Merry Laughter and Angry Curses
The Shanghai Tabloid Press, 1897-1911
- Publisher
- UBC Press
- Initial publish date
- Oct 2012
- Category
- China, Journalism, Media Studies
-
Hardback
- ISBN
- 9780774823388
- Publish Date
- Oct 2012
- List Price
- $95.00
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780774823395
- Publish Date
- Jul 2013
- List Price
- $32.95
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9780774823401
- Publish Date
- Oct 2012
- List Price
- $32.95
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Description
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.
About the author
Juan Wang is an independent scholar of Chinese history.