It's no laughing matter as an ill Zhao cancels TV gala spot
By Xu Chi |
January 20, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BORN in a humble farmer's cottage, orphaned at just six years old, Zhao Benshan went on to become one of China's richest comedians.
For the past 21 years, Zhao, 55, nicknamed "King of Skits," has brought laughter to millions with his annual performance at state television's Spring Festival Gala, a program so popular it has become a tradition for Chinese families to watch it in the countdown to the Lunar New Year.
But Zhao won't be providing the laughs this year.
The organizer said yesterday Zhao will not be performing this year because he is "extremely tired and in very poor health during rehearsals," an announcement that sparked mixed feelings in the online community.
"The Spring Festival Gala (on China Central Television) will lose its major attraction if Zhao doesn't perform," was a frequent comment.
On the other hand, some expressed the view that Zhao's performances have become stale and are now just "a way for the old man to earn more money."
Zhao's journey from his farming family beginnings to nationwide stardom fueled many newspaper headlines with stories about his private airplane and rumors his comedy partner was a porn star.
Apprenticed to his uncle, he learned many northeast China performance art styles, including Errenzhuan, a style combining singing and stand-up comedy.
His ability to make people laugh caught the attention of comedian Jiang Kun and he was recommended for a spot in the 1987 CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Since then, Zhao has appeared almost every New Year's Eve at China's most-watched show.
He also turned to acting and directing TV series featuring the life of farmers in China.
But along with the popularity came criticism.
According to news website ifeng.com, Zhao has earned more than a billion yuan (US$158.2 million) from his "entertainment empire." Claims he was inserting advertisements into his performances led to accusations he was a businessman rather than an artist.
"Zhao has monopolized the Spring Festival Gala. He brought his own team and inserted advertisements into the performances to get rich and famous," ifeng.com quoted author Wei Minlun as saying. Online, he was referred to as the "King of ads."
Recently, there were rumors, though denied, that Zhao's comedy partner Duan Hong had been in Japanese porn movies.
Benmountain Media Group, of which Zhao is a board member, said on its microblog that Zhao had to cancel his performance this year due to poor health. He had to receive medical treatment, including taking oxygen, backstage during rehearsals.
Zhao suffered a stroke in Shanghai in September 2009 when he was shooting a TV soap and was in hospital for more than 10 days after an operation.
For the past 21 years, Zhao, 55, nicknamed "King of Skits," has brought laughter to millions with his annual performance at state television's Spring Festival Gala, a program so popular it has become a tradition for Chinese families to watch it in the countdown to the Lunar New Year.
But Zhao won't be providing the laughs this year.
The organizer said yesterday Zhao will not be performing this year because he is "extremely tired and in very poor health during rehearsals," an announcement that sparked mixed feelings in the online community.
"The Spring Festival Gala (on China Central Television) will lose its major attraction if Zhao doesn't perform," was a frequent comment.
On the other hand, some expressed the view that Zhao's performances have become stale and are now just "a way for the old man to earn more money."
Zhao's journey from his farming family beginnings to nationwide stardom fueled many newspaper headlines with stories about his private airplane and rumors his comedy partner was a porn star.
Apprenticed to his uncle, he learned many northeast China performance art styles, including Errenzhuan, a style combining singing and stand-up comedy.
His ability to make people laugh caught the attention of comedian Jiang Kun and he was recommended for a spot in the 1987 CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Since then, Zhao has appeared almost every New Year's Eve at China's most-watched show.
He also turned to acting and directing TV series featuring the life of farmers in China.
But along with the popularity came criticism.
According to news website ifeng.com, Zhao has earned more than a billion yuan (US$158.2 million) from his "entertainment empire." Claims he was inserting advertisements into his performances led to accusations he was a businessman rather than an artist.
"Zhao has monopolized the Spring Festival Gala. He brought his own team and inserted advertisements into the performances to get rich and famous," ifeng.com quoted author Wei Minlun as saying. Online, he was referred to as the "King of ads."
Recently, there were rumors, though denied, that Zhao's comedy partner Duan Hong had been in Japanese porn movies.
Benmountain Media Group, of which Zhao is a board member, said on its microblog that Zhao had to cancel his performance this year due to poor health. He had to receive medical treatment, including taking oxygen, backstage during rehearsals.
Zhao suffered a stroke in Shanghai in September 2009 when he was shooting a TV soap and was in hospital for more than 10 days after an operation.
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