Web Video / China Uncensored

It's a laugh riot, so bring the tear gas!

"On this episode of China Uncensored, we...get described by TV Tropes?"

China Uncensored is a thrice-weekly satirical show on YouTube in the vein of The Daily Show or The Colbert Report, hosted by Chris Chappell.

China Uncensored is highly critical of the current regime in China, raising issues relating to China's territorial claims, its threats directed toward Taiwan and Japan, human rights abuses (most notably the persecution of minorities such as Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Falun Gong members), organ harvesting from "prisoners of conscience"^note people who basically disagree with Chinese government policies, including detained members of the aforementioned minorities above, abuses of power, widespread corruption, the export of ingredients used to make illegal drugs, their deteriorating environmental situation, rampant censorship and as of 2020, their handling of the COVID-19 outbreak. As well as China, the show also targets perceived supporters of the Chinese Communist Party.

Tropes that apply to China Uncensored include:

• Aesop Amnesia: Whenever countries or companies continue to make deals with the Chinese Communist Party despite their All Take and No Give attitude and Might Makes Right mentality. As Chris Chappell sums it up best.
  You'd think they would have learned from that experience, but you'd be wrong.
• Always Chaotic Evil: How anarchists/communists/socialists/liberals are portrayed in both this series and America Uncovered.
• Always Lawful Good: How America, the Republican party and Falun Gong is portrayed in both here and America Uncovered.
• Animal Nemesis: Played With. As part of a running gag, Chris displays enmity towards pandas because of their association with the Chinese Communist Party (and their notorious Panda Diplomacy) - however, as revealed in this episode, he does secretly love them and admits that he'll be affectionate with them if they are untainted with the CCP's influence.
• America Takes Over the World: A benevolent version in America Uncovered.
• Appropriated Appellation: The China Uncensored fanbase is called the "China Uncensored 50-Cent Army." This is a reference to the " 50-Cent Party/Army", or "Wumaodang"—Internet trolls paid by the Chinese government to spread their propaganda and manipulate public opinion to favor the Chinese Communist Party.^note And yes, not even YouTube is safe from the Wumaodang.
• Author Tract: The show is produced by New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television, which was founded by Falun Gong members. As such their descriptions of Falun Gong are very positive and omit elements that might be more controversial.
• Big Damn Heroes: How America is portrayed in both here and America Uncovered. Donald Trump, BREXIT and the alt-right are also portrayed this way.
• Bomb Throwing Anarchist: Antifa/black bloc and anarcho-communists are portrayed this way.
• Brain Bleach: In one video discussing America's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and China's opportunity to assume a leadership role following America's withdrawal from the agreement, Chris actually drinks a bottle of the stuff after seeing a picture of Xi Jinping dressed up as Captain Planet.
• Brotherhood of Funny Hats: A malevolent portrayal of the Freemasons when they are mentioned.
• But for Me, It Was Tuesday: Invoked in the July 10, 2017 episode:
  Chris: And coming up after the break, we bring you corruption, sex scandals, and murder. Or as the Chinese Communist Party calls it, "Tuesday".
• The Cameo: Fellow YouTube celebrity Travis Kraft appears as a guide for the China Uncensored crew during their visit to Binondo in Manila.
• Celebrity Endorsement: From Jordan Peterson, Ben Shapiro and Candace Owens.
• China Takes Over the World: What this show and America Uncovered is fighting against.
• Commie Nazis: Both China and North Korea are constantly compared to fascist Italy, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. According to America Uncovered and this web video, they are just as bad, if not worse than the Axis powers of World War 2.^note Truth in Television as the CCP aren't exactly known for respecting the culture of other nations to the point that they will destroy said culture, alongside their mother language and replace it with their own.
• Dirty Commies: Exaggerated in both this series and America Uncovered. They both mock Russia/China/Cuba. North Korea, Vietnam and Laos are also portrayed this way when mentioned.
• Eagle Land: Type 1. The USA is portrayed this way in both this and America Uncovered.
• Enemy Civil War: The Chinese Communist Party is well known for purging high ranking officials and generals from within, to the point there is a dedicated segment called General Hostility. Truth in Television, the CCP leadership is.... very unstable (and notoriously corrupt) to say the least.
