Abstract
In this article, we seek to understand the image of China in American pop culture and to discuss the implications of the role of humor and satire in the study and practice of public diplomacy. Specifically, we examine how the 2008 Beijing Olympics was represented in two TV comedy shows: an animated sitcom, South Park and a parody of news broadcasts, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The shows’ comic take on the Olympics confirms the dominant perception of China in the United States – China being mysterious, authoritarian and posing as a serious threat. Meanwhile, what also becomes the object of comedy is Americans’ cultural ignorance about China and their paranoia of its rise. This study raises an important question of how comic representations of country image should be viewed and analyzed in the context of a country's ‘soft power’. It also suggests utilizing humor as both an analytical tool and an engagement tactic in the practice of public diplomacy.
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