S2 E10: Back In The '90s Dashan Was In A Very Famous TV Show

This is a very special episode we think you’ll really enjoy. Instead of talking about one particular work of pop culture, we sit down with Dashan, the most famous non-Chinese comedian in China, a pop culture symbol himself. For the longest time, when you mention the word “老外” (lao wai, foreigner) in China, Dashan is the first name that came to mind. He became a household name after debuting on Chinese television in the '90s, when 500 million people tuned in to watch his comedic skit. Dashan’s career in the spotlight spans three decades, during which China went under drastic socio-economic changes and became the world’s latest superpower.While he’s Canadian born and bred, the expressions he uses off-hand, his way of thinking, and the euphemistic rhetoric he deploys in this interview are remarkably “Chinese.” Through this unique personal lens, Dashan offers rich insights into contemporary Chinese society and culture. “I am a foreigner. But I am not an outsider.”Dashan starts this conversation by comparing himself to Bojack Horseman — the protagonist of the popular eponymous Netflix show that was “very famous back in the 90s.” In the show, Bojack is depressingly and destructively obsessed with his past glory. Dashan joked that they share many similarities, but Dashan’s trajectory is actually quite the opposite. He talks to us candidly about his journey, both personal and professional, from “Dashan 1.0” to “Dashan 3.0.” Dashan is currently in Canada preparing for his show “大山侃大山,” which you can watch parts of online here. Who’s Dashan today and how does he reflect on his fascinating career in China over the past three decades? Tune in to this special episode and find out. (There’s also a hilarious anecdote of Dashan’s awkward encounter with a former Chinese President, known for being accidentally comedic.)Please enjoy and find us in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, 喜马拉雅 for our fans in China, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review.Find Loud Murmurs in the iTunes podcast store, Google Play, Spotify, 喜马拉雅, and wherever you listen to podcasts (e.g. Pocket Casts, Overcast)! Please subscribe, enjoy, and feel free to drop us a note and leave us a review. Itunes: https://apple.co/2VAVf0Z Google play: goo.gl/KjRYPN Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2IWNuRB Soundcloud:https://bit.ly/2FqToIw RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/258327.rss Pocket Cast: http://pca.st/nLid Overcast: https://bit.ly/2SL7MNJ Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/loudmurmurs)