Like Li Ao, humorous

Author: He Ping / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: "The Post-Liao Yao Era" is a deconstructive and fragmented era, an era where people talk in circles. In such an era, we may forget the "Literary Liao Yao" and become engrossed in the "Image Era" of the "Post-Liao Yao" without rest. When we talk about Liao Yao, we no longer place him within a specific literary tradition but rather focus on him as we would an entertainment celebrity. Unlike other forms of humor, Liao Yao's humor is not subtle. He is one of the few modern Chinese writers who consciously makes the audience aware that "I am about to be humorous." Through exaggeration, distortion, and even self-destructive imagery, he draws the audience into the humorous scenarios he has. He pursues the theatricality and performative nature of humor. Liao Yao inherits a great tradition, one pioneered by literary figures such as Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren, Hu Shi, Lin Yutang, and Chen Duxiu, who established the literary enlightenment tradition. At the same time, Liao Yao is also creating a new tradition in which he is rewriting the survival and writing methods of modern writers. "The Post-Liao Yao Era" is a deconstructive and fragmented era, an era where people talk in circles. In such an era, we may forget the "Literary Liao Yao" and become engrossed in the "Image Era" of the "Post-Liao Yao" without rest. When we talk about Liao Yao, we no longer place him within a specific literary tradition but rather focus on him as we would an entertainment celebrity. Unlike other forms of humor, Liao Yao's humor is not subtle. He is one of the few modern Chinese writers who consciously makes the audience aware that "I am about to be humorous." Through exaggeration, distortion, and even self-destructive imagery, he draws the audience into the humorous scenarios he has. He pursues the theatricality and performative nature of humor. Liao Yao inherits a great tradition, one pioneered by literary figures such as Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren, Hu Shi, Lin Yutang, and Chen Duxiu, who established the literary enlightenment tradition. At the same time, Liao Yao is also creating a new tradition in which he is rewriting the survival and writing methods of modern writers.