I don't know what it is about Shen Yun commercials, but they haunt me like glitter after craft night. Every year, they pop up with their smug promise of “5,000 years of civilization reborn,” and every year, I roll my eyes so hard I risk detaching a retina. It's not that I have anything against classical Chinese dance or ancient culture. I’m sure it’s lovely. But those ads? They feel like they’re trying to guilt-trip me into attending, as if not buying a ticket is a personal attack on the preservation of humanity’s artistic legacy.

And why are they everywhere? I can’t scroll through social media, turn on the TV, or even pump gas without being reminded that Shen Yun is in town for its "one night only" show that inexplicably lasts six months. It’s like they have the marketing budget of Coca-Cola and the subtlety of a hammer. I half expect to find Shen Yun fliers stuffed inside my next fortune cookie.

But here’s the thing: after years of dodging their relentless marketing blitz, I finally decided to look into what Shen Yun is all about. Turns out, it’s not just an evening of traditional Chinese dance. Shen Yun is run by the Falun Gong religious movement, and their performances often have political and spiritual undertones that criticize the Chinese Communist Party. While that’s interesting (and controversial) in its own right, it explains the intensity of their marketing and the almost cult-like devotion to their cause. So, while I still can’t escape their ads, at least now I understand why they’re everywhere.