| Sumario: | The lockdown in Shanghai (Spring 2022) sparked a flood of funny memes, songs, artworks, and short videos shared on WeChat platforms. Based on an analysis of over five hundred posts, we analyze three moments: First, the humor at the start of the lockdown, characterized by parody and irony and clearly infused with a strong sense of Shanghaineseness. Second, during the lockdown, more critical humorous voices became prominent. Third and finally, in the aftermath of the lockdown, these voices conflated with protests on the street. Thus, our analysis shows that seemingly lighthearted posts contributed to the sudden dismantling of China's zero-Covid policies in December 2022, attesting to the continued possibility of political critique in a context of intensified authoritarianism.
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