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That reminds me of an interview with a Chinese esports team I saw at a tournament a few months ago. The interviewer was doing a light-hearted game where they s

by dx87 8y ago

That reminds me of an interview with a Chinese esports team I saw at a tournament a few months ago. The interviewer was doing a light-hearted game where they showed twitch emotes to the Chinese team and asked what they thought the emotes meant. One of the emotes was a frog (the creator of the game goes by IceFrog), and the Chinese translator said that the players weren't allowed to say anything about the emote. We later found out that they were afraid to say anything because the nickname of the former president of China was "Toad King", and the players were worried that they'd get in trouble if they said anything about the frog emote.

HAL9000Ti 8y ago
Fasinating, I never heard about that one before. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_worship_(Chinese_internet_subculture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_worship_(Chinese_internet... searching "膜蛤" on baidu.com yields zero results.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
gxwmg 8y ago
Well, there's a frog in the west that can also get you in trouble...
- wahnfrieden 8y ago
  As a symbol of racist misogynist hate of marginalized groups, not a statement against a totalitarian leader. What exactly are you comparing?
  - gxwmg 8y ago
    "racist misogynist hate of marginalized groups", that's got to be the winner of some bingo lol
  - butYouSuck 8y ago
    It's funny because, you frothing at the mouth over it, is really what it's a symbol of. The ability to foster a knee-jerk reaction in people on the prowl for villain that fits their sweet spot. If you know anything about it, it was just a cartoon that got entangled in a presidential election, and the side that didn't like the cartoon pointed their finger at the cartoon to declare it a symbol of evil. As farcical as that episode was, then it was held up by contrarians as a symbol of that very farce. And only now, is it as divisive as it is. Strange how bastardization unfolds.
  - mistermann 8y ago
    Perhaps comparing how different cultures dramatically interpret or react to images, and how we often view the behavior of other cultures in this respect to be odd or silly, while our unique behavior is based in rational, fact-based logic. But that's just a guess. Take your interpretation for example, am I mistaken to conclude that you believe all who post that frog are both misogynist and racist, or did I guess wrong? If so, could you clarify?
    - wahnfrieden 8y ago
      I did not say that. Not really interested in clarifying for you here, sorry. Not was the poster I replying to making a good-faith philosophical inquiry of the sort you’re suggesting.
- Dylan16807 8y ago
  Not for talking about it.
  - Buge 8y ago
    It depends on what you say about it. If you say you think it's funny then you could get in trouble with some people.
    - Dylan16807 8y ago
      You can always find someone willing to jump to conclusions. It's easy to have an in-depth discussion about the history, symbology, use, the way meaning and irony are twined together... and if someone lowers their opinion of you after that then oh well, either there's no pleasing them or you earned it from your opinions. It's a far cry from having something that can't even be brought up, ever.
      - Buge 8y ago
        Yeah, but this is about when an interviewer with a camera asks for a quick comment about the meme. There isn't time to have an in-depth discussion about it. And it's difficult to be put on the spot like that with a camera in your face, and you know that whatever you say, people can replay that clip over and over again and spread it about the internet to criticize you. To avoid the potential backlash, declining to talk about it could be a smart move.
        Jonnax 8y ago
        The man you seem to be talking about was a proud white supremacist that got punched in the face. It's interesting how on the internet those in positions of power get described as the real victims.
        Buge 8y ago
        I wasn't referring to any specific person. The closest person I was referring to is the player in the "Chinese esports team" that dx87 was talking about. Or possibly a hypothetical white player on who could have been put in a similar situation by an interviewer. I guess they have a little bit of power due to their position on a top team, but I don't consider that to be much power. I don't consider them victims either, just humans who have their own set of goals and fears, that I can try to analyze.
walrus01 8y ago
What happens if you show them a photo of a Llama, and ask about the Grass Mud Horse?
- Gigablah 8y ago
  That means you’re intentionally trying to get them in trouble? This is as asinine as getting someone to say “bomb” at airport security.
  - walrus01 8y ago
    Right, I got it, here in the free world we should totally avoid Winnie the Pooh, Llamas, frogs, river crabs, or other things that are seen as anti-central-authority/anti-government by the powers in Beijing. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-winnie-the-pooh-film-to-stop-comparisons-to-president-xi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-win... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_Mud_Horse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_Mud_Horse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemisms_for_Internet_censorship_in_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemisms_for_Internet_censor...
    - okmokmz 8y ago
      That's not at all what he said....
helloindia 8y ago
Similar to how "Winnie the Pooh" is censored in Chinese social media. Because, a meme became popular comparing Xi Jinping to the character. https://www.businessinsider.in/Pictures-of-Winnie-the-Pooh-are-getting-banned-on-social-media-after-China-announces-Xi-Jinping-may-stay-in-power-for-life/articleshow/63101227.cms https://www.businessinsider.in/Pictures-of-Winnie-the-Pooh-a...
yrlihuan 8y ago
You get the whole thing wrong. In China, Toad King Warship (膜蛤文化) is very popular in some people, espcially young ones. There are tones of memes and internet jokes around that and obviously nobody gets into trouble because of it. I don't know why your interviewer told you he was afraid. A wild guess is that he was one of those young people who loves Toad King Warship, and your ice frog reminded him of it. But it's hard to explain it to a foreigner (or he find it inappropriate to mention in an interview. it's a sub-culture anyway). So he just say he cannot say about it. As you further asked for reason, he gives you the answer you have in mind, by acting as victim of surveillance state (another culture thing).

