Merry laughter and angry curses : the Shanghai tabloid press, 1897-1911 / Juan Wang.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wang, Juan.

Series:

Contemporary Chinese studies, 1206-9523.

Contemporary Chinese studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Tabloid newspapers--China--Shanghai--History.

Tabloid newspapers.

Tabloid newspapers--Social aspects--China--Shanghai--History.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (249 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Vancouver : UBC Press, 2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The end of the Qing dynasty in China saw an unprecedented explosion of print journalism. By the turn of the twentieth century, not only had Chinese-owned newspapers become more influential than anyone could have anticipated, but it was the supposedly frivolous xiaobao, the "little" or "minor" papers, that captivated and empowered the public. Merry Laughter and Angry Curses reveals how the late-Qing-era tabloid press became the voice of the people. As periodical publishing reached a fever pitch, tabloids had free rein to criticize officials, mock the elite, and scandalize readers. Tabloid writers produced a massive amount of anti-establishment literature, whose distinctive humour and satirical style were both potent and popular. This book shows the tabloid community to be both a producer of meanings and a participant in the social and cultural dialogue that would shake the foundations of imperial China and lead to the 1911 Republican Revolution.

Contents:

Community of fun

Officialdom unmasked

Imagining the nation

Confronting the "New"

Questioning the appropriators

The market, populism, and aesthetics

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613916754

0-7748-1035-1

1-283-60430-2

0-7748-2340-2

OCLC:

798415580