A Chinese comedy group has been fined 14.7 million yuan ($2.1 million; £1.7 million) for making a joke about the military that referenced a slogan used by President Xi Jinping.
Comedian and company accused of humiliating PLA
The comedian's remark, comparing the behavior of their dogs to military conduct, angered the authorities.
Shanghai Xiaoguo Culture Media Co and comedian Li Haoshi were accused of "humiliating the people's army" by the authorities.
The company acknowledged the penalty and terminated Li's contract in response.
What was the joke?
During a stand-up performance in Beijing on Saturday, Li made the controversial remark referring to two dogs he had adopted, who were chasing a squirrel.
Li, whose stage name is House, said: "Other dogs you see would make you think they are adorable. These two dogs only reminded me of... 'Fight to win, forge exemplary conduct'."
The punchline of the joke incorporates a slogan introduced by President Xi in 2013, which serves as a goal for the Chinese military.
An audio recording of the performance, shared on China's Weibo platform, captured the audience's laughter in response to the joke.
However, the joke received a much colder reception online after a complaint was filed by an audience member.
Company faces fine and suspension in Beijing
In response, Beijing authorities initiated an investigation on Tuesday. The authorities confiscated 1.32 million yuan in alleged illegal income and imposed an additional fine of 13.35 million yuan on the company, as reported by Xinhua.
Furthermore, Shanghai Xiaoguo's operations in the Chinese capital have been indefinitely suspended.
The Beijing arm of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau said: "We will never allow any company or individual use the Chinese capital as a stage to wantonly slander the glorious image of the PLA [People's Liberation Army]."
Mixed reactions by people on controversial joke
The audio recording quickly went viral, eliciting strong offense from some nationalists, while state media joined in the criticism. However, there were those who questioned whether the reactions were excessive.
A post online liked over 1,200 times reads: "I am patriotic and really don't like others to humiliate our country... But I really don't like this atmosphere where every word about politics is sensitive."
Apologising to to his more than 136,000 Weibo followers, Li said: "I feel deeply shamed and regretful. I will take responsibility, stop all activities, deeply reflect, learn again."
China- a difficult place for comedy
Following the incident, his Weibo account was subsequently suspended.
This incident highlights the difficult environment faced by Chinese comedians, who often become targets of both authorities and online users.
In a similar case in late 2020, stand-up comedian Yang Li faced accusations of "sexism" and "man-hating" after making jokes about men. A group advocating for men's rights urged netizens to report her to China's media regulator.
