A Chinese comedy troupe has been slapped with a 14.7 million yuan ($2.1m; £1.7m) fine over a joke about the military that called out President Xi Jinping.
The joke, which likened the comedian’s dogs’ behavior to military behavior, angered the authorities.
He said that Shanghai Zhaogu Culture Media Company and comic Li Haoshi “humiliated the People’s Army”.
The company accepted the fine and terminated Mr Lee’s contract.
The disparaging remark was made during a stand-up performance in Beijing on Saturday, when Mr Li pointed to two canines he had adopted chasing a squirrel.
“Other dogs you see will make you think they are cute. These two dogs just reminded me… ‘fight to win, model behaviour’,” said Mr Lee. , whose stage name is House.
The punchline is part of a slogan unveiled by President Xi in 2013 as a target for the Chinese military.
In an audio recording of the performance shared on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo, audience members can be heard laughing at the joke.
But it was poorly received on the internet, after one audience member complained about it. Beijing officials said they opened an investigation on Tuesday.
They then confiscated 1.32 million yuan of what was believed to be illegal income, and fined the company another 13.35 million yuan, according to Xinhua.
Shanghai Xiaogu’s activities in the Chinese capital have also been suspended indefinitely.
“We would never allow any company or individual to use the Chinese capital as a stage to defame the glorious image of the PLA [People’s Liberation Army],” said the Beijing arm of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism Bureau. will not allow.”
The audio went viral, with some nationalists saying they were outraged and the state media pouncing on it. But others questioned whether the reactions were over the top.
“I’m a patriot and really don’t like others denigrating our country… but I don’t like this environment where every word about politics is sensitive,” read the post, which has been liked 1,200 times.
Mr Lee apologized to his more than 136,000 Weibo followers. “I feel very ashamed and remorseful. I will take responsibility, stop all activities, reflect deeply, learn again.”
His Weibo account has since been suspended.
The incident highlights the difficult environment for Chinese comedians, who have been targeted by authorities and netizens alike.
In late 2020, stand-up comedian Yang Li was accused of “sexism” and “man-hating” after making jokes about men. A group claiming to defend men’s rights also called on netizens to report it to China’s media regulator.
