In Chinese cultural circles there is a name for this: the “ ‘Kung Fu Panda’ problem,” named for the 2008 DreamWorks movie. It refers to the fact that the most successful film about two of China’s national symbols—Kung Fu and pandas—could only be made by a foreigner because Chinese filmmakers would never try to play with such solemn subjects.

On PandaWhale we'd like to believe there's such thing as Oppa Panda Style.

But that's the point of the New Yorker piece.

We as non-Chinese can be irreverant and playful with pandas.

Still, I'd love to see a Shanghai-Style parody.