Today's new word

社会人 Shèhuì rén literally "social person," the Chinese term for gangster (in the social media way)

This was an interesting word for me to learn in the past few weeks as the popularity of Peppa Pig has pitched to a frenzy in China. However, it isn't merely among the normal target audience of preschoolers. Peppa Pig has grown into some sort of a counter-cultural icon. There are t-shirts. There are tattoos, both temporary and permanent.

小猪佩奇身上纹，掌声送给社会人
Xiǎo zhū pèi qí shēnshang wén, zhǎngshēng sòng gěi shèhuì rén
Get a Peppa Pig tattoo and get recognized as a gangster.

Recently, someone at my favorite tailor shop posted this in-process garment to social media. There is even Peppa Pig fabric!



Last week in the Changping Mall, a car dealership displayed cars just outside the Uniqlo and H&M. To entice people to come look, there was this placed on the hood.




Myles would not indulge me in putting it on. Brigid, however, enjoyed her brief moment as 社会人.



Only a few days later, the word was out on the street Internet that Peppa Pig's popularity was now determined to be subversive, and was then censored on certain Chinese websites (and follow that link for an even more complete definition of what kind of a person is called 社会人 these days. Similar to the "slackers" of my generation). It wasn't even secret; state media even reported on it (and follow this link for the government's description of 社会人). However, tonight I saw on twitter that maybe Peppa is not longer forbidden.