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Puns Forbidden in China

Started by QueenThera, December 20, 2014, 08:33:35 PM

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QueenThera

I was trying to research puns in other cultures, and found this.

http://qz.com/304268/why-china-is-now-banning-puns/

Thoughts?
Often incoherent. Tends to ramble on about various topics.
Hopes to get beyond that.

Formerly BrotherPrickle

Demolition Squid

Sometimes, bad regimes do good things.
Vast and Roaring Nipplebeast from the Dawn of Soho

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


The Johnny

One good reason to welcome our chinese overlords in 2050.
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

Prelate Diogenes Shandor

I was struck by this line:

QuoteThe official line is that the new rules—which ban the use of wordplay in the press, broadcasts, and advertisements—are intended to uphold the sanctity of the Chinese language

Because even if we believe that that really is the reasoning behind it, that's still a pretty bad motivation given that China probably has the most backward-ass language of any noteworthy world power.
Praise NHGH! For the tribulation of all sentient beings.


a plague on both your houses -Mercutio


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTGgpWmdZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVWd7nPjJH8


It is an unfortunate fact that every man who seeks to disseminate knowledge must contend not only against ignorance itself, but against false instruction as well. No sooner do we deem ourselves free from a particularly gross superstition, than we are confronted by some enemy to learning who would plunge us back into the darkness -H.P.Lovecraft


He who fights with monsters must take care lest he thereby become a monster -Nietzsche


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhrZgojY1Q


You are a fluke of the universe, and whether you can hear it of not the universe is laughing behind your back -Deteriorata


Don't use the email address in my profile, I lost the password years ago

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Prelate Diogenes Shandor on December 22, 2014, 08:12:49 PM
I was struck by this line:

QuoteThe official line is that the new rules—which ban the use of wordplay in the press, broadcasts, and advertisements—are intended to uphold the sanctity of the Chinese language

Because even if we believe that that really is the reasoning behind it, that's still a pretty bad motivation given that China probably has the most backward-ass language of any noteworthy world power.

It does, does it? By what standard?

Just the one?
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


The Johnny

Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 22, 2014, 09:22:47 PM
Quote from: Prelate Diogenes Shandor on December 22, 2014, 08:12:49 PM
I was struck by this line:

QuoteThe official line is that the new rules—which ban the use of wordplay in the press, broadcasts, and advertisements—are intended to uphold the sanctity of the Chinese language

Because even if we believe that that really is the reasoning behind it, that's still a pretty bad motivation given that China probably has the most backward-ass language of any noteworthy world power.

It does, does it? By what standard?

Just the one?

Becose commie slashes lines, primitive like wall paintings, duh.
<<My image in some places, is of a monster of some kind who wants to pull a string and manipulate people. Nothing could be further from the truth. People are manipulated; I just want them to be manipulated more effectively.>>

-B.F. Skinner

Prelate Diogenes Shandor

#7
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 22, 2014, 09:22:47 PM
Quote from: Prelate Diogenes Shandor on December 22, 2014, 08:12:49 PM
I was struck by this line:

QuoteThe official line is that the new rules—which ban the use of wordplay in the press, broadcasts, and advertisements—are intended to uphold the sanctity of the Chinese language

Because even if we believe that that really is the reasoning behind it, that's still a pretty bad motivation given that China probably has the most backward-ass language of any noteworthy world power.

It does, does it? By what standard?

They don't even have an alphabet!

