Learning about a culture through standup comedy

Just because I grew up in Chinatown, New York doesn't mean that living in China is the same experience. The longer I stay in China, I realize there is more to learn about this ever changing society. I went to my first Chinese standup comedy in Beijing last month and was pleasantly surprised to learn what's new in this modern society just by noticing what the comedians joke about and what makes people laugh. The jokes really are a reflection on the society and culture. Regardless of what culture you're in, dating and relationships are almost always a theme in standup. But here are a few themes that stood out to me:

The pressure to get married is real

There is no topic more close to the hearts of millennials in China than the topic of marriage. In Chinese, they call it 催婚, which is the concept of societal and family pressure to get married by your late 20s. This pressure is usually in the form of constant barraging by family and relatives with questions like "Do you have a boyfriend yet? When will you get married?" This topic has become so popular that foreign brands try to touch on it to appeal to this group of consumers (e.g IKEA's infamous ad that had to be pulled for appearing sexist). As one of the comedians talks about how he hates going home for the new year, for fear of being asked by family and relatives the age old question of "You're not young anymore. You're still a single? Why haven't you found a girlfriend yet?", I can see the audience smiling in agreement. His suggestion as a creative comeback to his kin is "You're not young anymore either. At your age now, why are you still alive? Why haven't you gone yet?" Yes, he's making a reference to death, which sounds a bit harsh, but this alludes to the severity of today's marital pressure.

Regional differences

China is home to 34 provinces. Much like how the US has East vs West coast, China has a North vs South rivalry that is a good conversation starter on any day and with anyone. One of the comedians came up and the first thing he said was "Hello everyone. My name is __ and I'm from Guangdong and I guess that's obvious, right?" Guangdong is a province in the most southern part of China. Immediately, he's making a reference to his accent and the opinion that people from the South don't speak Mandarin well.

Inner Mongolia, a region all the way up north below Mongolia, has a distinct culture and language given its proximity to Mongolia, but the main languages spoken are Mandarin and Mongolian. One of the jokes that came up is the difference in their use of Mandarin. In Inner Mongolia, where it is common to serve milk to guests, the host might ask "你要喝奶子马?", which means "Do you want to drink milk?" However, for most of the country, 奶子 is breast milk, so you can imagine the reaction for most people to a question like that. It's just how they say it in Inner Mongolia.

Something else that I didn't know before is the perception of girls who smoke cigarettes. A comedian made a reference to how it is normal to see female smokers in first tier cities (large cosmopolitan cities like Beijing and Shanghai). However, in second or third tiered cities, smoking for a girl may be seen as a gateway drug for heroin or other illegal drugs.

Signs of the new middle class

One of the signs that you have money is to work out. This topic was mentioned in the context of how annoying it can be to browse Wechat moments and see people post gym selfies or show off their new luxury buys. Compared to the US, where fitness is common and barely a sign of wealth, it's interesting to see this trend in China. Since fitness is a nascent industry in China, gym memberships are expensive. As more people adopt this lifestyle, hopefully there will be cheaper options in the near future.

While owning pets is not new in China, it is a sign of the middle class to have dogs as pets. Apparently, Oscar and Oreo are common names for dogs here. On any given day, I'll come across unleashed dogs walking amongst people in busy streets, and their owners walking passively behind. Honestly, it's a wonder that I have not seen a dog attack on the streets of Beijing.

As I try to integrate myself into the society here, this experience has been enlightening to understand what topics bring people together in this society.