Political Humor in the GDR and the PRC

Comparative Studies of political humor in German Democratic Republic (GDR) and People’s Republic of China (PRC)

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

Content

Comparability of GDR and PRC Political humor of two states

Theme one: Top leader/bureaucracy Theme two: socialism Theme three: daily life

Interaction, or instinct? Conclusion

Similarities between PRC and GDR

People’s Republic of China (1949-)

German Democratic Republic (1949-1990)

1. Same founding year

2. Socialist countries

3. Propaganda penetrate into almost every aspects of lives of their citizen (Schneider, Smith, Poisson, & Kwan,1997)

4. Influence from Soviet Union

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

People’s Republic of China (1949-)

German Democratic Republic (1949-1990)

Isolated from the West Strongly influenced

by the western society

Differences between PRC and GDR

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

Bureaucracy Top leaderTop leader

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

socialismcapitalism

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

socialismcapitalism

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

socialismcapitalism

socialismcapitalism

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

Socialism Socialism

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

China East Germany

banana

My first banana

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

Daily life Freedom of speech

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

Daily life Poor quality

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

WANG, Ningkang 08050244

Daily life Poor qualityDaily life Freedom of speech

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

Unpopular dentist…

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

Themes combined

Specific symbol

Not specific symbol

Laugh at top leader using inconsistent

element

Praising top leader by

translating inconsistent element into

flexibility

Direct at socialism

Direct at capitalism

Freedom of speech

Poor quality goods

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

WANG, Ningkang Heidi 08050244

Interaction, or instinct?

A form of resistance or means of political

agitation

Under same influence of ideology dissatisfaction

Common jokes E.g. freedom of speech

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

Interaction, or instinct?

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

Heavy industry

lack of attention on light industry

Poor quality of goods

GDR PRCUSSR

Conclusion

Both East Germany and China political humor based on the dissatisfaction of legitimacy of the state

BUT the degree of tolerance is different…

YEUNG, Sheung Yat 08024413

Every joke is a tiny revolution.

George Orwell