China Central Television (CCTV) suspended program host Bi Fujian after disgracing Chinese leader Mao Zedong in a private dinner event which caused fuss among netizens.
In a video that hastily circulated online on Monday, the 56-year-old host has scornfully called the chairman "son-of-a-bitch" while parodying a song from "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy," a Peking Opera and one of the eight model plays allowed during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, UCA News reported.
CCTV, China's predominant state television broadcaster that caters to almost one billion viewers, in reponse, vowed to investigate Bi's impudent action.
According to Huaxi Metropolis Daily, a CCTV staff member stated that Bi's program will be suspended for four days as his action on the video "seriously damaged" the network's image.
Bi is a prominent host, director and professor in China. He is best known for his long-time running show "Avenue of Stars," CCTV New Year's Gala from 2011 to present, and is recognized as the first Chinese host to reach the Arctic.
In the microblogging site Sina Weibo, a user justified Bi's action, stating that "he was only fired because he's a public figure, and because we don't have freedom of speech in this country."
“Mao Zedong was a great man and the founding father of the People’s Republic. [Without Mao and the party], would Bi Fujian be able to enjoy his big dinner while criticizing the people who have fought for his happiness?” China Youth Net, an online site by the Communist party’s youth league, asked.
“Not everyone and everything can be joked about and mocked without consideration, even if it’s at a private gathering or in the private domain,” the group added.