A viral pop song that pokes fun at Beijing and its supporters has been banned in mainland China.
Fragile mocks so-called “little pinks” – a term which refers to young nationalists who rush to the defence of the Chinese government on the internet.
The lyrics contain words like “re-education camp”, “cotton”, “inseparable relationship”, taking a dig at sensitive issues ranging from Xinjiang to Taiwan sovereignty.
The video has gone viral in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, despite the ban in mainland China.
The BBC talks to the song’s creator, Namewee.
The Chinese-Australian singer, Kimberley Chen, has also been banned, per Variety:
… The latest furor follows the release of his “Fragile,” a Mandarin-language song featuring Australian Chinese singer Kimberley Chen. A catchy romantic tune that with lyrics about breaking a fragile heart, the song is full of symbols, idioms and metaphors that can also be seen as mocking and criticizing the “little pinks,” China’s volunteer army of angry digital warriors who have formed a core element in China’s cyber nationalism, and who are highly sensitive to any criticism of the country’s leader Xi Jinping…
Born in Muar, Johor, Malaysia in 1983, Namewee has a long track record as a controversial figure in his Muslim-majority home country. The rapper has been arrested and detained multiple times because his songs and music videos have been deemed insulting to other religions and races.
The latest music video is saturated with pink objects, decorations and costumes. It involves a dancing panda and stuffed toys in the shape of bats, tweaking Chinese sensitivities over the origin of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
After debuting on YouTube on Oct. 15, the video has garnered millions of views and has been trending in Chinese-speaking regions such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. As of Tuesday, the music video has accumulated more than 17.6 million views…
Maybe we could Kickstart a Trump-focused version, perhaps from a sympathetic Canadian?
NotMax
Nah, he’d just appropriate it for the rallies.
“It’s got my name in it!”
Baud
China stands firmly against Critical Regime Theory.
Unbeknownst to me, I also have been banned from multiple countries. Will post again after exfil.
Hope you are all well.
Anne Laurie
@Baud: We told you to get all your vaccinations updated!
Srsly: Glad you are well, and looking forward to your return.
NotMax
@Baud
How’s the weather in Nopantsistan?
;)
Jerzy Russian
@Baud:
You probably wouldn’t want to go to any country that would admit you, so it all works out in the end.
sab
@Baud: We miss you. Be well.
Benw
@Baud: hope you’re doing well, too! Sorry you got banned
SiubhanDuinne
@Baud:
Oh noes, Baud is PNG!
You are not PNG here, Baud. Come back soon and safely.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
What is it about authoritarians the world over that they can’t seem to handle mockery or criticism? And they will almost never ever admit fault. For anything.
I’m reminded of that little temper tantrum Sultan Erdogon (sp) had when Biden formally recognized (I think?) the Armenian genocide. He actually thought that “Well, had about we do a report on your atrocities! Checkmate, Americans!” And he thought that was some kind of power move! A lot of Americans, myself included, gladly admit to our nation’s awful history.
Let’s say I got to have a little sit down in private with Turkey’s leader. How would he react if I tried characterizing his behavior as childish, leaving all of the geopolitical bullshit out of it; “I freely admit the US has and continues to do some pretty awful things. Question is, why can’t you do the same? Why can’t you just be a man admit your nation’s past mistakes?”
To the “little pinks”, all I have to say is, you shouldn’t blindly trust your government. A true patriot loves their country while admitting to it’s faults; a nationalist loves their country like a child loves their mother, ie. doesn’t see any flaws.
CaseyL
So many thin-skinned fascists and dictators of various flavors.
Why, you might even think their power-grabbing and stomping all over everyone covers up some deep insecurities.
Confirms yet again the peculiar hall-of-mirrors that is the Strong Man style of government. “Fake it til you make it,” but on a mass-murdering scale.
Lum’s Better Half
The “geopolitical bullshit” is the entire point of the exercise.
There is an awareness that acknowledgment of misdeeds is just the beginning of an expensive process that has no end.
Fair Economist
Cute! I noticed some potshots at Xinnie the Pooh and his honey (Xi is easily caricatured as Winnie the Pooh; he has roughly the same face and body shape, plus often a rather spacey expression).
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Authoritarianism relies on everybody being afraid to challenge it. If mockery gets very widespread, the fear fades and their power gets shaky.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@Lum’s Better Half:
@Fair Economist:
Makes sense. Still, the thin-skinned vibes these bans give off make them look pathetic to everybody else imo
HumboldtBlue
Malikah Shabazz, daughter of Malcolm X, was found dead in her Brooklyn residence.
sab
@HumboldtBlue: I feel so bad for her mother.
