What happens when an emperor (or president) not only is no longer wearing clothes but is, to pursue this particular metaphor to its logical conclusion, buck naked flaunting his exposed genitalia while pleasuring himself with the enthusiasm of an amorous priapic gibbon?
If you’re an official in the Ming Dynasty – or in the current US administration – you find ways to express your displeasure even if it’s not the wise career move. The story of Hai Rui (1514-1587), who courageously criticized the actions of the Jiajing Emperor (he of the homicidal harem and mercury poisoning) made Hai Rui the model of the upright official standing up to power. 500 years after Hai Rui’s principled stand, the play “Hai Rui Dismissed from Office” would so anger supporters of Mao Zedong who took umbrage to their Chairman being compared to a despotic lecher in need of virtuous restraint that they responded by launching the Cultural Revolution.