China Memes & Viral

Watch: This China-based Black Man is Fed Up With 3 Major Things

A short video by a black man who has been living in China for three years is making its rounds on Chinese social media. Speaking in Chinese, the young man talks about three things he is really fed up with in China in relation to the color of his skin.

Published

8 years ago

May 30, 2016

Manya Koetse

https://youtu.be/IZaUka4Kmk4

A short video by a black man who has been living in China for three years is making its rounds on Chinese social media. Speaking and swearing in Chinese, the young man talks about three things he is really fed up with in China in relation to the color of his skin.

Just when a Chinese laundry commercial caused big controversy for being “completely racist”, a short video by a black man living in China has gone viral on Sina Weibo.

In the video, the New Yorker, who is said to have been living in China’s Chongqing for three years, talks about three things that he is really fed up hearing.

The video was posted on Weibo by ‘Master Pi‘ on May 30 through the Miaopai video app. The original video was posted on May 29 by the New Yorker himself, who calls himself ‘Li Heishuai’.

In the video, the young man says:

“Hi Everyone (..), I’m from New York in America. I want to talk to you about three things that make me really uncomfortable. The first is when I come to many places here, people will say ‘hey black devil’. What?! Your mother’s pussy! Don’t call me black devil! It is really very disrespectful. I hate it.”

He continues:

“The second thing (..)..fuck..(..) is that sometimes people will ask me (…) where I am from. When I tell I am from NY, USA, they will say ‘that’s impossible, aren’t they all white there in America?’ (..) Hello, Obama?! Isn’t he a black man?! What about Will Smith, isn’t he black? What about Kobe Bryant? Isn’t he black? I hate it.”

[rp4wp]

Then he says:

“The third thing, is that sometimes men will often ask me if I’m big down there. Fuck! The next time somebody asks me this, I will take off my pants and let him see for himself!”

Within one day, the video has already been shared over 25000 times, receiving over 15400 comments on Weibo and 19000 on Miaopai, with most netizens appreciating the man’s humor, his Chinese proficiency, and Sichuan dialect.

Although some netizens think he’s “cute” and others are “laughing out loud”, there are also those who are upset with the young man using swear words and call him “low”. One commenter says: “He swears better in Chinese than I do.”

“It’s funny but he is right,” one commenter says: “Don’t call black people ‘black devils’, it is very rude and uncivil.”

As some netizens are calling out the young man or talking about his appearance, a female Weibo user responds: “I really don’t get why people can be so low. You only evaluate others by saying they’re ugly. But I think this black man is very funny and cute, and moreover, he addresses a problem that is recurrent in China. ‘Black devil’ really is rude, and he’s found a way to make his statement with humor. You can scold him, but it only makes you ugly.”

Apart from talking about ‘Li Heishuai’s’ words, there are also some netizens that are still wondering about the third point addressed by him.

“Hey handsome,” another netizen comments: “You’ve gone viral now.”

– By Manya Koetse
Follow @WhatsOnWeibo

Related Topics:Weibo trending

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Manya Koetse

Manya Koetse is the founder and editor-in-chief of whatsonweibo.com. She is a writer, public speaker, and researcher (Sinologist, MPhil) on social trends, digital developments, and new media in an ever-changing China, with a focus on Chinese society, pop culture, and gender issues. She shares her love for hotpot on hotpotambassador.com. Contact at manya@whatsonweibo.com, or follow on Twitter.

3 Comments

DIANDIAN GUO

May 30, 2016 at 9:47 pm

The first point is genuine impoliteness, but Chinese also address Japanese as 鬼子，Koreans as 棒子，Russians as 毛子… it is disrespectful, with a sense of superiority, but no one says Chinese discriminate against Japanese or Russian. The second point is genuine ignorance. The last… Genuine ignorance plus a vulgar curiosity…
I think either racist or not, it takes much more time when China get enough foreign exposure on the life world level, before the issue of transcultural/multicultural can be really on the agenda. I doubt whether anti-racism can be an preemptive. It has always bee remeditory hasn’t it.

Reply
Thomas Jones

May 31, 2016 at 5:01 am

While I think that PC in the west has gone out of control, this guy makes some good points as China upon first glance appears to be the complete opposite, which is also just as bad.

For starters, making comments like “white devil”, “black devil”, any sort of “devil”, “wide nose”, “big lips”, or for westerners/Arabs and sometimes even Indians “big nose” is EXTREMELY offensive, yet Chinese think little about saying such nasty things. While it’s not an everyday occurrence, but I’ve had Chinese who I’ve asked for directions say straight up me and my friends have “big noses”; friends of a friend sitting around us at a dinner table commented on my nose while having dinner at a fancy restaurant. The husband of my former boss taught his young son to look at my nose to the point that 3 years later at my wedding the first thing the then 6 year old said is “wow, what a big nose” (他的鼻子好大).

