Yang Li

Yang Li (Simplified Chinese: 杨笠; pinyin: yáng lì; born 1992) is a Chinese stand-up comedian and scriptwriter. Tackling controversial gender issues with humour and sarcasm, she received outpouring support as well as overwhelming backlash, stirring up a fierce online debate. Male netizens have accused Yang of "sexism" and "man-hating", provoking gender opposition and promoting hatred against men. Critics have characterised Yang and her followers as unreasonable feminists who demand privilege, while supporters defend Yang to be articulating the female perspective silenced in a patriarchal society.

Quotes

• Men are adorable, but mysterious...How can he be so average, yet so full of confidence?
  • "Stand-up is booming in China, with women centre-stage" in The Economist (7 January 2021)

• Unlike women, who always think of themselves as unimportant, men always think of themselves as the center of the universe. Every single sentence from men carries utmost importance, and points out the right direction in which the world should advance.
  • "“Average-yet-confident”: A comedian coined a Chinese equivalent to “mansplaining”" in Quartz (23 January 2021)

• A joke can only get laughs for one reason because it resonates.
  • "She Mocked Men’s Bluster. Then Came the Complaints." in The New York Times (30 December 2020)

• Intel is so picky about laptops, they’re even more selective than my taste in men.
  • "Intel Caught in Social Media Storm Over Ad with “Man-Hating” Comedian Yang Li" in Radii China (24 March 2021)

• As men, you stand at the center of the universe. You spout pearls of wisdom that shape the future of the world. So when your female friend comes to you, you might wonder: ‘Is she hoping to share her sadness with me? No, she must be hoping to learn something from me!’
  • "The ‘Punchline Queens’ Ripping Into Chinese Comedy’s Boys’ Club" in Sixth Tone (21 August 2020)

• The supermodels all have skeletal bodies . . . the very existence of their bodies expresses an attitude: the disdain for men. The more men like a certain part of their bodies, the less they want to grow that part. Fashion is such an attitude.
  • "The Art of Telling the Truth: Chinese Female Stand-up Comedians" in World Literature Today (1 February 2021)

• If a man wants to marry me now, it should be more convenient when he just wants to beat me.
  • "杨笠和她的15个男人：想嫁给爱情，优秀就够了吗?" (25 October 2021)

• To be honest, I thought at first that it was an advantage for women to stand alone, because the most important thing for actors is to have their own labels on stage, and actresses carry their own labels. My image on stage has always been that of a girl who is single, who wants to fall in love and who is not particular about being particular.
  • "把杨笠当成女权斗士，完全是一种误会"

• My mother never urged me to have a blind date again. She felt that if a man wanted to marry me, it might just be more convenient for him to beat me. In this world, all girls will get sympathy when they encounter domestic violence.
  • "温柔的杨笠，怎么就成了男的最恨的人?" (21 August 2021)

• Regarding the change in identity, I actually took the initiative to accept and work hard to change in this direction, because I feel that growing up on the stage is not as rewarding as recording a show, and I am still eager to go.
  • "【开腔】杨笠：过去一年，反倒是我最不迷茫的一年" (12 October 2021)

• It wasn't until I saw the comments that I realised some people reacted aggressively towards my performance. It kind of scared me. I felt like I was dragged into a war I didn't start. I'm only trying to be funny. In fact, in the same performance, I also ridiculed women for being emotional, but I didn't receive any hateful comments or threats from female netizens. Women have most likely become used to their stereotypical weakness being made fun of, while men have heard so few jokes like this before.
  • "杨笠：我所有的出发点都是为了解决自身的问题" (24 September 2020)

External links

• Picture of Yang Li
• Official Weibo