Recently the popular “spoof video” form from China, also called e gao [1], has prevailed over the Internet. As an amateur filmmaker, I respect the integrity of a movie, and I don』t relish the thought of gaining by taking apart another director』s laborious work. To be honest I really haven』t frequented the sites that share these videos. However, I did take the time to watch several short spoof videos by Hu Ge, as this creator of spoof material is considered by some to be Mainland China』s Spoof Video Master. After watching and thinking about it, I found that in the pieces under the direction of Hu Ge, this genre is not simply for amusement, as I had expected. These spoof video provide not only playful comic relief, but they comment profoundly on social issues. Hu Ge』s famous parodies are highly satirical.
Sanlian Life Weekly reporter Xiaofeng Wang recently blogged, “In China, the freedom of speech is realized in an alternative way. Someone[2] is now against spoof videos, while it is actually a kind of freedom of speech.”
One needs to consider–in China, where there is no freedom of speech, how can people express their opinion? Maybe some would suggest not expressing in this circumstance! However, there must be a way to express people』s spirit, wisdom and emotion; otherwise a person could suffer from an emotional breakdown, or even personality disorders. Not to worry—these savvy artists in their wisdom have created “spoof culture” which not only finds a way for a safe expression of Chinese people』s wisdom, but which also provides an outlet for their negative emotions. So much has accumulated under the pressure formed by having to put up with all manner of things in the unique situation of Mainland China.
For example, the most famous, or infamous, spoof video by Hu Ge is by far “A Murder Case Instigated by a Steamed Bun.” Look for “一個饅頭引發的血案” on YouTube. This parody of Chen Kaige』s budget-buster, The Promise, drew so much attention, receiving widespread support when threatened with censorship. In Mainland China, “the steamed bun,” like the catchphrase “push-ups[3],” has taken on a richly evocative meaning. Why? In fact, in addition to providing an outlet for repugnance over the unintelligible plot produced at such huge expense in The Promise, a more important reason for the popularity of “A Murder Case Instigated by a Steamed Bun” may be that this “superficial” frivolous short video reflects serious issues in Chinese society. The consumer of this e gao sees a commentary outlining the following: degenerated social conduct as depicted in Entertainment City; violent tendencies motivating the behavior of urban management officials and policemen,who are shown fighting all the way; corrupted business ethics (the exaggerated advertisement during the video), etc. It is a mirror, and as it is only e gao it is safe to laugh at.
In another short work of Hu Ge, “Empire of Spring Festival Transportation,” (春運帝國) the sarcasm becomes still more obvious. Hu illustrates the hard life of migrant labor workers with a 3-kilometer ticket queue for purchasing tickets home for the New Year. The people are shown having to sing praises for the Party under this circumstance. Namely, a worker, who has not returned home in 20 years due to the situation received 2 tickets, at last, and was interviewed to demonstrate his gratefulness by “The People』s Daily Bootlicker[4]). Hu also shows the conspiracy between scalper and policeman with the tagline “This is sponsored by Scalper Group.” The oppressive and evil underworld character of the policemen, aptly illustrated with the borrowed image of the Agents from the Matrix trilogy, provides a vivid antagonist in this deftly humorous work. No subtitles are yet available, but even for those not fluent in Chinese, Hu Ge』s juxtaposition of edited and “borrowed” footage is very entertaining to watch. (You may wish to try the link at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li10_SQjb9E ).
When seeing the video ” 007 vs. The Pork Prince,” (007大戰豬肉王子) I did actually marvel at the economy of expression. For example, the true self of Kim Jong-Il, the king parodied in Hu』s video showcasing the “North Korean 007,” was depicted with just a few scenes, which can convulse an audience with laugher. When the king was captured, the first object the Pork Prince pulled from stuffed within the front of the leader』s carefully guarded shirt was a “King』s Work Permit,” suggesting an un-kingly origin. The second object, a bankbook from a Swiss bank, displayed a number with dozens of trailing zeros, The third object, a worn “Catalog of World Beauties,” with ticks and marks in an infantile hand, illustrated the amount of time the “monarch” had spent in this pursuit. Next, some miscellaneous objects, including a bunch of toilet paper, filled out the impression that the king was a stuffed shirt possessing no substantial knowledge or character. Perhaps most astonishing, the second-to-last thing in his bosom was a MashiMaro bunny toy. This sequence amounted to a wordless characterization which was equal to any severe tirade against the so-called king. Having been established as lecherous, avaricious, and vulgar, he then gives forth from the hidden confines of his bosum, last but not least, a map leading to none other than a hidden pork reserve belonging to a Chinese leader. As the Pork Prince unfolds this map and views its contents he begins to laugh.
Which Chinese leader does the king』s map refer to? I think many people have figured this one out. Plus, this leader has been pointed out clearly by the video (www.youtube.com/watch?v=y02OffECqRI at timecode 3:44). . Where did this leader hide the pork reserves? In the National Grand Theater near Zhong』Nan』Hai. To be sure, there is no controversy about who the hooligan leader is.
US TV and newspapers often make fun of the US president, and we feel that Americans are harsh. However, from an American』s point of view, the president is fair game and has no more protection from satire than a gas station worker would–because he is elected by the people, after all. And yet, making fun of him means he is worthy of people』s time and attention. On the other hand, in China, there is no direct chance or possibility for people to use mass media to criticize or correct the government officials (let alone higher leaders). There is no free media, or “Fourth Estate,” to bring this balance, which brings the spoof video into its current spotlight. This is essentially different from those spoof videos which exist only for pure entertainment, as fluff. Hu Ge may have us laughing, but he also has unleashed truth that cannot be said in other forums. As the musical interlude “Being Oppressed”[5] in yet another Hu Ge spoof, “007 vs. A Man in Black” choruses: “We are all oppressed!”
[1] literally, “evil work.”
[2] Could Chen Kaige be that someone? Chen has brought a massive lawsuit against Hu Ge for his spoof of “The Promise.” Chen Kaige is perhaps most popularly known for directing “Farewell My Concubine.” Additionally, “someone…against e gao” could also suggest those officials who have recently moved for law to suppress indie filmmakers in China from posting short videos to the Net without specific legal approval.
[3] “Push-ups” now means “a ridiculous excuse” in China.
In a notorious recent murder case, an innocent girl was killed near a river. The government tried to harbor the killer, and lied to the mass media, going on record that the murderer did not kill the girl, but was “doing push-ups” near the river.
[4] Originally directly translation to English as “Eulogizer Pao;” name of a fictitious newspaper, meaning “to sing praises blindly for the government.”
[5] Also translated as “We Were Forced.”
http://www.shenzhoufilm.com/sz/en/2008/10/27/a10034.html 2008-10-27 02:49