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Haohao

In case you missed it: Chinese copycats target the Colbert Report

Posted: 01/28/2014 2:53 pm

Stephen Colbert has been “ripped off by the Chinese!”

Chinese bootleggers have done it again. American satirist Stephen Colbert was recently surprised to find that the Chinese news comedy show the Banquet (夜宴) has completely plagiarized his opening. From the epic “Iron Man jump” graphics to the theme song, “Baby Mumbles” by Cheap Trick. It’s a total knockoff.

Keeping in with his television character, Colbert’s vain persona was very happy to reach the potential Chinese audience of 400 million. “Folks, this is nothing more than wholesale theft… and I love it.” Colbert proceeded to hilariously pander to Chinese audience, sarcastically of course, by making them more comfortable with some familiar smog.

But Colbert (or his writers) made a bit of a laowai mistake, saying mantou are eggs.

He concluded by demanding that the Banquet invite him to China. Let’s wait and see if they take up his invitation.

The Atlantic has reported that some Chinese netizens were not amused. “This is down-right plagiarism: Absolutely shameless. I hate this kind of thing,” said a young woman on Weibo. “With the great popularity of The Colbert Report, don’t you know how easily Colbert can make a laughingstock out of China, and ensure the whole world knows about it?” remarked ‘Coolgirl1982’.

The Banquet apparently has taken those critiques into consideration and now has a new intro. Meanwhile, American comedy does seem to be growing in popularity in China. Saturday Night Live now being legitimately streamed on Sohu with official Chinese subtitles.

In 2012 fellow late-night host Conan O’Brian was also copied by Internet show Dapeng. He took it rather well after an apology was given and actually offered a free opening graphic for the perpetrator.

As the English chengyu goes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

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Photo credit: The Atlantic

Haohao
  • Pingback: In case you missed it: Chinese copycats target the Colbert Report | rayhecht

  • The FRED FONG

    Now THENANFANG is reporting about silly FAKE news being faked by the Chinese?…the irony is giving me a headache

    • Zen my Ass

      Two negatives makes a positive, thus two fakes makes a real… The Chinese faking fake news is real news… my mind is blowing.

  • not123upnorth

    Colbert is a statist. He loves pretending to mock those in power, but when you analyze his support of all things political, he loves more government. Same with Stewart.

  • Ray

    Um, everyone knows that Colbert and Stewart are liberals. Statist is a rather broad term that covers a lot, there’s obviously a big difference between raising taxes and communist purges.

    But most important of all, Colbert is funny! He’s a talented comedian and deserves his renown. My personal opinion anyway. Silly fake news or not, its silly in a good way.

    He has a popular show, he got ripped off by a Chinese show, and that seems newsworthy here to me.

    So the nanfang audience is rightist-libertarian now? Perhaps China is not the country for you if that’s what you’re into…

    • The FRED FONG

      why didnt you supply a link to THE BANQUET? Isnt that the main topic of this silly story?

      • Ray

        I did, but looks like the link doesn’t work anymore.

        Feel free to Baidu ‘夜宴’ yourself.

        Hey Colbert just won a Grammy for his audiobook! Although I’m not one to pay much attention the Grammys ma’self, just because you don’t like something doesn’t mean its not newsworthy is it…?

        • The FRED FONG

          …and Obama won the Nobel peace prize…what is your point?…feel free to google “Obama Peace Prize Fraud”

          • Ray

            Point is, you seem to not like this report, because you don’t like Colbert. Do I follow right? So… your point is… political websites shouldn’t mention Obama’s peace prize, because what?

            Yes the more sources the better, but what can I say, Ningxia took down the video. Comedy Central’s video up there has the pertinent footage, enjoy, and if you want more there’s the whole internet in front of you :)

    • not123upnorth

      I am not attacking you. Please dont misunderstand my intent. I am attacking Colbert and Stewart. They pretend to be purveyors of sound judment and good reason and they use that angle when attacking others who they point to as being silly and lacking common sense.

      Take the A.C.A (commonly refered to as Obamacare). Stewart has repeatedly given his support to the intent of the legislation, even when it was pointed out to him that the government wouldnt be able to manage a healthcare system effectively.

      I watched him argue with Bill Orielly and others on this very topic. Fast forward to the other day, and I witnessed Stewart condemn Nancy Pelosi for the failure of the ACA.website and the implementation of Obamacare. I thought to myself..’What a complete fraud Stewart is..’. When the legislation was being passed, he mocked those who wouldnt support it. Now that the ACA has been proven to be a failure, Stewart is acting as though he understood its shortcomings all along.

      Regarding Statism, I define it as the near universal support of government action toward its management of the people. Essentially, Statists are government cheerleaders.

      Communism – the political action of Statists – is the centralized planning of resources.

      Liberals – most of whom want the government to ‘run things’ – in fact, do support Communism. After all, government running thins is what Communism represents. Liberals just dont understand what there views stand for.

      It always makes me laugh when I hear a ‘liberal’ talk about social freedoms, yet, in the same breath, these same liberals call for virtually all state control of private assets – aka taxing the economy. Liberals rarely meet a tax and spend scheme that they dont support.

      Regarding Libertarians, I dont see how anyone can turn their nose at us.
      Unlike conservatives, we dont believe in controlling other people’s private social activities. Unlike liberals, we dont believe in controlling other people’s private assets. Libertarians are the only people who actually respect the choices of everyone. Libertarians dont want to interfere with anyone’s free will, the only exception being that no one can murder, assault, steal, defraud someone else, etc.

      When I speak to ‘liberals’, they will most often profess their support for public education, public housing, public roads, public hospitals, public food programs, etc; but when you then ask them to declare their obvious support for Communism, they seem frightened and taken aback by the corelation. Liberals cant seem to draw the connection between the government doing most everything and the definition of Communism, which is defined as ‘central planning of resources’.

  • Pingback: The Colbert Report Was Ripped Off By A Chinese TV Show | Kotaku Australia

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