‘Comrade’ Uncle Roger gets banned on Chinese social media after making jokes on ‘good country’ China

A British-Malaysian comedian was banned in China over the weekend after he 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 did ChinabanUncle Roger?

Ng shared the clip of his upcoming show on Tuesday with the caption, “Uncle Roger about to get cancelled.” 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.”

Add WION as a Preferred Source

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, the Chinese Communist Party seems to be closely watchingcomics,leading to 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.

Also Read |No joke: China`s backlash against stand-up stirs fear of comedy clampdown

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.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE