Translation appears accurate, but misses the cultural element. In my admittedly limited experience, this is pretty par for the course for Chinese humor. Compared to Western humor, Chinese humor is more brash and abrasive, and almost boastful when viewed from an outside perspective. I can definitely envision someone receiving that sort of response as a joke (“What, you didn’t receive game of the year? Why did you even go?”). And it would certainly agree with my impression that he makes a lot of crude jokes on his social media that don’t translate well into English (see: the IGN article on how the developers are sexist). It can really be quite difficult for inexperienced people to determine what statements are humorous and what statements are earnest, since the difference is often really subtle, even when read in the original language.
I’m not necessarily defending him, since these sorts of jokes do have a nugget of honesty to them, but my read is that he plays them up for humor.
I am Chinese with a lot of Chinese family. This is not some unique and elevated humor that westerners do not understand. It is the same self deprecating humor that is increasingly prevalent in all cultures (that have been exposed to similar media…) combined with the equivalent of “ha ha, wouldn’t it be funny if we kissed .ha ha ha . What a joke. ha ha. But what if we did? Ha ha ha”.
Same with the truly disgusting misogynistic shit that asshole has said. It is a “joke” in the same way it was “just a joke” when people were testing the water on being magats.
The only thing that is “cultural” about this is the tendency for East Asians (but especially Chinese) to assume that everyone else is fucking stupid and that they just have to say it is a joke to ignore all consequences. And… that has been regularly demonstrated to be true so I guess the joke is on us?
Do I think he was tearing his shirt in agony and screaming in pain? No (although apparently Alannah Pearce and the people in her section saw him crying when he lost…). But there is very much the fundamental truth of “I deserved to win so this must be bullshit if I didn’t and I wasted my time by coming to an awards ceremony that doesn’t understand how amazing I am”.
Which… DOES have a lot of ties to East Asian culture (the idea that you are either best or worst) coupled with the fucked up number that the one child policy did on people.
eh I’m the same as you. even grew up in China for many years and the original comment could be true. who knows, but its getting weird coverage in both countries.
it’s also quite the stereotype (one especially held by western raised Asians) to believe all East Asians have asian elitism. most people I knew in China were insanely jealous of Americans and would give their life savings to send their kids to the US for education and a better life. the rich had the everyone is stupid mentality, but that’s true for rich people everywhere. one thing that is true and why I made the comment in parenthesis is that most Chinese people think Western raised Asian children are raised incorrectly and make that known to their family members in the West which comes off very elitist, but that’s also something shared between cultures around the world who have family members living in the US or equivalent.
no comment on the dudes other comments he’s made since I don’t know much about him, but to apply this to all East Asians especially the Chinese because of his one comment is pretty… yeah.
Translation appears accurate, but misses the cultural element. In my admittedly limited experience, this is pretty par for the course for Chinese humor. Compared to Western humor, Chinese humor is more brash and abrasive, and almost boastful when viewed from an outside perspective. I can definitely envision someone receiving that sort of response as a joke (“What, you didn’t receive game of the year? Why did you even go?”). And it would certainly agree with my impression that he makes a lot of crude jokes on his social media that don’t translate well into English (see: the IGN article on how the developers are sexist). It can really be quite difficult for inexperienced people to determine what statements are humorous and what statements are earnest, since the difference is often really subtle, even when read in the original language.
I’m not necessarily defending him, since these sorts of jokes do have a nugget of honesty to them, but my read is that he plays them up for humor.
Yeah… fuck off with that?
I am Chinese with a lot of Chinese family. This is not some unique and elevated humor that westerners do not understand. It is the same self deprecating humor that is increasingly prevalent in all cultures (that have been exposed to similar media…) combined with the equivalent of “ha ha, wouldn’t it be funny if we kissed .ha ha ha . What a joke. ha ha. But what if we did? Ha ha ha”.
Same with the truly disgusting misogynistic shit that asshole has said. It is a “joke” in the same way it was “just a joke” when people were testing the water on being magats.
The only thing that is “cultural” about this is the tendency for East Asians (but especially Chinese) to assume that everyone else is fucking stupid and that they just have to say it is a joke to ignore all consequences. And… that has been regularly demonstrated to be true so I guess the joke is on us?
Do I think he was tearing his shirt in agony and screaming in pain? No (although apparently Alannah Pearce and the people in her section saw him crying when he lost…). But there is very much the fundamental truth of “I deserved to win so this must be bullshit if I didn’t and I wasted my time by coming to an awards ceremony that doesn’t understand how amazing I am”.
Which… DOES have a lot of ties to East Asian culture (the idea that you are either best or worst) coupled with the fucked up number that the one child policy did on people.
eh I’m the same as you. even grew up in China for many years and the original comment could be true. who knows, but its getting weird coverage in both countries.
it’s also quite the stereotype (one especially held by western raised Asians) to believe all East Asians have asian elitism. most people I knew in China were insanely jealous of Americans and would give their life savings to send their kids to the US for education and a better life. the rich had the everyone is stupid mentality, but that’s true for rich people everywhere. one thing that is true and why I made the comment in parenthesis is that most Chinese people think Western raised Asian children are raised incorrectly and make that known to their family members in the West which comes off very elitist, but that’s also something shared between cultures around the world who have family members living in the US or equivalent.
no comment on the dudes other comments he’s made since I don’t know much about him, but to apply this to all East Asians especially the Chinese because of his one comment is pretty… yeah.
So Chinese Kanye?
Bro he’s a sexist not a Nazi, take it down a notch.
Plus Kanye would have won because he convinced all the best game developers from the last ten years to collaborate and do his work for him.
Alannah Pearce namedrop i love that Aussie she was the best part of Funhaus
This should be the top comment. Knowing a couple mainland Chinese, this is probably 100% accurate and a more charitable read than most are giving it.