Merry Laughter and Angry Curses - The Shanghai Tabloid Press, 1897-1911 (Hardcover)

The end of the Qing dynasty in China saw an unprecedented explosion
of print journalism. Chinese-owned newspapers, first encouraged by
Emperor Guangxu to inform and educate an increasingly literate public,
had by the turn of the century become more powerful than the state had
ever anticipated or desired. Yet it was not the "dabao, " or
"important" papers, that proved most influential. Rather it
was the "xiaobao, " the "little" or
"minor" papers - with their reputation for
frivolity - that captivated and empowered the public.
"Merry Laughter and Angry Curses" reveals how the
late-Qing-era tabloid press became the voice of the people. As
periodical publishing reached a fever pitch, tabloids had free rein to
criticize officials, mock the elite, and scandalize readers, giving the
public knowledge about previously unspeakable and unprintable ideas. In
the name of the people, tabloid writers produced a massive amount of
anti-establishment literature, whose distinctive humour and satirical
style were both potent and popular. This book shows the tabloid
community to be both a producer of meanings and a participant in the
social and cultural dialogue that would shake the foundations of
imperial China and lead to the 1911 Republican Revolution.Juan Wang is an independent scholar of Chinese
history.