text/Wang Hanyue
editor | Zhiyu
The 2024 Year of the Dragon Spring Festival Gala finally came to an end amidst the much anticipated.
From belly laughs to toes digging into the ground, I have to say that the Spring Festival Gala skits are getting worse every year.
The wine still smells good.
The public can’t help but miss those comedy masters who have left countless classic moments on the Spring Festival Gala stage.
Golden partners: Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao
In 1984, Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao, who appeared on the Spring Festival Gala for the first time, became an instant hit with their sketch "Eating Noodles".
Although their props were only a pair of chopsticks and a bowl, Chen Peisi performed life scenes in a humorous and interesting way when performing noodles.
One moment he swallowed like a hungry man, and the next moment he belched again and again, which was lifelike.
In the 1986 "Mutton Kebab", Chen Peisi appeared in Uighur style.
With fake beard, Xinjiang hat and hot Mandarin, his performance caused bursts of laughter from the audience. In addition to being happy, it is also conveying a simple truth: "You must be honest and trustworthy, otherwise you will suffer the consequences."
In the 1989 "Pepper Noodles", the well-groomed Zhu Shimao and the rough and unruly Chen Peisi staged a comedy in the restaurant. The skit relied little on dialogue and instead moved the plot forward by snatching a can of peppercorns, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
"Protagonist and Supporting Actor" in 1990, this sketch showed two completely different characters through humorous dialogue and funny plot, allowing the audience to reflect on life with laughter. This is the most exquisite combination of body language and lines between the two works, and it can be called a classic.
Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao are a golden pair, one is upright and the other is full of evil charm; one is handsome and handsome, the other is plain-looking, one is steady, the other is funny, the other is dignified and the other is witty. The contrast between image and personality produced a unique artistic effect, making their sketch performances unique in the 1980s and 1990s.
Chen Peisi and Zhu Shimao's property rights dispute with CCTV became a turning point in their acting careers. The audience deeply regretted their withdrawal from the Spring Festival Gala stage.
Later, Chen Peisi focused on drama creation and successively produced excellent works such as "Shill", "Relatives and Friends Are Easy to Settlement", and "The Balcony". Each of them was humorous and showed his artistic style of pursuing freedom.
Zhu Shimao went into business and became a big boss with a prosperous business. After retirement, he actively participated in charity activities and used his remaining energy.
Unique charm: You Benchang
In the 1984 Spring Festival Gala, You Benchang from the Central Experimental Repertory Theater performed the pantomime "Shower Man" on the Spring Festival Gala stage.
He was wearing a popular wide-legged costume, and his hair was styled into a big part and was shiny. Without saying a word, he uses exaggerated body language to tell an interesting story to the readers.
His silent performance with a strong sense of narrative is closely related to foreign mimes. His form and movements are so vivid that people can't help but think of the comedy master Chaplin.
Speaking of this, I have to mention that Yan Shunkai, the performer of the 1983 Spring Festival Gala comedy sketch "Ah Q's Monologue", was the apprentice of Mr. You Benchang. The show
became an overnight sensation, making him a star in the hearts of hundreds of millions of viewers.
also asked the crew of "Jigong" to invite him to play the role of Jigong. You Benchang, who has been a bit player for half his life, finally got his first leading role in life.
In 1987, You Benchang once again appeared on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala and presented the sketch "Sun Erniang Opens a Shop" to the audience. He blended opera and sketch and won warm applause and love from the audience.
In the Spring Festival Gala of 1988, You Benchang and Zhao Lirong met in "Emergency". A volunteer and an old lady analyzed children's education issues in a simple and easy-to-understand manner through a brief dialogue, which is still of practical significance today.
Although Mr. You Benchang did not appear on the Spring Festival Gala stage again, his wonderful performance in the TV series "Flowers" made him shine again in his later years.
The role of "Uncle Grandpa" played by You Benchang has been in the business world for decades. Every subtle movement and look in his eyes is full of traces of time, making people feel the richness and variety of the character's inner world.
Using art to educate the masses is You Benchang’s creative philosophy, and it is also what everyone admires most about him.
Full of fun: Zhao Lirong
The 1988 sketch "Emergency" was Zhao Lirong's first appearance on the Spring Festival Gala stage.
With her excellent acting skills and unique Tangshan dialect, she successfully created the image of a doting grandmother, making the audience remember this kind and lovely old lady. Since then, Zhao Lirong has become a frequent guest on the Spring Festival Gala stage.
In 1989, Zhao Lirong and Hou Yaowen brought the sketch "A Day in the Life of a Heroic Mother" to the audience.
Zhao Lirong's superb performance is the guarantee for the good results of the work. After many years, the classic line "Sima Tank Smashed All" still echoes in people's hearts and has become an unforgettable classic.
In the 1996 sketch "Working Adventures", Zhao Lirong and Gong Hanlin performed a humorous story about an old rural lady who works in a large restaurant.
The highlight of the sketch is the duet - "One hundred and eighty glasses of palace jade wine. How about this wine? Listen to me blow it to you."
The sketch is really beautiful, and the lines have become classics.
For more than ten years since then, everyone has had fun saying a few classic lines in their spare time, and at critical moments, they can also identify foreign forces.
In August 2019, a piece of news about the police cracking a spy case spread and became the focus of hot searches.
A spy disguised as a northerner was discovered by netizens on social media. The reason was that when netizens asked him about the next sentence of "palace jade liquor", he could not answer, which led to his true identity being revealed and he was eventually dealt with by the public security organs according to law.
It can be seen from this that Zhao Lirong's works are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
There is also "Packaged Like This". In this work, Teacher Zhao literally sang Ping Opera into rap and dressed up a rustic old lady into an international star, which amazed all the audience.
On the Spring Festival Gala of 1999, Zhao Lirong had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and her physical condition had seriously deteriorated.
But she still gritted her teeth and starred in "Veteran Goes Out". In this sketch, Zhao Lirong introduced English lines for the first time: "Nod yes and shake your head no, come and go, go, say hello and say hello."
In 2000, the Queen of Sketch ended her troubled and glorious life. To this day, everyone misses her deeply.
The God of Comedy: Zhao Benshan
In 1990, Zhao Benshan and Huang Xiaojuan collaborated on the sketch "Blind Date", which became popular all over the country through its simple peasant image and unique comedy style.
It brought local themes into the audience's field of vision, and it also allowed Zhao Benshan, a peasant from the Northeast with an unattractive appearance, to unveil the curtain of dominating the Spring Festival Gala stage for 20 years.
Zhao Benshan's works are close to the people and enter daily life. Therefore, every time he appears, he is greeted with applause from everyone, and his works are a guarantee of quality.
In 1991, Zhao Benshan and Yang Lei performed "Xiao Jiulao Music" together.
In this work, Zhao Benshan walked into the audience and struck up a conversation with Bi Fujian, which was the only time he walked off the stage to perform.
He vividly performed a man who is afraid of his wife. When others say he is afraid of his wife, he feels humiliated.
However, he used the classic line "Fear is love, love is fear" to successfully save his face and show his charm as a man.
In the 1999 Spring Festival Gala sketch "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow", Zhao Benshan and Song Dandan's wonderful performances were breathtaking.
Zhao Benshan uses unique body language, such as shrinking shoulders, pressing chin, sitting with legs together, etc., to portray the image of the little old man from Northeast China in a profound way. The work reviews decades of social changes and has a special mark of the times. It is the first work in the "White Clouds and Black Soil Series" and is groundbreaking.
The trilogy of the 2001 Spring Festival Gala sketch "Selling Kidnappings" was jointly produced by Zhao Benshan, Fan Wei and Gao Xiumin.
tells the story of a crutch seller, full of black comedy elements, and is known as the pinnacle of Chinese sketches.
The classic lines in "Selling Kidneys" are still talked about by the majority of netizens. Phrases such as "These are enough, what kind of bicycle do you want?", "I don't have one yet, what kind of bicycle do you want?" and other sentences have become Internet buzzwords , widely cited and spread by netizens.
The 2009 Spring Festival Gala sketch "Not Short of Money" starred Zhao Benshan, Xiao Shenyang, and Ya Dan. One of the lines is "As soon as you close your eyes and make money, the day has passed, hang~ once you close your eyes and you don't make money, this life has passed hang~" ” left a deep impression on the audience.
Zhao Benshan has appeared on the Spring Festival Gala stage more than 20 times in a row.
From the earliest marriage and love life "Blind Date" and "I Want to Have a Family", to "Uncle Niu Tigan" which reflected social issues, to the "Iron Triangle" trilogy "Selling Kidnappings", and "" starring Song Dandan White Clouds and Black Soil" series. He constantly introduces novel sketch themes to bring laughter and thinking to the audience.
As he grew older, he officially announced his retirement from the Spring Festival Gala stage in 2013. Zhao Benshan became the king of sketches in the memory of generations of audiences.
Witty and funny: Song Dandan
In 1989, Song Dandan, a young actor from the Beijing People's Art Theater, was invited to come to the rescue and temporarily participated in the sketch "Lazy Man Dating" and became famous overnight.
She was wearing a floral cotton-padded jacket and a green scarf. She said the classic line with a charming pronunciation and a coy gesture: "My name is Wei Shufen, female, 29 years old, and I am still young." This scene is unforgettable.
The sketch that really made her a household name was her collaboration with Huang Hong in "The Supernatural Guerrilla" in 1990.
This sketch tells the story of a couple who keep moving to avoid family planning.
They already have three children, named "Hainan Island", "Turpan" and "Shaolin Temple", and are considering naming their fourth child "Beidaihe". When Song Dandan used her strong Northeastern accent to comment on the child's name, she looked smart and made the audience laugh.
In 1999, Song Dandan and Zhao Benshan collaborated in the performance of "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow", creating the deeply rooted characters of "White Cloud and Black Soil".
Their characters are very down-to-earth. One is a Northeastern old lady who is articulate but gentle at heart, and the other is a Northeastern old man who is loyal, honest, a bit cowardly but extremely doting on his wife.
Whether it is their cooperation in harmony or their opposing arguments, they can arouse the joy and love of the audience.
In 2000, Zhao Benshan's sketch "Hourly Worker" tells the story of an empty-nest old man who longs for family love and care, and the hourly worker who provides love and care to his elder brother is Song Dandan.
As soon as Song Dandan appeared on the stage, she caught the audience's attention with a humorous jingle : "Some people spend money to eat and drink, some people spend money to order songs, some people spend money to get massages... Some people pay me to hire me to chat with others." The audience can see I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t bear to leave the TV screen.
The cooperation between Song Dandan and Zhao Benshan has reached the level of perfection. The tacit understanding between them perfectly combines body language with the rhythm of the lines, allowing the audience to feel the charm of comedy while laughing.
In the 2006 sketch "Telling Things", Zhao Benshan played an old Chinese medicine doctor.
However, a mistake occurred during the performance, which caused the atmosphere to become awkward.
At this moment, Song Dandan tapped Zhao Benshan on the shoulder, reminding him not to be nervous and continue performing. This simple action cleverly conceals the mistake so that the audience does not notice it. Song Dandan's wit and adaptability are admirable.
From 1989 to 2008, Song Dandan attended the Spring Festival Gala 10 times and won the first prize in the sketch category 9 times.
In 2020, she performed the song and dance "Ode to Spring Tide" with Zhang Guoli and others. She said: She will not attend the Spring Festival Gala again in the future. She has reached the age of enjoying the scenery.
witty and sharp: Cai Ming
Cai Ming, known as the "Queen of Sketch", has appeared on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala 28 times since 1993.
Her acting partners have also changed countless times, from Guo Da to Yue Yunpeng to Pan Changjiang, and she is constantly making various attempts in acting.
In 1996, Cai Ming and Guo Da performed the sketch "Funny Talk about Robots", which was a very forward-looking work. Cai Ming played an intelligent robot in it, which perfectly presented people's longing for artificial intelligence in the 1990s.
In his cooperation with Guo Da, Cai Ming showed excellent acting skills. When Guo Da switches the buttons, Cai Ming can express different states. Her mechanical body language and changeable voice and intonation make people feel the surprise in laughter.
Everyone still remembers some of the classic lines: "You look like Cai Ming, let's just call you Caihua", "You humans are so hypocritical", "Now we are in a state of logical confusion", etc.
In 2013, Cai Ming began to focus on playing the role of a poisonous old lady.
sat in a wheelchair and left everyone speechless with his sharp words. In the sketch "Jump If You Want", Cai Ming gave the audience a classic quote: Life lies in stillness. Look how many years that bastard has lived!
According to predictions from the 2024 Spring Festival Gala skit, Cai Ming and Pan Changjiang will join forces again, let us look forward to it.
New Comedian: Happy Twist
Among the new generation of comedians, Shen Teng and Ma Li's "Shen Ma Group" is undoubtedly the audience's favorite.
In the 2012 sketch "Happiness Today", Shen Teng played the role of "Hao Jian". In order to appease his wife who suffers from recent situation syndrome, he even invited his close friends to perform a unique "time-travel drama" together. This creativity made him shine on the stage of sketches.
Shen Teng's sketch is not only full of laughter, but more importantly, it conveys positive energy, which is very commendable.
In the sketch "To Help or Not to Help", Shen Teng gave an in-depth insight into the issue of "should you help an old man who has fallen?": "Although people can be helped up, if their hearts have fallen, then It's the scariest thing."
In the sketch "Follow Him", Shen Teng and Ma Li flattered each other in order to get promoted, creating an image of being flattery and not doing their jobs properly. The work was full of satire, and the audience laughed while also Can fall into deep thought.
This story is based on real society. The rivalry between Shen Teng and Ma Li is like a wonderful table tennis match, constantly generating new jokes and sparks. Shen Teng's body language and humorous expressions can always easily make the audience laugh, while Ma Li's magical laughter is her trademark, creating an absurd and interesting comedy atmosphere.
Unfortunately, on the spring night of the Year of the Dragon, the performance of the two was not very good, and the program "Better than a Cold House" made people dig their toes into the ground in embarrassment. I hope they will keep up the good work next year.
"Flying Life 2" starring Shen Teng and "Article 20" starring Ma Li will both be released on New Year's Day. Interested friends can purchase tickets in advance.
Once upon a time, the Spring Festival Gala was the Chinese people's favorite program. No matter how busy they were on New Year's Eve, they would always turn on the TV at 8 o'clock. Even listening to the sound was satisfying, and language programs brought people a lot of joy. At that time, as soon as the Spring Festival Gala was broadcast, it would create a wave of buzzwords or hot memes, but now...
Over the years, there are always people who continue to badmouth the Spring Festival Gala skits.
Actually, it’s not that sketches are in decline, or that audiences don’t like watching sketches anymore.
On the contrary, the Spring Festival Gala sketches often lack innovation. They still rely on outdated characters and stories. Many works have not kept pace with the times, lack the flavor of life, and make people feel awkward.
hopes that the new generation of actors can create with heart like those old artists and present truly valuable and innovative works.
As long as you devote yourself seriously, don't forget your original intention, and are full of sincerity, the audience will be able to feel it. Our sketches can also usher in a bright tomorrow.
Do you think this is true?