These comments are dehumanizing, demoralizing and just plain offensive. China doesn’t need PC like we have in the west, but it does need to learn some basic human decency and manners. Do they have any idea how some of us feel, when we become so self-conscious that we can barely function properly in China because locals are so rude and distasteful in their comments just based upon the way we look? I wouldn’t walk down the street in Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco or Toronto and call Chinese “slant eyes” or “small nose” what makes them think it’s OK to abuse us foreigners when we’re in their country?

As for the “only white people in America” comment, that’s just hilariously ignorant. One look at any American film made since the 1960s shows that America is a very diverse society – can’t believe Chinese would believe the west is just a “white” version of China. Our societies are completely opposite in this respect and I’m pretty sure most Chinese would have seen at least one Hollywood film or at least have been taught something about our societies. Evidently this doesn’t apply to everyone.

Reply
- samy hung
  
  August 28, 2016 at 7:36 am
  
  Five thousands years of civilization is destroyed by the communism through this past 60 years of ruling. Please forgive.
  
  Reply

China Memes & Viral

“Bye Bye Biden”: Biden’s Many Nicknames in Chinese

Throughout the years, Biden has received many nicknames on Chinese social media.

Published

5 days ago

July 22, 2024

Manya Koetse

Our Weibo phrase of the week is Bye Bye Biden (bài bài Bàidēng 拜拜拜登). As news of Biden dropping out of the presidential race went viral on Weibo early Monday local time, it’s time to reflect on some of the popular nicknames and phrases given to US President Joe Biden on Chinese social media.

🔹 Biden in Chinese: Bàidēng 拜登

Biden in Chinese is generally written pronounced and written as Bàidēng 拜登. Although the character 拜 (bài) means “to pay respect, to worship” and 登 (dēng) means “to ascend, to climb,” they’re used here primarily for their phonetic similarity. The characters chosen are neutral to avoid any negative implications in the official translation of Biden’s name.

Why are non-Chinese names translated into Chinese at all? With English and Chinese being vastly different languages with entirely different phonetics and scripts, most Chinese people find it difficult to pronounce a foreign name written in English. Writing foreign names in Chinese not only standardizes them but also makes pronunciation and memorization easier for Chinese speakers.

🔹 Bye Biden: Bài Bài Bàidēng 拜拜拜登

Because Biden is Bàidēng, and the Chinese for ‘bye bye’ is written as bài bài 拜拜, some netizens quickly created the wordplay “bài bài Bàidēng” 拜拜拜登 (“bye bye Biden”) upon hearing that Biden would not seek reelection. Try saying it out loud—it almost sounds like you’re stammering.

🔹 Old Joe: Lǎo Dēng Dēng 老登登

Another common farewell greeting to Biden seen online is “bài bài lǎo dēng dēng” 拜拜老登登, which sounds cute due to the repetition of sounds.

“Old Biden” or “lǎo dēng dēng” 老登登 is a common online nickname for Biden in Chinese. The reduplication of the 登 (dēng) makes it sound playful and affectionate, while the “old” prefix is commonly used when referring to someone older. It’s similar to calling someone “Old Joe” in English.

🔹 Biden Variations: 拜灯, 白等, 败蹬

Let’s look at some other ways Biden is nicknamed online:

Besides the official way of writing Biden with the 拜登 Bàidēng characters, there are also other variations:

拜灯: bài dēng
白等: bái děng
败蹬: bài dèng

These alternative ways of writing Biden’s name are not neutral. Although the first variation is not necessarily negative (using the formal Biden 拜 bài character but with ‘Light’ 灯 dēng instead of the other 登 ‘dēng’), the other two variations are usually used in more negative contexts.

In 白等 (bái děng), the first character 白 (bái) means “white,” which can evoke associations with old age due to white hair (白发). The character 等 (děng) means “to wait,” and the combination can imply being old and sluggish.

败蹬 (bài dèng) is typically used by netizens to reflect negative sentiments towards the American president. The characters separately mean 败 (bài): “to be defeated,” “to fail,” and 蹬 (dèng): “to step on,” “to kick.” This would never be used by official media and is also often used by netizens to circumvent censorship around a Biden-related topic.

🔹 Revive the Country Biden: Bài Zhènhuá 拜振华

Then there is 拜振华 Bài Zhènhuá: revive the country Biden

In recent years, Biden has come to be referred to with the Chinese nickname “Revive the Country Biden,” also translatable as ‘Thriving China Biden’. This nickname has circulated online since 2020 and matches one previously given to former President Trump, namely “Build the Country Trump” (Chuān Jiànguó 川建国).

The idea behind these humorous monikers is that both Trump and Biden are seen as benefitting China by doing a poor job in running the United States and dealing with China.