by dx87 8y ago

HAL9000Ti 8y ago

Fasinating, I never heard about that one before. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_worship_(Chinese_internet_subculture) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toad_worship_(Chinese_internet... searching "膜蛤" on baidu.com yields zero results.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

gxwmg 8y ago

Well, there's a frog in the west that can also get you in trouble...

wahnfrieden 8y ago
As a symbol of racist misogynist hate of marginalized groups, not a statement against a totalitarian leader. What exactly are you comparing?
- gxwmg 8y ago
  "racist misogynist hate of marginalized groups", that's got to be the winner of some bingo lol
- butYouSuck 8y ago
  It's funny because, you frothing at the mouth over it, is really what it's a symbol of. The ability to foster a knee-jerk reaction in people on the prowl for villain that fits their sweet spot. If you know anything about it, it was just a cartoon that got entangled in a presidential election, and the side that didn't like the cartoon pointed their finger at the cartoon to declare it a symbol of evil. As farcical as that episode was, then it was held up by contrarians as a symbol of that very farce. And only now, is it as divisive as it is. Strange how bastardization unfolds.
- mistermann 8y ago
  Perhaps comparing how different cultures dramatically interpret or react to images, and how we often view the behavior of other cultures in this respect to be odd or silly, while our unique behavior is based in rational, fact-based logic. But that's just a guess. Take your interpretation for example, am I mistaken to conclude that you believe all who post that frog are both misogynist and racist, or did I guess wrong? If so, could you clarify?
  - wahnfrieden 8y ago
    I did not say that. Not really interested in clarifying for you here, sorry. Not was the poster I replying to making a good-faith philosophical inquiry of the sort you’re suggesting.
Dylan16807 8y ago
Not for talking about it.
- Buge 8y ago
  It depends on what you say about it. If you say you think it's funny then you could get in trouble with some people.
  - Dylan16807 8y ago
    You can always find someone willing to jump to conclusions. It's easy to have an in-depth discussion about the history, symbology, use, the way meaning and irony are twined together... and if someone lowers their opinion of you after that then oh well, either there's no pleasing them or you earned it from your opinions. It's a far cry from having something that can't even be brought up, ever.
    - Buge 8y ago
      Yeah, but this is about when an interviewer with a camera asks for a quick comment about the meme. There isn't time to have an in-depth discussion about it. And it's difficult to be put on the spot like that with a camera in your face, and you know that whatever you say, people can replay that clip over and over again and spread it about the internet to criticize you. To avoid the potential backlash, declining to talk about it could be a smart move.
      - Jonnax 8y ago
        The man you seem to be talking about was a proud white supremacist that got punched in the face. It's interesting how on the internet those in positions of power get described as the real victims.
        Buge 8y ago
        I wasn't referring to any specific person. The closest person I was referring to is the player in the "Chinese esports team" that dx87 was talking about. Or possibly a hypothetical white player on who could have been put in a similar situation by an interviewer. I guess they have a little bit of power due to their position on a top team, but I don't consider that to be much power. I don't consider them victims either, just humans who have their own set of goals and fears, that I can try to analyze.

walrus01 8y ago

What happens if you show them a photo of a Llama, and ask about the Grass Mud Horse?

Gigablah 8y ago
That means you’re intentionally trying to get them in trouble? This is as asinine as getting someone to say “bomb” at airport security.
- walrus01 8y ago
  Right, I got it, here in the free world we should totally avoid Winnie the Pooh, Llamas, frogs, river crabs, or other things that are seen as anti-central-authority/anti-government by the powers in Beijing. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-winnie-the-pooh-film-to-stop-comparisons-to-president-xi https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/07/china-bans-win... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_Mud_Horse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass_Mud_Horse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemisms_for_Internet_censorship_in_China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphemisms_for_Internet_censor...
  - okmokmz 8y ago
    That's not at all what he said....

helloindia 8y ago

Similar to how "Winnie the Pooh" is censored in Chinese social media. Because, a meme became popular comparing Xi Jinping to the character. https://www.businessinsider.in/Pictures-of-Winnie-the-Pooh-are-getting-banned-on-social-media-after-China-announces-Xi-Jinping-may-stay-in-power-for-life/articleshow/63101227.cms https://www.businessinsider.in/Pictures-of-Winnie-the-Pooh-a...

yrlihuan 8y ago

You get the whole thing wrong. In China, Toad King Warship (膜蛤文化) is very popular in some people, espcially young ones. There are tones of memes and internet jokes around that and obviously nobody gets into trouble because of it. I don't know why your interviewer told you he was afraid. A wild guess is that he was one of those young people who loves Toad King Warship, and your ice frog reminded him of it. But it's hard to explain it to a foreigner (or he find it inappropriate to mention in an interview. it's a sub-culture anyway). So he just say he cannot say about it. As you further asked for reason, he gives you the answer you have in mind, by acting as victim of surveillance state (another culture thing).