be more sensitive to your own emotions,” she said. “Maybe you just felt a little uncomfortable before, but you may realize that there may be a problem behind it.”

However, while the performers discussed once-taboo topics, they did not explicitly call themselves feminists. And they leave largely untouched issues that may be more sensitive, such as domestic violence or sexual harassment.

Liang Xiaowen, a New York feminist activist, said that even if the jokes were not outrageous, the important thing is that they appeared on mainstream platforms. Liang Xiaowen attended the event in New YorkA popular Chinese feminist talk show.

“It’s something that young women actually talk about a lot on the Internet,” she said of topics like menstrual shame. But “male partners, elder bosses, letting those people understand (your) own experience is actually a very valuable experience.”

University of Richmond political science professor who studies Chinese talk showsChen DanThe emphasis on personal stories has also helped keep gender inequality mentioned in popular culture, even as more overt activism has been silenced, he said. Government censors are unlikely to view such stories as political statements, she said.

“But if others resonate with you, then the message is sent,” Chen Dan said. She also said the humor of stand-up shows allows women to avoid accusations that they are preaching.

But even this relatively cautious approach is not enough to avoid controversy, as the reaction to Yang Li’s appearance in a JD.com advertisement for buying medicine this month illustrates.

Angry commenters called her an “extreme feminist,” citing her 2020 joke about “normal men.” They claimed to boycott the platform and complained to customer service, saying the company disrespected men.

Some have pointed to the fact that JD.com’s CEO is a woman as proof that toxic feminists have infiltrated the company. (The company’s chairman, Liu Qiangdong, was charged with rape in a U.S. court; the case was settled out of court in 2022.)

JD.com removed Yang Li’s ad four days after it was posted. “The relevant talk show actors’ participation in JD.com’s 11.11 marketing event has attracted the attention of netizens. If this has brought you a bad experience, we deeply apologize! We have no future cooperation plans with the relevant actors!” it said in a statement.

JD.com also removed posts about two other female stand-up performers who made jokes about men. The company did not respond to a request for comment.

According to Yang Li’s defenders, the controversy has nothing to do with her, but is about men’s insecurity about women’s rising status.

“Female users are now becoming more and more powerful in their purchasing power and self-awareness. Catering to groups with greater purchasing power is a simple business behavior,” said Sheen Qin, a 40-year-old manager at an Internet company in Shenzhen. But she said, “Boys can’t stand it.”

Ms Qin said a former male classmate called her stupid after she posted online in support of Yang Li.

Still, many women say they hope both female performers and audiences will continue to find outlets for expression on stand-up. (Regardless of the gender of the performer, talk shows can be controversial. Last year, talk shows in many parts of China were criticized after a male talk show performer told a joke that some online nationalists interpreted as an insult to Chinese military personnel. (The show was cancelled.)

Before the ad sparked controversy, Yang Li had said she planned to focus more on smaller shows rather than TV appearances. But she encourages other women to ignore advice to talk about topics other than gender.

“I just want to say this for my friends who may face the same situation as me: We will talk about this in the future,” she said. “If you’re really offended, go watch something else.”