HumboldtBlue
@sab:
Yup.
karen marie
I just watched season 1 (of, sadly, only 2) of the greatest show I’ve seen in a long time – Timewasters. “A struggling jazz band from South London are propelled back in time.” The first season the kids travel to 1926 London, the second season they wind up in 1958. It’s on Amazon.
Apparently there’s an American remake under way, set in Harlem. I’m not optimistic given how badly such things usually end up.
Take your mind off the woes of the world and watch some terrific acting and writing.
sab
So now our decision is what to do with the cocker spaniel. He has had bloody diarrhea for at least six weeks. That isn’t healthy. And probably isn’t curable.And certainly isn’t comfortable.
If we go to the vet hospital they will think we are serial pet killers
ETA We just killed our best cat ever yesterday. We aren’t nice people.
phdesmond
@HumboldtBlue:
my, my. all America’s chickens are coming home to roost, for every generation.
phdesmond
@karen marie:
i notice that the front page has a category for shows on amazon prime. that would be a good place to put a note about this show — it looks very promising!
karen marie
@sab: Has he been seen by a vet? My spaniel has had similar issues. Nothing showed up on tests over years. She’s been on a prescription “biome” food for 18 months and the problem hasn’t recurred.
I hope you and yours gets a happy resolution!
karen marie
@phdesmond: I looked at that to post about something a month or two ago (or three?) and nothing had been posted there for over a year. I took it as dead.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@sab:
I’m so sorry you’re going through all this sab.
Reading your story, and speaking as someone who has had to make the difficult decision of putting a pet to sleep, you did the best thing for your cat. His quality of life was not good and you gave him peace from the terror he was experiencing. And by the sounds of it, you and your family gave a great life. That’s nothing to be ashamed of
opiejeanne
@sab: You gave that wonderful cat the care he needed. I’m so sorry.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax:
Which region? There are many, and they don’t necessarily border each other.
mrmoshpotato
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Because THEY are the whiny snowflakes! ?
Whine harder, commies!
mrmoshpotato
I believe our Aussie friends did a version last year.
Van Vuuren Brothers – Bye Bye Donny
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Anne Laurie: I believe that most countries require pants to gain entry.
ETA: @NotMax: Yup, that’s the one that doesn’t.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@Baud: Hopefully Greece isn’t one of those countries! If you need a character witness, I can attest that you’re not an insurrectionist, just an unorthodox candidate. They know the difference here. :)
Bruce K in ATH-GR
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Like the saying goes, “my country, right or wrong; when right, to keep it right; when wrong, to set it right.”
Lots of people forget those two caveats at the end of the saying.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Bruce K in ATH-GR:
Baud is indeed a character.
bjacques
This video spreads hatred of China.
Unrelentingly devour the polluters of Xi Jinping Thought!
The Chinese really love their adverbs, don’t they? Meanwhile, the Dutch have none. There are opportunities for trade unmatched since the great Finland-Serbia Vowel/Consonant Trade Agreement of 2002.
J R in WV
@sab:
No, they will know that you are having a bad run of luck. I took our rescue golden mix from out regular vet clinic to [ this was all pre-plague ] the ER Vet clinic when the regular clinic closed for the weekend, on the recommendation of our vet there. Happy was very quiet suddenly. Vet had treated Happy for 9 months for a serious heartworm infestation before allowing us to adopt her.
ER Clinic determined she had an abdominal tumor bleeding into the abdomen, did not think it was treatable. I realized that Dr at regular clinic was too close to Happy to want to help us put her down, but ER clinic was both not busy and very supportive. Was best possible outcome, really.
Sad for your best cat ever. We have lost quite a few really good cats, as we rescue and always have at least a couple in house at all times. Probably 25-30 over the past 50 years. I think our best run was a couple of white toms with red spots. Each lasted some 20 years, were very connected to both of us.
Take care!!
WaterGirl
@Baud: Baud!!!
WaterGirl
@sab: My kitty had bloody diarrhea and there were two simple fixes. 1) feed her chicken, rice and pumpkin for 10 days or 2) go to the compounding pharmacy that’s 30 minutes away and get the magic antibiotic.
We went with door #1, and the problem went away. We changed her to a new food after that and the problem never returned.
Moral of the story: don’t assume the worst.
also, so very sorry to hear about your kitty.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: I miss the former president of Mexico and his Trump videos. Possibly the only good thing inspired by T**** ever.
AlaskaReader
@mrmoshpotato: YG, right here in America, did it first.
Roger Moore
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
I think you have cause and effect backward. It isn’t authoritarianism that makes them incapable of handling mockery or criticism; it’s inability to handle mockery or criticism that makes them authoritarian. Seriously, they are basically incapable of handling anyone who disagrees with them, so they build power to avoid needing to.