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Mbappé dropped by Dongpeng and Mengniu over video joke about Mao Zedong

Two major Chinese brands, drinks company Dongpeng and dairy producer Mengniu, ended their deals with Kylian Mbappé after an online video in which he apparently joked about Mao Zedong. The video's authenticity had not been verified.

7 outlets · 1L · 5C · 1R First reported Account updated
Image: France 24
Image: The Hindu
Image: CNA
Image: Gulf News
Image: BBC News
Image: Anadolu Agency

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The story, neutrally told

Centre · 2Kylian Mbappé was dropped on Tuesday 27 October by two major brands in China, after a video circulated online in which the French footballer apparently joked about Mao Zedong, the country's former leader. Centre · 2Drinks company Dongpeng said it had a "zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments" and was "terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe" with immediate effect. Centre · 2Mengniu, China's largest dairy producer, also ended its relationship with the Real Madrid and France forward, saying it opposed and had zero tolerance for "any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people".

Centre · 2In the video, Mbappé says the funniest internet meme he had seen was of his face photoshopped onto that of "some guy – I think he's a Chinese dictator"; this was an apparent reference to a meme placing his face on an image of Mao, one of several using his face with historical figures. Centre · 2AFP Fact Check could not immediately verify the video's authenticity. Centre · 1"Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappe" was the top-trending topic on Weibo. One user called the remarks "extremely serious wrong remarks" that "crossed the red line", and others urged Dongpeng to remove his image from its energy drink bottles.

Centre · 1Dongqiudi, one of China's biggest online football outlets, said on Monday evening that the remarks were "offensive to China and the Chinese people" and had "hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans and the Chinese people". Centre · 1CNA notes that jokes about Mao, who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful in China and remain a social taboo. Centre · 1In September Mbappé told L'Equipe that part of the memes was funny, but that another part was "a bit less funny because of the damage such people have caused throughout history", adding he had never done anything like what those figures had done.

Centre · 2The row came a day after the 27-year-old lost out to Harry Kane for the Ballon d'Or.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left1 outlet

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre5 outlets

Framing
Both outlets report it as a straight news item, led by the two sponsors' terminations and their statements, with the caveat that the video is unverified. Both carry what appears to be the same AFP text.
Emphasis
The brands' statements and the unverified video. CNA adds Chinese reaction (Weibo, Dongqiudi), the taboo around Mao jokes and Mbappé's earlier L'Equipe comments.
Leaves out or plays down
France 24 leaves out the Chinese reactions, context on the Mao taboo and the L'Equipe interview. Neither outlet has a response from Mbappé or his representatives.
Charged language
“zero-tolerance policy”“crossed the red line”
For example
“The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by AFP Fact Check.” — France 24
“In China jokes about Mao, the country's founding leader who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo.” — CNA

Right1 outlet

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

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