Comedy is on the rise in China, and one of its unlikeliest stars is a cross-dressing performer known as Xiao Shenyang, or "Little Shenyang." The 29-year-old comedian has a reputation for gender-bending costumes and occasional vulgarity. Little Shenyang appeared in last year's Lunar New Year gala show organized by state-run CCTV. While his jokes were scrubbed clean of sexual innuendo that night, the fresh-faced youth did wear a skirt - calling it a "Scottish kilt." Little Shenyang was an instant hit with the show's 600 million–strong audience.
中国喜剧方兴未艾，其中最有传奇色彩的明星之一便是男扮女装的小沈阳。这名29岁的喜剧演员以性别颠倒的着装以及不时的粗俗之举而出名。去年，他现身中国中央电视台春节联欢晚会，当晚虽没有“黄段子”，这名新人还是穿了一条裙子——他称之为“苏格兰裙”。于是，在这台晚会的6亿多观众面前，小沈阳一炮走红。
In person, Little Shenyang is modest, even polite, making it hard to imagine him telling off-color jokes, prancing about in full makeup and sequined hair clips, squeaking, "I'm all man!" In an interview with NEWSWEEK, he denied that his unconventional stage persona had any homosexual message. "It's just a performing style to make people laugh, to be closer to real life," he says.
私底下，小沈阳很谦逊，甚至彬彬有礼，让人很难想到他会讲下流笑话、化着浓妆带着闪亮的发卡在台上蹦蹦跳跳，同时高喊：“我是纯爷们！”在接受《时代周刊》记者采访时，他否认自己的非正统舞台形象有任何同性恋暗示。他说：“这只是逗笑形式，为了更贴近真实生活。”
The Little Shenyang phenomenon is mainly the provenance of China's post-80s generation. But it's also a throwback to earlier. Westerners sometimes perceive Chinese society - incorrectly - as sexually conservative. In fact, cross-dressing performers and gay culture had thrived in China for centuries.
小沈阳现象主要源于中国的80后一代。但这也可以追溯到更早。西方人误以为中国社会在性方面很保守，而事实上，男扮女装表演以及同性恋文化曾在中国盛行了几百年。
"I don't know what is regarded as 'vulgar,' but I know audiences like my performances," Little Shenyang says.
小沈阳在接受采访时这么说：“我不知道什么是‘俗’，但我知道观众喜欢我的表演。” |