Intel pulls Chinese ad featuring comedian Yang Li after it angered men – then women hit back

  • Intel has become mired in controversy after pulling an ad featuring Yang Li, known for her comedic barbs about men
  • Women asked why the US chip giant is capitulating to men in China, where feminist attitudes are on the rise

Comedian Yang Li is cheered by women and jeered by men, who feel insulted by her sharp barbs directed at them. She was featured in a recent Intel ad in China until it pulled the video over a backlash from male netizens. Photo: YouTube / Tencent Video

After removing a laptop advertisement featuring the popular stand-up comedian Yang Li, semiconductor giant Intel is having a hard time pleasing both men and women who say the US firm is guilty of sexism – but for different reasons.

Yang, 29, is known in China for her piercing jokes targeting men. An ad posted last Thursday to the microblogging platform Sina Weibo and Taobao, the e-commerce platform owned by Alibaba Group Holding, parent company of the South China Morning Post, played on Yang’s reputation.
Print option is available for subscribers only.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Copyright © 2025 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.