“5 Surprising Benefits of Smog” Jokes CCTV, Chinese Reactions

Chinese people has been harassed by the frequently occurring heavy smog in China. But on December 8th, a reporter for state-broadcaster CCTV published an article that says the smog has five surprising benefits: The smog makes Chinese people more united, more equal, more clear-headed, more humorous, and more knowledgeable. On December 9th, many media reprinted this article and pasted the link on their own official microblog accounts, sparking both outrage and derision among Chinese netizens.

From Sina Weibo:

@头条新闻: CCTV Media Claims Smog Has Brought “Five Surprising Gains” — The CCTV website published an article claiming, “You may have realized that the smog that you hate bitterly and feel helpless is not all bad, because at the same time it has wrecked havoc on on the Divine Land [a poetic name for China], it has also brought us five major benefits.” Including: Smog has made Chinese people more united; smog has made Chinese people more equal; smog has made Chinese people more clear-headed [aware]; smog has made Chinese people more humorous; smog has made Chinese people more knowledgeable. Details: http://t.cn/8kMzqWb [original article has since been removed]

From Sina Weibo:

@每日经济新闻: CCTV Website： The Five Unexpected Benefits Brought By Smog — First, the smog has made Chinese people more united. The nation’s people have formed an “anti-smog national united front”. Everyone takes turns suffering with no one capable of feeling much superiority over others. Second, in the face of smog, everyone is equal. Third, the smog has made Chinese people more clear-headed, strengthening our awareness of danger/misery. Fourth, the smog has made Chinese people even more humorous. Finally, the smog has made Chinese people learn more knowledge.

Comments from Sina Weibo (1 & 2):

嘟嘟美女：

The smog has made historic contributions to realizing the revival of the Chinese nation and the Chinese Dream!

Rookie智：

The smog has made this reporter brain damaged.

welonee：

Among the five major benefits, making Chinese people more equal is indeed true. No matter how much money you have, no matter how much power you have, no matter whether you live in a villa or in a basement, the smog is always there, where you can’t avoid breathing it!

布达拉蛋挞：

Being continuously poisoned/bewitched by CCTV is much more severe than smog.

火星柳叶刀：

That CCTV could think up these five points sure wasn’t easy.

一个晴空的云朵：

Can I say that I want health?

找个烂借口：

I totally don’t have this kind of feeling! Maintaining national unity should not rely on SARS, earthquakes, bird flu and smog. To realize real unity must rely on developing the economy and create a harmonious, open, pluralistic but cohesive concept of culture/civilization ~

Jenna蛋蛋：

I felt it was quite well said. See, the air quality is better today ~ Only by having hope will the nature treat you well. Only by having faith can we not be flustered. Of course, I also hope the government will introduce more environmentally friendly policies, and also hope that everyone can use a calm state of mind to fight for the opportunity of fresh air. This is the so-called “everything can be settled through discussion” ~ I also believe that the future will be better and better.

nabo1982：

Except they did not think of what should be done for accountability and governance.

无-法：

Who will really do their part for [improving] air pollution? Such as quitting smoking and driving their private cars as little as possible? Ultimately, we still have to wait for the country to force losses linked to citizens’ self-interests can true it attract the true attention and concern of everyone.

YAS1993：

To have this kind of media (official media), I too felt an unexpected gain gain/benefit.

子桐在德令哈:

Turns out Chongqing people being united, equal, humorous, and knowledgeable all the time was because they are in smog every winter.

公民胡子卫:

CCTV Media truly is challenging the intelligence of the Heavenly Kingdom‘s people. I bet the brain of the person who wrote this didn’t have water enter it [water entering the brain is a Chinese saying to suggest someone is stupid or brain damaged], but PM 2.5 [particulates]. Thirty years ago, [China] was determined not to take the old “pollute first, then govern [manage/clean the pollution]” path of the West. Years ago, the Minister of Environmental Protection said thirty years of development has proven that old Western path of “polluting first then govern” will not work for China. Now everyone has discovered that the path China has taken is a new path with Chinese characteristics, the new path of “continue polluting without governance”.