Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

"A thousand readers will have a thousand Hamlets. I am not money, and I cannot please everyone."

Zheng Nan's answer was too standard, just like a template, without any surprises. Xu Yuanyuan had no choice but to continue asking, "Director Zheng, don't you have anything to add?"

"I'm from Northeast China, and most people from Northeast China have an idol."

"Who is it?" Xu Yuanyuan asked.

"Zhao Benshan." Zheng Nan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Zhao Benshan's status and influence in Northeast China have always been top-notch.

"Uncle Benshan was interviewed by Yang Lan in 2009, and I still remember that interview vividly."

"I have a vague impression. I remember Teacher Zhao saying that the first time he went to Beijing, he brought a case of Moutai hoping to be on the Spring Festival Gala. He asked around about who to give it to, but he couldn't give it to anyone. He ended up drinking a bottle every day." Xu Yuanyuan recalled some clips she had seen.

"Yes, that's the part, but I prefer Uncle Benshan's expression of the controversy surrounding 'Not Short of Money' in the interview."

"What expression?"

"Uncle Benshan said at the time: 'I think it's a bit of a waste of his talent for a cultured person to comment on a skit. We're just an entertainment program, not a textbook. Some people say that "Selling Crutches" teaches people how to cheat, but it's actually satirical, satirizing some people who are easily swayed and lack their own opinions.'"

"Actually, there's no need for that, because your work can't educate anyone. What exactly are you trying to say? How profound is your theme? Just remember one thing: the theme is happiness, and happiness is the theme."

Zheng Nan's answer, seemingly a repetition of Zhao Benshan's interview, was actually a response to Gao Xiaosong's assessment.

"Does Director Zheng think the theme of 'Hilarious Men' is happiness?" Xu Yuanyuan had already sensed that the bombshell was about to break.

"The theme of 'Hilarious Men' is to bring joy to everyone. Entertainment should have a spirit of entertainment, don't be too serious."

"If you were to summarize this issue, what would you say?"

"I would conclude that if one day Uncle Benshan stops appearing on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, it will signify that the CCTV Spring Festival Gala has begun its decline!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuanyuan knew that the bombshell had been hit!

Zheng Nan's conclusion in 2012 was not just a wild theory, it was downright insane delusion.

What is the status of the Spring Festival Gala?

Only one of its kind in the entire country!

It's something that countless people would kill to get into.

To get on the Spring Festival Gala, people can prepare for six months in advance and practice day after day, even if there is a possibility of being eliminated.

For some people, appearing on the Spring Festival Gala is a matter of bringing honor to their ancestors!

The Spring Festival Gala started in 1983 and has gone through more than 20 years of ups and downs.

Over the past two decades, countless stars have emerged and countless stars have left.

Zhu Shimao and Chen Peisi were very popular back then, but they left without a trace, and nothing happened to them on the Spring Festival Gala.

There aren't many comedians from the South on the Spring Festival Gala, are there? Do you care if you watch the Gala? Does the Gala lack audiences from the South?

Zheng Nan actually dared to conclude that the Spring Festival Gala would fail if Zhao Benshan left.

This conclusion was so explosive that Xu Yuanyuan didn't dare to respond and quickly changed the subject: "There are other issues, such as the comment that 'Hilarious Men' is causing a decline in the aesthetic standards of teenagers. What does Director Zheng think of this comment?"

"First of all, I don't know who defined such a big issue as adolescent aesthetics. What are the current standards for adolescent aesthetics?" Zheng Nan was puzzled. Why are people who label others so willing to represent the public?

Do the public know that you represent them?

Do teenagers realize that their aesthetic standards are declining?

"Some parents said that their children only know how to laugh and don't study seriously after watching 'Hilarious Men'," Xu Yuanyuan added.

"I just hope that the kids who grew up watching 'Hilarious Men' won't suddenly jump off a building one day. That's the significance of 'Hilarious Men' for the aesthetics of teenagers." Zheng Nan sincerely believes that if parents are good to their children, they should let their children grow up in a healthy body and mind.

Don't push your child too hard, or it will lead to bad situations and make the whole family sad.

Another outrageous statement has emerged: Xu Yuanyuan now feels that this interview needs to be edited before it can be published.

"Next question..."

One interview left Xu Yuanyuan sweating profusely.

"Finally, is there anything you'd like to say to the fans who have always supported 'Hilarious Men'?" Xu Yuanyuan put away her cue cards, preparing to end the interview.

"A person should walk upright and sit straight. I hope that five or ten years from now, when my fans look back on today, they can say from the bottom of their hearts: 'Zheng Nan really did right by me!'"

This incident with Gao Xiaosong is a dispute between intellectuals.

Literary feuds should be conducted in an elegant manner. When Gao Xiaosong criticized "Hilarious Men" as lowbrow, Zheng Nan indirectly accused Gao Xiaosong of having a crooked backside.

Public intellectuals are currently the mainstream profession, and they can continue to be rampant for a few more years. But after a few years, when they decline, all the public intellectuals who are jumping around so enthusiastically now will be slapped in the face by boomerangs.

After all, you can't always have your bottom crooked.

Zheng Nan's words were too deeply implied, and Xu Yuanyuan didn't understand them at all.

…………

Four days later, on January 6, 2012, before the airing of the sixth episode of the second season of "Hilarious Men", Sina Shanghai published a new interview with Zheng Nan, which Zheng Nan also reposted on her Weibo account.

Soon, the interview became a trending topic, and unsurprisingly, it sparked a new round of online arguments.

[Director Zheng Nan has gotten too big for his britches. He's made two web series and now he dares to comment on the Spring Festival Gala. If you make a couple more, will he be commenting on the Oscars?]

[I think there's no room for Zheng Nan in China anytime soon, let's send her abroad quickly. What? America doesn't want her? Waaaaah, why is America so mean?]

[I'm a teenager, who represents my aesthetic sense? Did I even agree to it?]

As a senior high school student, I was under immense pressure and had suicidal thoughts more than once. I'm grateful to "Hilarious Men" for helping me through this most difficult time.

[Isn't the greatest purpose of a comedy to make people laugh? Why should it have to be educational?]

[Some teenagers are indeed having distorted values. You're just watching comedies? You should be learning something from them!]

[What the hell are you talking about? I just checked your profile. You're unemployed, spending all your time online lecturing this person and that person. What have you actually learned?]

There's too much hostility among teenagers these days. I have a lecture on human nature this Sunday. Interested parents can contact me. It's inexpensive, only 1888 per session.

[It is recommended that Zheng Nan be banned from the Spring Festival Gala; she doesn't deserve to be on the Gala!]

[Suggestions to ban this are welcome; anyone can make suggestions!]

Dude, you just need to have fun, not be lectured! I've received too much education!

Supporters and opponents are locked in a fierce battle on various forums and comment sections.

Just like the Douban rating of "Hilarious Men", there are only one-point and five-point ratings at most.

Soon, the students finished their final exams and started their summer vacation, and "Hilarious Men" also welcomed a new audience.