Here for Soy Sauce or Push-Ups?
The recent Weng’an riots have given rise to new Internet catchphrase– “doing push-ups” (做俯卧撑).
The phrase that’s been popping up all over the China’s Internet in recent days comes from the explanation given by local police after a teenage girl’s death triggered large-scale riots last weekend. On Monday, after the unrest had been quelled, the police stuck by their earlier explanation that the girl’s death was not caused by foul play on the part of the young men she was with at the time. The police said that, “the girl got into a quarrel with one of her male classmates who was with her at the river bank. Later, she seemed to calm down a little bit, so the boy began doing push-ups next to her. As he finished the third push-up, the girl suddenly jumped into the river…”
Netizens have seized on what they take to be a ridiculous or nonsensical explanation and turned “doing push-ups” into the latest online meme (story in Chinese here).
Internet users are even combining it with the previous hot phrase–”getting some soy sauce” (打酱油), which originated from a Guangzhou reporter’s failed attempt at a man-on-the-street interview. Asked about the government response to a recent scandal, the man replied: “It has nothing to do with me at all! I’m just out to get some soy sauce!” That don’t-bother-me response inspired a trend among China’s netizens to change their MSN status messages to, “I’m just out to get some soy sauce.” (Related Chinese report here).
At this moment, one of the most popular MSN status messages among Chinese users is “I’m not here to buy some soy sauce; I’m here to do some push-ups!”
–Juliet Ye and Sky Canaves
Ask the girl’s male classmates to do 10,000 push-ups!
关我鸟事，我是来做俯卧撑的！
This is terrificly great.
They have gone on a rampage here.. didn’t think the Chinese were the angry sort.
Wow!, is that an ignorant Chinese stereotype you are expressing? Just because most Chinese are respectful of others doesn’t mean they are emotionless and can’t express outrage at injustice, just like any Westerner.
I don’t know why the push-ups are so ridiculous. You go to a small town in inland China, and you see teenagers hang out and doing all sorts of small things like push-ups all the time. What’s so funny about it?
I don’t know why the push-ups are so ridiculous. You go to a small town in inland China, and you see teenagers hang out and doing all sorts of small things like push-ups all the time. What’s so funny about it?
Comment by we - July 3, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Please see the news first, otherwise, shut ur mouth up. Thanks
Wow - a few posts are now gone. Who is moderating the blog, the ghost of that crazy Chairman Mao? Or will this post get deleted too? The WSJ should really get rid of these blogs because it is clear there is censorship. Perhaps Murdoch’s wife was offended too?