https://youtu.be/FeRi86DcfyA?t=3h20m32s
China’s Lunar New Year variety show kicked off waves of backlash and accusations of racism when it featured performers in blackface.
The 2018 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, which is funded in whole or in part by the Chinese government, featured a questionable sketch during the four-hour Thursday, Feb. 15 celebration. In it, a young African woman asks a Chinese man to pose as her husband during a meeting with her mother. Her mother, however, was portrayed by a Chinese woman in blackface, complete with exaggerated hips and buttocks.
The skit, which also included African performers in tribal-like outfits and dressed as animals, is apparently meant to celebrate Chinese and African cooperation, according to the BBC. Africa also showed its appreciation to Beijing, as China invests in the continent.
And, as one Twitter user pointed out, the blackface mother exclaims, “I love China” at one point.
With a maximum of 800 million viewers tuned in, plenty sounded off on the racist display.
Some Chinese articles criticising the annual gala Wednesday night were blocked along with some critical comments on Chinese social media sites. Still, Twitter users made their issues with the skit known.
“CCTV’s racist show during Spring Gala shook me and made me so ashamed of China and my people,” a woman tweeted. “They literally had blackface on stage, had an African actor to play a monkey and [an] African actress yelling ‘I love China!’ Racism is global y’all…”
“Many ppl think this stupid sketch can present all Chinese thoughts but actually Noooo,” someone else said. “We are really pissed off. I can’t sleep now.”
“As Chinese, I feel so ashamed of this show,” another person tweeted. “And sorry.”
I just saw this fuckery on my TV. Can we like…not fucking do this??? @CCTV this is Chinese blackface. The Chinese ppl in blackface are saying “I love China” and there are hired black ppl in the background who don’t speak and dance around. This is unacceptable and racist! 😡🤬 pic.twitter.com/w8z1lDdZlm
— Aggressive Asian (@JennLi123) February 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/eleviken/status/964150551582720000