It wouldn't have to be the latin alphabet; it could just as easily be cyrillic, or greek, or kana or a totally new system, but not having an alphabet at all is backward and makes the language needlessly obtuse.
Praise NHGH! For the tribulation of all sentient beings.


a plague on both your houses -Mercutio


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrTGgpWmdZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVWd7nPjJH8


It is an unfortunate fact that every man who seeks to disseminate knowledge must contend not only against ignorance itself, but against false instruction as well. No sooner do we deem ourselves free from a particularly gross superstition, than we are confronted by some enemy to learning who would plunge us back into the darkness -H.P.Lovecraft


He who fights with monsters must take care lest he thereby become a monster -Nietzsche


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHhrZgojY1Q


You are a fluke of the universe, and whether you can hear it of not the universe is laughing behind your back -Deteriorata


Don't use the email address in my profile, I lost the password years ago

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: The Johnny on December 22, 2014, 09:52:22 PM
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 22, 2014, 09:22:47 PM
Quote from: Prelate Diogenes Shandor on December 22, 2014, 08:12:49 PM
I was struck by this line:

QuoteThe official line is that the new rules—which ban the use of wordplay in the press, broadcasts, and advertisements—are intended to uphold the sanctity of the Chinese language

Because even if we believe that that really is the reasoning behind it, that's still a pretty bad motivation given that China probably has the most backward-ass language of any noteworthy world power.

It does, does it? By what standard?

Just the one?

Becose commie slashes lines, primitive like wall paintings, duh.

:lol: I am rather hoping he has a better explanation, but I fear you may have nailed it.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Nephew Twiddleton

The lack of alphabet doesn't seem to be a problem for people who can read Chinese.
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
Sentence or sentence fragment pending

Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Prelate Diogenes Shandor on December 22, 2014, 10:09:49 PM
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 22, 2014, 09:22:47 PM
Quote from: Prelate Diogenes Shandor on December 22, 2014, 08:12:49 PM
I was struck by this line:

QuoteThe official line is that the new rules—which ban the use of wordplay in the press, broadcasts, and advertisements—are intended to uphold the sanctity of the Chinese language

Because even if we believe that that really is the reasoning behind it, that's still a pretty bad motivation given that China probably has the most backward-ass language of any noteworthy world power.

It does, does it? By what standard?

They don't even have an alphabet!

Oh dear. Yes Johnny, sadly, you nailed it.

So your argument is that because it's hard to learn and different from the Roman alphabet, it's a "backwards-ass" language?

I mean, I'm assuming you're referring to Mandarin specifically, and just disregarding the other 297 languages spoken in China.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on December 22, 2014, 10:17:25 PM
The lack of alphabet doesn't seem to be a problem for people who can read Chinese.

Yes, but it's hard. Unlike English, which totally has consistent rules and makes sense.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 22, 2014, 10:18:17 PM
Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on December 22, 2014, 10:17:25 PM
The lack of alphabet doesn't seem to be a problem for people who can read Chinese.

Yes, but it's hard. Unlike English, which totally has consistent rules and makes sense.

I know, right? But here's the funny thing about that. There's gotta be some dude in China mocking English for similar reasons. We don't have a proper set of ideograms. We may as well since our spellings are so damn inconsistent.
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
Sentence or sentence fragment pending

Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS

Demolition Squid

I was assuming that the fact there are a huge number of languages spoken in China, but the authorities refuse to acknowledge that their people can't actually talk to one another in favour of pretending there is one universal Chinese language with 'regional dialects' was what he was referring to.

Because it is faintly ridiculous to try and argue there actually is an integrity to be protected when there isn't broad agreement - in practice - across the country about what the language actually is. The notion of a singular Chinese language only really exists as a political construct to try and foster a sense of shared nationhood across such a massive and diverse country.

But honestly, I hope the real reason is just that the authorities hate the fuck out of puns and this is the first step in eradicating their acceptability across the globe.
Vast and Roaring Nipplebeast from the Dawn of Soho

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on December 22, 2014, 10:22:03 PM
Quote from: Mesozoic Mister Nigel on December 22, 2014, 10:18:17 PM
Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on December 22, 2014, 10:17:25 PM
The lack of alphabet doesn't seem to be a problem for people who can read Chinese.

Yes, but it's hard. Unlike English, which totally has consistent rules and makes sense.

I know, right? But here's the funny thing about that. There's gotta be some dude in China mocking English for similar reasons. We don't have a proper set of ideograms. We may as well since our spellings are so damn inconsistent.

As well as our tenses, plurals, pronunciation, and grammatical rules.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."