In Knowledge and Decisions, Thomas Sowell writes that it is “not simply the origin or basis of political power that defines totalitarianism, nor even the amount of power or its ruthless application. A tyrant is not automatically a totalitarian. It is the political blanketing of the vast range of human activities—from intimate personal relations to philosophical beliefs—that constitutes ‘totalitarianism.’ ”
If a comedian or critic blasts another comedian for the quality of his jokes or the tenor of his ideas, the criticism is not (or not necessarily), this may simply be the expression of a private person or organization, which in a free society can touch on any aspect of culture and society.
But if a government intrudes upon and seeks to direct humor along with every other aspect of the society it rules, this is a manifestation of totalitarianism. Like anybody else, a government official can say “Well, that’s not funny” or “Wrong” without violating anybody’s rights. Altogether different is saying “Don’t say that kind of thing anymore” with the implicit or explicit threat of government force to back it up.
Unfunny censorship
The Chinese party-state, being totalitarian, won’t leave even standup comedy alone if it veers too detectably from the party line and agenda (“Chinese officials warn comedians against provoking ‘gender opposition,’ ” Hong Kong Free Press, July 23, 2025).
Chinese officials have warned comedians against stirring up gender discord, instructing those who invoke a battle of the sexes to criticise constructively rather than “for the sake of being funny”.
The WeChat article posted over the weekend by authorities in eastern Zhejiang province comes after a comedian [Fan Chunli, stage name Fangzhuren, shown above] detailed her abusive marriage in a performance that went viral on Chinese social media.
Women’s rights are sensitive territory in China—over the last decade, authorities have cracked down on almost every form of independent feminist activism….
The Chinese arts scene has always been heavily censored by the ruling Communist Party, and authorities have tightened that oversight in the past decade.
But Sunday’s warning sparked some criticism online.
“Just saying the facts of what happened is provoking opposition between men and women?” one top-liked Weibo comment reads.
“Once something is discussed from a female perspective it is labelled gender opposition, isn’t that too sensitive,” reads another.
That the criticism of somebody’s standup routine may be misguided is not the problem, though. The problem is that the government is involving itself at all. In response to outcry against coercive “suggestions,” CCP officials may sometimes modify what they’re ordering people to do and say—without modifying their assumption that they have the right to issue such orders in every area of life.
