Even a month after the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Chinese people are constantly talking about the funny performance delivered by Xiao Shenyang (小沈阳), digging out every single video clip tagged with his name, and riffing on his humor style in e-mails, on QQ chats, and in SMS messages.

Who the hell is Xiao Shenyang (or Little Shenyang)? How did he become a nation-wide phenomenon overnight? By now, there have been a few posts about him written in English. For most laowai, it’s difficult understanding Xiao Shenyang’s skit: Hey, he’s nothing but a tasteless and creepy gender-bender, right?

This video clip from the BTV Spring Festival Gala represents Xiao Shenyang’s unique performing style - a fast-paced succession of humorous stories, short jokes, exaggerated music, and one-liners. He speaks directly to the audience, interacts with them, boldly breaking the theatrical “fourth wall”. Seems familiar? That’s because it’s just like stand-up comedy!

“But he didn’t know that. All the jokes and routines were created by himself.” my Chinese journalist friends tells me. So, let me translate his jokes in the above video from 1:00 to 2:35:

It’s my turn now. Maybe my appearance has surprised lots of dear friends [what he calls his audience]. A man like me will probably baffle you guys. Hoa~ [his iconic interjection].

Actually, when I was a child, I looked quite pretty, dear friends. My mom still praises me nowadays, “Son, don’t be pissed off because people say you’re ugly. You were the prettiest when you were a kid. Moms know best. Every time I took you to the park, many people gathered around, asking: ‘Auntie, where did you find this monkey?!’”

This doesn’t matter, dear friends. I just look like a monster. A real monster. I would meet with strange comments everywhere. Pia~ pia~ de [his other iconic interjection].

But sometimes I was lucky in love. The other day, with my little bag, dear friends… As you know, I come from Northeastern China [Dongbei], somewhere near Shenyang… with my little bag, I was walking on the street. Pia~ pia~ de. I was walking. Pia~ pia~ de. As I was walking, a girl came up to me, who looked quite outstanding, and quite pretty. She as about 17 or 18, and excitedly asks me, “Bro, are you the guy who performs in the ‘Er Ren Zhuan’ (二人转, two-person act)? The guy named ‘Xiao Shenyang’?” I responded: “Yeah. So?” “Bro, every time I look at you, I think that I see the sea.”

How sweet she was, dear friends! That was the first time I was praised as ‘the sea’! I was so happy! I asked, “Do you like me? Are you falling in love with me?” This girl’s answer was so irritating. “Bro, please don’t misunderstand me,” she said, “I have seasick problems. When I see the sea, I just throw up…”

These jokes are quite funny, at least for a Chinese audience. Besides his “talent”, people attribute Xiao Shenyang’s success to three critical factors - 1) His mentor Zhao Benshan (赵本山), who has been on the CCTV Spring Festival Galas almost every year since 1990; 2) The CCTV Spring Festival Gala itself, which is the dominant TV program that everybody watches on Chinese New Year’s Eve; 3) His own efforts.

Before his debut on the stage of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala 2009, he was already famous as an active and famous “Er Ren Zhuan” comedian in comedy clubs in Northeastern China. (For more details about the “Er Ren Zhuan”, please read this piece from Raymond Zhou). Although he was asked to perform but canceled at the last minute by CCTV twice, he never gave up. Finally he made his CCTV dream come true.

As famous blogger, translator and our friend Brendan O’Kane just twittered, “The ineffable catchiness of swishy stereotypes, kilts, and irritating catchphrases. How could he lose?”

By the way, we spotted a four-year-old girl fluently reciting Xiao Shengyang’s skit from this year’s CCTV gala on Youku. Enjoy:

* Thanks to Raymond Zhou of China Daily and Alice Liu of Danwei.