We thought censorship in the country of China was crazy before, but now it’s just getting ridiculous.
It seems Chinese TV has recently had a string of incidents where men have had their ears blurred. International news source CNN notes how pictures of men having their ears blurred out are circulating on Weibo, the equivalent to Twitter in China.
According to the World News, the censorship is happening on iQiYi, a streaming platform described as the “Chinese Netflix." Some of these pictures have been included below.
But what do all of these men have in common? They have all gotten their ears pierced.
Yes, it appears that China’s he State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television of the People’s Republic of China (or SAPPRFT) has decided that earrings are now too Western/alternative for the general populace. That said, there has been no reported statement or directive about this change in regulations.
This is the latest in the ongoing lockdown of content and censorship within the country of China. From banning gay content online, in movies, and in television, to banning depictions of what’s considered unapproved behavior such as drinking, to banning jokes about Chinese traditions, and “overt admiration for Western lifestyles.”
"China is still a strong patriarchal society which have a distinctive male and female hierarchy in many local communities," said Grace Leung, who teaches media regulation and policy issues at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
"Seeing men wearing earrings, in many traditional men's point of view, is a deteriorating of their social status and respect."
She added, "This is a consistent policy of purify their pop culture from the Western influence and strengthening the Chinese characteristics of manhood."
How far will China go in restricting the content its citizens can watch? With men’s earlobes now on the censorship table, appears anything is.
h/t: CNN, The World News
