The rise of social media has transformed passive media consumers into active content creators and disseminators. A desire for autonomy and freedom of expression, often manifested as dissent towards societal issues, is common on these platforms. Satire plays a significant role, acting as a cultural artifact that challenges authority by offering alternative perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media. While Western studies often view satire as entertainment with social critique, research on Chinese satire has focused on its political implications for democratization and regime change. However, this study shifts from an empowerment approach focusing on the effects of satire to a meta-discursive analysis of its underlying motivations and reference frames. Stand-up comedy in China, boosted by shows like Rocke-Roast and Roast!, has become a popular platform for expressing authentic voices and engaging in public discourse in a playful manner. This study addresses two questions: (1) What are the features of Chinese satire in the social media era? and (2) What reference frames and motives contribute to the generic features of satire and how satirists use it in this era? Focusing on stand-up comedy, the study finds that most satire tackles micropolitical, everyday life issues. Attitudes and satirical targets emerge from the satirist's aversion to hypocrisy, processing of past pain, and performative displays of morality. Relief, cynicism, and symbolism anchor the motivation for using satire as a public communication tool, reflecting an adaptive agency.

Existing research on satire has largely focused on its content and impact on public discourse. However, recent studies have explored the motivations behind satire creation and consumption, identifying five key perspectives: relief, cynicism, activism, ritual, and symbolism. The relief view posits that satire provides comic relief and allows for a temporary suspension of social norms, as in Bakhtin's carnivalesque theory. The cynical view suggests that satire reflects pessimism, low trust, and disengagement from the political system. Conversely, the activist view sees satire as a tool for political engagement, using humor to attract attention to serious issues. The ritual view emphasizes satire's role in fostering social connection and shared identity, while the symbolic view highlights its use in demonstrating superiority in knowledge or morality. While these views often center on Western contexts and democratic media systems, this study considers the unique cultural and historical context of China, exploring traditional cultural norms and philosophical thoughts that shape satire creation and use. Traditional Confucian values emphasized seriousness and elegance, discouraging frivolous humor. However, satire in China has historically involved insightful social commentary, albeit often from a third-person perspective and with a caution against offending established norms or marginalized groups. The agency of satirists has been historically linked to entertainment and meeting the demands of those in power, requiring flexibility and adaptation to prevailing norms. Thus the study adopts a context-in-satire approach, examining how satirists integrate personal perceptions and experiences into their scripts.

This study employed a mixed-methods approach combining discursive historical analysis (DHA), semi-structured interviews, and computer-aided topic modeling using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). DHA examined the representation of satirists' and satirical targets' identities and the discursive strategies employed. Semi-structured interviews provided insights into satirists' motivations and underlying rationales. LDA topic modeling analyzed the satirical scripts to identify key themes and patterns. The data consisted of satire scripts collected from 33 stand-up comedians in China (aged 20-50, mostly male, aged 25-35 with bachelor's degrees, working in private companies and performing part-time). The scripts were selected based on a conceptual and operational definition of satire: a linguistic genre exposing societal weaknesses through laughter, using irony, parody, and humor. Three operationalized indicators guided script selection: (1) use of positive adjectives/nouns with high intensity in negative contexts; (2) recontextualized words/phrases mocking existing discourses; (3) words/phrases reprimanding targets by belittling them or excessively self-deprecating. The LDA topic modeling involved preprocessing steps (removing stop words and punctuation, manual checks for non-Chinese stop words), frequency analysis, and then the application of the model in R. The interpretation of results was based on three dimensions of DHA: nomination (how satirists and targets are labeled), predication (attitudinal characteristics), and argumentation (rationales for judgments). The 33 semi-structured interviews explored satirists' daily routines, work experiences, and perceptions of satire-making, including motivations, rationales, and influencing factors. Interviews were transcribed, translated, and coded using an open and deductive coding process. This dual approach, combining quantitative topic modeling with qualitative interview data, provided a rich understanding of the contextual nuances behind the satire.

The frequency analysis of the satire scripts revealed two main characteristics: depoliticization and emotional expression. The satire primarily focused on everyday issues (gender, family, work), avoiding macro-level political actors to minimize risk. The language used conveyed a range of emotions, including anger, annoyance, but also positive emotions and expectations. Topic modeling using LDA identified four main themes: (1) regional stereotypes (accent, Cantonese, marriage, fashion); (2) workplace hegemony (domineering bosses, stingy companies); (3) sexual innuendo (massage shops, bars, attractive women); and (4) emotional relationships (authoritarian parents, dominating male partners, weak female victims). These findings show a blend of compliance and deviation from traditional Chinese morality, with topics like sexual innuendo and regional stereotyping providing comedic punchlines. However, the satire also reflects traditional values of caution, seriousness, and respect for those in positions of vulnerability. Compared to historical Chinese satire, contemporary satire is more personal, first-person focused, and explicitly value-laden. While traditional satire often lacked socio-political consciousness and adopted a third-person perspective, contemporary satire often incorporates personal experiences and value judgments, reflecting a more pluralistic view of morality. The analysis of the interviews revealed three key sources of satirical inspiration: (1) inconsistency between idealized values and actual practices; (2) painful past experiences; and (3) performance within the constraints of the online environment. Satire often arises from the recognition of hypocrisy and inconsistencies between public pronouncements and private actions. Past traumatic experiences, often related to gender inequality, also serve as significant sources of inspiration, motivating satirists to reflect upon and challenge norms. Finally, the performative aspect of satire creation involves navigating the constraints of social media platforms, audience preferences, and potential censorship to maximize visibility and profitability. The choice of satirical targets reflects the prevailing online opinions and avoids controversial topics. Satirists often conform to the expectations of the online audience by targeting those in positions of power and using populist language.

The findings suggest that contemporary Chinese satire is shaped by a complex interplay of factors, reflecting a unique form of adaptive agency. The satirists' willingness to navigate the constraints of the social and political context while subtly challenging established norms showcases their ability to express themselves while minimizing risks. The study's findings address the research question by highlighting the motivations and frameworks that shape Chinese satire, particularly the emphasis on micro-political issues, emotional expression, and the balance between compliance and resistance. The significance of the results lies in their contribution to our understanding of satire's diverse forms and motivations in non-Western contexts. The integration of micro-level and macro-level factors contributes to the field by illustrating the complexity of cultural and political influences on satire.

This study illuminates the generic features of Chinese satire, particularly the adaptive agency displayed by satirists navigating social and political constraints. The focus on micro-political themes, the blending of emotional expression and moral commentary, and the adaptation to online platforms offer valuable insights into the dynamics of satire in contemporary China. Future research could explore other forms of Chinese satire beyond stand-up comedy, and investigate the phenomenon across different political systems and cultures, to further expand our understanding of this important form of cultural expression.

The study's limitations include the focus on stand-up comedy, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings to other satirical forms in China. Additionally, the absence of data from other authoritarian or post-authoritarian regimes restricts comparisons across different political contexts. Future research should broaden the scope of analysis to include a wider range of satirical forms and comparative analyses across different political systems.