🔹 Sleepy King: Shuì wáng 睡王

Shuì wáng 睡王, Sleepy King, is another common nickname, similar to the English “Sleepy Joe.” During and after the 2020 American presidential elections, there were numerous discussions on Chinese social media about ‘Trump versus Biden.’ Many saw it as a contest between the ‘King of Knowing’ (懂王) and the ‘Sleepy King’ (睡王).

These nicknames were attributed to Trump, who frequently boasted about his unparalleled understanding of various matters, and Biden, who gained notoriety for being older and tired. Viral videos, some manipulated, showed him nodding off or seemingly disoriented. The name ‘Sleepy King’ then stuck.

🔹 Grandpa Biden: Bài Yéyé 拜爷爷

Throughout the years, Biden has also been nicknamed Bài yéyé 拜爷爷, “Grandpa Biden.” This is usually more affectionate, though it emphasizes his age—Trump is not much younger than Biden and is not nicknamed ‘Grandpa Trump.’

Another similar nickname is lǎo bái 老白, “Old White,” referring to Biden’s age and white hair. 白 (bái, white) can also be a surname in Chinese. This nickname makes it seem like Biden is an old, familiar friend.

On Weibo, many speculate that American Vice President Kamala Harris will be the new candidate for the Democrats, especially since she’s been endorsed by Biden. Many have little confidence that she can compete against Trump. Her Chinese name is Kǎmǎlā Hālǐsī 卡玛拉·哈里斯, commonly referred to as ‘Harris’ (Hālǐsī).

In light of the latest developments, some netizens jokingly write: “Bye bye Biden, Ha ha ha, Harris.” (Bài bài, Bàidēng. Hā hā hā, Hālǐsī 拜拜，拜登。哈哈哈，哈里斯). With a new Democratic candidate entering the presidential race, we can expect a fresh batch of creative nicknames to join the mix on Chinese social media.

Want to read more? Also read: Why Trump has Two Different Names in Chinese.

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

China Memes & Viral

Enjoying the ‘Sea’ in Beijing’s Ditan Park

This “seaview” spot in Beijing’s Ditan Park has become a new ‘check-in spot’ among Chinese Xiaohongshu users and influencers.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 15, 2024

Manya Koetse

“‘The sea in Ditan Park’ is a perfect example of how Xiaohongshu netizens use their imagination to change the world,” a recent viral post on Weibo said (“地坛的海”完全可以入选《红薯人用想象力颠覆世界》的案例合集了”).

The post included screenshots of the Xiaohongshu app where users share their snaps of the supposed seaview in Beijing’s Ditan Park (地坛公园).

Ditan, the Temple of Earth Park, is one of the city’s biggest public parks with tree-lined paths and green gardens in Beijing, not too far from the Lama Temple in Dongcheng District, within the Second Ring Road.

On lifestyle and social media platform Xiaohongshu, users have recently been sharing tips on where and how to get the best seaview in the park, finding a moment of tranquility in the hustle and bustle of Beijing city life.

Post on Xiaohongshu to get the seaview in Ditan Park.

But there is something peculiar about this trend. There is no sea in Ditan Park, nor anywhere else in Beijing, for that matter, as the city is located inland.

The ‘seaview’ trend comes from the view of one of the park’s stone walls. In the late afternoon, somewhere around 16pm, when the sun is not too bright, the light creates an optical illusion from a certain viewpoint in the park, making the wall behind the bench look like water.

You do have to capture the right light at the right moment, or else the effect is non-existent.

Some photos taken at other times of the day clearly show the brick wall, which actually doesn’t look like a sea at all.

Although the ‘seaview in Ditan’ trend is popular among many Xiaohongshu users and influencers who flock to the spot to get that perfect picture, there are also some social media commenters who criticize the trend of netizens always looking for the next “check-in spot” (打卡点).

There are also other spots popular on social media that look like impressive areas but are actually just optical illusions. Here are some examples:

One Weibo user suggested that this trend is actually not about people appreciating the beauty around them, but more about chasing the next social media hype.

The Ditan seaview trend is not entirely new. In May of this year, Beijing government already published a post about the “sea” in Ditan becoming more popular among social media users who especially came to the park for the special spot.

The Beijing Tourism Bureau previously referred to the spot as “the sea at Ditan Park that even Shi Tiesheng didn’t discover” (#在地坛拍到了史铁生都没发现的海#).

Shi Tiesheng (1951–2010) is a famous Chinese author from Beijing whose most well-known work, “Me and Ditan,” reflects on his experiences and contemplations in Ditan Park. At the age of 21, Shi Tiesheng suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Ditan Park became a place for him to ponder life, time, and nature. Despite the author’s deep connection with the park, he never described seeing a “sea” in the walls.

Shi Tiesheng in Ditan Park.

If you are visiting Ditan Park and would like to check out the ‘sea’ yourself in the late afternoon, there are guides on Xiaohongshu explaining the route to the viewpoint. But it should not be too difficult to find this summer—just follow the crowds.