The Eeconomist.
This summer, an unlikely new star shot to fame in China.
Hailing from a little known village close to central Linyi,
this 50-year-old comedian was never expecting to make it big.
Yet her stories, mined from her own experiences of motherhood, menopause, and domestic violence,
have really struck a chord, especially with women who relate to her struggles.
On stage, she calls herself Director Fang, the head of the Village Information Center.
In other words, the town gossip.
And audiences love her.
Telling jokes in China can be a risky business.
Mocking its leaders has long been taboo, and in the Mao era, comedy became a tool of propaganda.
More recently,
under Xi Jinping,
restrictions have tightened again, with citizens jailed for cracking politically sensitive jokes.
Yet despite the risks, Chinese stand-up is booming,
and director Fong's success has coincided with a more influential wave of female comedians
and growing debate around gender roles, marriage, and divorce in today's China.
I'm Jeremy Page, the economist's chief China Correspondent,
and I'm here with my co-host, Sarah Wu, our China correspondent in Beijing.
And this week we're asking, what does Director Fang's success tell us about the evolution of comedy and feminism in China?