Li Xueqin (comedian)

Li Xueyang (, born July 1, 1995), known professionally as Li Xueqin, is an Internet celebrity, stand-up comedian, and actress in mainland China. She rose to nationwide acclaim for her performance in the third season of the stand-up comedy competition show 脱口秀大会 in 2020, which was also her stand-up comedy debut.

Early life and education
Li Xueqin is a native of Tieling, Liaoning Province. Her parents divorced when she was in junior high school. She attended the School of Journalism and Communication at Peking University, a period when she first began to struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts. Following her graduation, she enrolled at New York University for a master's program in education. However, her transition to life in the United States proved difficult, leading to intense feelings of loneliness and a deepening of her depression, culminating in a suicide attempt. This critical juncture led Li to withdraw from her studies and return to China, where she took on various jobs, including dishwashing at a bar, to support her family. She eventually started a business with a friend and began to post short video clips on Douyin and Weibo, which marked the beginning of her comedy career.

Career
Li Xueqin initially gained internet recognition in 2018 through a series of short video clips where she jokingly introduced local landmarks to her favorite celebrity, Kris Wu. The viral impact of Wu responding to one of her videos catapulted her to overnight fame, making her the most-searched topic on Weibo. Other notable figures such as Guo Ailun and Robin Li also responded to her video clips.

In 2019, Li received an invitation to perform on Rock&Roast but declined due to her lack of stand-up experience. However, she later accepted an invitation, citing the economic uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Her preparation for stand-up involved self-learning, primarily through reading Greg Dean's Step to Step to Stand-Up Comedy. She finished in fifth place on the show, and was noted as one of a cohort of female comedians to reach the final six of that season.

Following her success in stand-up, Li Xueqin branched out to other forms of comedy in a heavily male-dominated industry. She frequently appears on variety shows in China, and was in the process of producing a TV sitcom as of March 2022.

Style, theme, and public reception
Li has been acclaimed for her sharp wit and bold punchlines; more than just her humor, fans appreciate her ability to tell real-life stories that resonate with ordinary Chinese people.

One of Li's notable jokes involved a conversation with her mother about the stress of living and working in a buzzing urban centre. She jokingly narrated her mother's responses to her ideas about returning to her hometown to farm, only to be reminded that her family owns no land and that farming for others would be akin to her city job. This joke strikingly highlighted the dilemma of many young Chinese people who are caught in the throes of globalization: unable to continue the agricultural lifestyle of their parents while struggling to find their place in urban metropolitan centers.

Li, who once lived in Beijing, addressed the plight of the Beipiao (北漂) – young individuals who move to Beijing to chase their dreams but often face the harsh realities of high living costs and restrictive policies. In a poignant performance, she compared her relationship with Beijing to a one-sided infatuation with Chinese Canadian superstar Kris Wu. She described the city's indifference to her sacrifices, using this as a metaphor for the broader experience of disenfranchised youth facing an absurd reality in mega-cities like Beijing. Her closing line "Is your dream hosting the summer Olympic games?" humorously challenges the notion that big city is essential for success, resonating deeply with young career builders facing similar struggles.