Source: China Real Time, WSJ (2/2/16)
Netizens Clamor for More Monkeys, Fewer Armored Tanks in CCTV Gala
By Eva Dou
Come for the New Year’s gala, stay for the military parade. Zuma Press
Hate-watching China Central Television’s annual spring festival gala, or chunwan, is a treasured pastime for many in China, what with the corny stand-up routines, stiff hairdos and outdated music (none of which prevents it from being China’s most-watched TV program each year with around 700 million viewers).
This year there is one more thing to grouse about: the military parade.
CCTV has announced that this year’s chunwan will include a reenactment of last September’s military parade marking the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II.
“We have a responsibility, a duty, to recreate the spectacular event of the great Sept. 3 military parade,” an organizer of this year’s gala said, as quoted in state media.
Political propaganda generally plays a role in the annual show. The huge viewership – six times larger than the U.S. Super Bowl’s – naturally makes the gala a prime target for channeling political messages and reminding citizens of the government’s accomplishments. Last year’s chunwan included skits about Beijing’s anti-corruption drive and included a song, “I Give My Heart to You,” that featured video shots of President Xi Jinping meeting with citizens around the country.
But for some, a military parade goes too far. Many took to Chinese social media platform Weibo to protest ringing in the Year of the Monkey with a review of China’s store of armaments. They also agitated for China’s most famous fictional monkey – the Monkey King, played in the TV show by actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong – to make an appearance instead.
“If we watch chunwan to see military parades, should we watch military parades to see monkeys?” asked one Weibo user.
“The only thing I want to watch is the Monkey King,” another user wrote under one post about the military parade reenactment, a sentiment echoed by many commenters.
Millions have threatened to boycott this year’s chunwan after the Monkey King actor (Liu Xiao Ling Tong’s real name is Zhang Jinlai) posted a picture of himself rehearsing for a different show instead of the gala, and CCTV has had to shut off its comment function on Weibo, according to China’s official Xinhua News Agency. It is unclear why the beloved actor was not invited.
This year’s gala has already drawn controversy with the unveiling of its mascot, a monkey named Kang Kang.
Unfortunate Kang Kang has drawn a barrage of mockery, partly due to the perplexing addition of pendulous globes to its cheeks. The painted-faced monkey is only the second chunwan mascot after last year’s goat mascot Yang Yang.
According to the official website of CCTV, gala organizers requested the help of CCTV’s military journalist who covered the parade to help recreate an artistic stage interpretation. The performance is meant to show the “high morale and fearless spirit of China’s military,” CCTV said.
–Eva Dou. Follow her on Twitter @evadou.