Joking aside

ON THE night of January 30th 700m viewers will see in the year of the horse by watching the “Spring Festival Gala” on Chinese television, a four-hour parade of song, dance and a traditional form of two-man comic repartee called xiangsheng. Popular opinion among the increasingly sophisticated urban populace is that the programme is cheesy and the jokes lame. But there is plenty of new year cheer and everyone still watches.

Away from the television, however, people are looking for something a little more edgy. Stand-up comedy events known as tuokouxiu are becoming popular in larger cities. The word is borrowed from the English word “talkshow”, and the format is inspired by American comedians such as David Letterman. Fodder for jokes ranges from the universal—city life, losers looking for a girlfriend—to the latest social issues such as unaffordable housing.