• Expy: China Uncensored and America Uncovered are both similar to Fox News, AM radio and Breitbart News.
• Fantastic Racism: America Uncovered and this show both use racist/sexist/homophobic jokes Played for Laughs.
• Fox News Liberal: Liberals in general are portrayed as "useful idiots" for anarchists/communists/socialists.
• French Jerk: The stereotype is used as an example when France is brought up.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: Discussed.
  • The show covers how concerned the Chinese government is that My Love From Another Star, a Korean TV show, is so much more popular in China than most Chinese shows. invoked
  • This series as well as America Uncovered is very popular in the United Kingdom as well as the United States. Chris Chappell is staunchly against anti-Americanism and proudly and unabashedly supports the Anglo-American system, so that makes sense.
• Greedy Jew: How Jews are portrayed when mentioned. Saul Alinsky and George Soros are both portrayed this way.
• Hollywood Atheist: Atheists/secular humanists are portrayed as "useful idiots" for anarchists/communists/socialists/liberals.
• Hypocrite: How the CCP is portrayed, as they preach things that they don't practice (such as China being a democracy and a believer of human rights, and blaming Japan for the Fukushima handling). Truth in Television by the way.
• In-Series Nickname: "Humor Ninja" for Shelley Zhang, the show's writer and researcher.
• In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves: The episodes "5 Ways China is DESTROYING the Planet" and its sequel will have Chris Chappel discuss on how China possess the potential to destroy Earth, given China's horrible track record when it comes to the environment (starting with the disastrous Great Leap Forward) this holds a lot of basis.
• It's All About Me: How the CCP is portrayed, being compared to an Entitled Spoiled Brat that will throw a tantrum if they don't get what they want, and engage in All Take and No Give.
• Mad Libs Catch Phrase: Both the opening and signing off Catchphrases (see below for the latter) are this.
  Chris: On this episode of China Uncensored, (*mention of the current topic that's about to be discussed in the episode*).
• Monster Clown: How liberal/left-wing comedians are portrayed as when they are not being portrayed as "useful idiots" for Russia/China/Cuba.
• Moral Myopia: How the Chinese Communist Party are portrayed. It is fine for them to bully and harass their neighbors, but will rave and rant at those who stand up to them. Truth in Television, as the CCP are notorious for their lack of self-reflection and adhere strongly to Tautology.
• Not Evil, Just Misunderstood: How conservatives and right-wingers who are anti-Communist are shown in both here and America Uncovered. Given that both series are unapologetically anti-Communist, that is a given. Though they do have their limits; if someone is an unironic fascist/Nazi, America Uncovered and this show will condemn them. Despite being a rather conservative/right-wing Youtube channel, They don't go THAT far.
• Race Lift: The show has replaced white cast members with Asians and Asian cast members with white people to parody Hollywood's tendency to whitewash Asian characters.
• Russia Takes Over the World: Hinted at when the Cold War is mentioned.
• Running Gag:
  • Chris sometimes mentions a fact or two relevant to the news he's discussing, only to be corrected by Shelley when there's an update to that fact.
    Chris: What's that, Shelley?
  • Comparing previous Chinese president Jiang Zemin to a toad, such as "deflated toad", "human Hypnotoad", and the like.
  • On a similar note, comparing Chinese President Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh.
• Saintly Church: The Falun Gong religious movement is portrayed this way.
• Signing-Off Catchphrase:
  Chris: So what do you think of (*whatever topic was discussed in the episode*)? Leave your comments below. Once again, I'm Chris Chappell, see you next time.
• The Smurfette Principle: Shelley—the aforementioned "Humor Ninja"—is the only woman in the China Uncensored crew.
• Terrible Trio: Russia, China and Cuba are potrayed this way.
• Top Ten List: A handful of their videos are basically this, usually pointing out the strange or scary things the Chinese government and their people does.
• Voice of the Resistance: They serve as this to combat against China's censorship policies by airing uncensored footage and information to the world.
• Yellowface: The show criticizes this practice in one episode, specifically the infamous Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

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This is Chris Chappel, see you next time.

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