![]() The “+1s” denote Jiang’s longevity, particularly because of several reports of his death at different times that turned out to be fake reports. The “+1s” in Figure 2 represents “add one second to Jiang’s life to extend his life.” This is a common feature in memes of Jiang (Lam, 2016). In Figure 1, the picture shows prominently Jiang’s mouth, flared nostrils and his usual black frame glasses. People who worship toads call themselves “toad fans” or “toad lovers.” In this essay, “toad fans” refer to this community in general.įigures 1 and 2 represent the most typical images associated with Jiang Zemin on Chinese social media. The word “Moha” is the pronunciation of a Chinese word “膜蛤”, which can literally be translated as “toad worship” or “admiring toad.” In Chinese, “mo” means admiring and “ha” means “toad.” In this context, Jiang Zemin represents “Ha” because of his resemblance to a toad. Lastly, this essay analyzes how this culture jamming became a source and battleground of civic imagination in the current political context in China. ![]() Thirdly, this essay analyzes how toad fans can be regarded as culture jammers, and how “Moha” culture can be regarded as culture jamming. ![]() Then, it introduces the cultural meaning of the toad in Chinese traditions and its connection to toad worship. This essay firstly explains the meaning and the context of “Moha” culture. On these platforms, Jiang is referred to as a “toad” because of his perceived resemblance to the animal, by a group of people who called themselves “toad fans.” This phenomenon is called “Moha culture,” which translates to “toad worship culture” in English. However, since 2014, Jiang has become a popular figure on Chinese social networking sites such as Weibo (known as Chinese Twitter), WeChat (online chatting platform) and Zhihu (known as Chinese Quora) and generated many fans (RFA, 2016). Therefore, Jiang was not adored by the people during his presidency. During his presidential terms, Jiang was known for his corruption, a rumored affair with a female singer, and his ridiculous statements and behaviors (Zheng, 2016). Born in 1926, Jiang is known as the longest-living former president in China (CNN Library, 2017). Jiang Zemin served as the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party between 1989 to 2002 and the President of China between 1993 to 2003 (CNN Library, 2017). “Moha Culture”: Toad Worship Regarding a Former President of Chinaīy Qiyao Peng, University of Southern California Today, I am sharing another paper - a fascinating account of culture jamming and civic imagination in China - which emerged from my spring PhD seminar on Participatory Politics and Civic Media.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |