On December 21, 2011, a journalist in Henan’s capital city of Zhengzhou stumbled across a sign outside a local restaurant that said: “The following types of people will not be served: 1. Those who aren’t filial to their parents; 2. Those who keep mistresses; 3. Those who use public funds for themselves; 4. Those who don’t believe that property prices will drop.” The boss of the restaurant told the reporter that these types of customers rubbed him the wrong way and insisted this was a principal on which he ran his business, not a purposeful advertisement. News of the sign quickly spread across China’s internet, resulting in a number of cartoons. In the above cartoon, posted by artist Chen Chunming (陈春鸣) to his blog at QQ.com, a restaurant owner leans across his service counter, apparently asleep, as he has no customers to serve. The sign on the counter reads: “The following types of people will not be served: 1. Those who aren’t filial to their parents; 2. Those who keep mistresses; 3. Those who use public funds for themselves; 4. Those who don’t believe that property prices will drop.” A dog looks on, thinking to himself: “So, this boss isn’t short on cash?”


David Bandurski

CMP Director

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