Uproar over Chinese racist ‘African’ show

China’s greatest television show, the Spring Gala Festival, has come under sharp criticism for airing a ‘racist’ skit starring an Asian woman with painted black face, neck and hands, exaggerated derriere, enlarged breasts with a pet monkey carrying a basket on its back.

The annual show which was aired on China Central Television (CCTV) is reportedly China’s most popular TV show with a world audience of over 800 million people.

The Telegraph reports that the skit was about a young African woman who asked her Asian boyfriend to help her convince her mother that he is the boyfriend and hopefully stop her mother from sending her to a blind date.

The young African woman’s mother was however a Chinese woman recreated into what a black woman is perceived to look like.

Later in the skit, another Chinese man is seen alighting Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway with a giraffe while Makossa’s hit song Zamina mina (Zangaléwa) plays in the background.

The skit’s intent might have been to depict good diplomatic relations between China and African nations but the alert Twitter nation won’t have it.

About the controversy surrounding the CCTV Spring Festival Gala's 'racist' Africa comedy sketch: https://t.co/z3nWCwO4XR #CCTVGala pic.twitter.com/RaZgJr263i

— What's on Weibo (@WhatsOnWeibo) February 15, 2018

Feel ashamed as a native

— Chen Lei (@upcchenlei) February 16, 2018

I love the fact that the worst instances of “racism” in China is a skit and a commercial. And the skit was intended to promote China Africa ties. Meanwhile, many black people are physically assaulted in the West for being black everyday, but it is rarely reported.

— Contrarian (@Top_Contrarian) February 16, 2018

I'm sorry for that.We Chinese are against racial discrimination strongly.Maybe the sketch is confusing,but we mean no harm.

— Stella Wong (@Su_super_Stella) February 16, 2018

We mean both Chinese and African are friends, I'm so sorry some people misunderstand it.

— 白目害火 (@Jokelions) February 16, 2018

Oh so we're friends when you're making fun about something that insults us?…this has nothing to do with an American perspective lenses or whatever..the concept of black face has never been for the intent of love or friendship..so you know and don't care or you don't care at all

— Alex Shäw (@Vintix_Jr) February 16, 2018

Most educated chinese find the show offesive and inappropriate.

— 玄天邪帝 (@iloveyi92) February 16, 2018