Stand-up comedian fluffs his lines with propaganda chiefs

Fans of the mainland comedy style known as crosstalk, or xiangsheng, certainly know Guo Degang. He is the most famous crosstalker today, and that is what makes his sudden fall from grace all the more noteworthy.

In just a few days this month, Guo became the poster boy for the Communist Party's propaganda campaign against vulgarity, in an attempt to silence a more subtle and subversive array of dissenting voices. An all-out campaign involved three official mouthpieces - China Central Television (CCTV), Xinhua and the People's Daily.

President Hu Jintao had called for 'firmly rejecting the three vulgarities' - 'low, vulgar and pandering', both online and offline - at an internal group meeting of the Politburo on cultural system reform on August 3, the China Youth Daily reported.

Guo's nightmare started when Zhou Guangfu , a paparazzi-style reporter for Beijing Television (BTV), went to Guo's house on August 1 to do a story on the alleged illegal extension of his villa courtyard onto public green space. Guo was not home at the time. Li Hebiao, a student of Guo's, took exception to Zhou's presence, and they got into a fist fight.

At a press conference next day, Zhou announced that Li had punched him, pushed him down the stairs and tried to grab his camera. He had bruises on his arm and suffered a 'slight brain concussion' after a hospital check-up, he told the media.

BTV demanded an apology - not from Li, but from Guo's crosstalk troupe, Deyunshe. On August 3, Li was compelled to apologise, and promised to pay all medical expenses.