Chinese Humor

I really love to laugh. 我爱发笑的程度大概世界少有. Anybody who has known me for at least 10 minutes could verify. But in China, unless I’m laughing at somebody, or joking with my Western friends, it’s hard to find an opportunity to enjoy this pastime. For me, the reason is two-fold: First, until recently, the language barrier was so high and so broad, that to convey any nuanced idea, or to attempt to translate a joke that relies on the richness of English was like asking someone who’s never seen a horse to enter a classical dressage competition; guaranteed failure…and possible injury. Second, as far as I can tell, the distinct style of Chinese humor, if there is one* (read bottom of post for more), surely does not include physical comedy. This denies me the opportunity, as Americans enjoy so much, to abandon language, and for a good chuckle, just dance around like a goon, or stick on a pair of fake teeth and start bumbling like an idiot. Or better yet, just hang out with friends and watch some guy who can barely speak English fall off a treadmill.

These impressions I’m sharing with you here have not been forged overnight. Rather, I’ve lived and traveled in China for altogether well over a year and I’ve tried countless times to make friends through laughter, either by slapstick or telling a joke; However, unless I’m speaking English (and the listener understands what I’m saying), there’s just blank stares and confusion. I obtained my most recent notch on the belt just two weeks ago. The Mongolian winds were blowing from the north and Beijing was especially cold. I was out with some friends, after dinner, on the way to a quiet drink, or four, when we walked by a little shop that was sure to have ice cream inside. I decided to treat. I approached the shop owner, and in Chinese, I explained how us white people are crazy – it’s freezing cold outside but we still want to eat ice cream! 无论外面多么冷, 看着冰淇淋，西洋人都会开始流口水. 我们是不是有点儿愚蠢? “Isn’t that silly?” I inquired. The look on her face clearly demonstrated that she had absolutely no idea what I was saying. I think if her life depended on it, she would not have been able to guess what my intent was. Was I joking? Was I a reporter? Was I really just being crazy? But my question is this: Isn’t it at least a little bit funny for Chinese to watch a foreigner butcher their language? It sure is the other way around. Just watch this.

* Jeremy Goldkorn would say laughter here is dead. In an article written for danwei.org, which investigates the destruction or modern Chinese humor and can be read here, Jeremy argues that, “any [entertainment or media] content that is the least bit irreverent, iconoclastic, snide, or mocking (i.e., anything displaying the essential attitudes of humor) is perceived as downright crass and socially disruptive.”