Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
China Bans Men It Sees as Not Masculine Enough From TV
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
September 2, 2021

Share

BEIJING — China’s government banned effeminate men on TV and told broadcasters Thursday to promote “revolutionary culture,” broadening a campaign to tighten control over business and society and enforce official morality.

President Xi Jinping has called for a “national rejuvenation,” with tighter Communist Party control of business, education, culture and religion. Companies and the public are under increasing pressure to align with its vision for a more powerful China and healthier society.

The party has reduced children’s access to online games and is trying to discourage what it sees as unhealthy attention to celebrities.

TV Regulator Says Broadcasters Should Avoid Promoting ‘Sissy Men’

Broadcasters must “resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal esthetics,” the TV regulator said, using an insulting slang term for effeminate men — “niang pao,” or literally, “girlie guns.”

That reflects official concern that Chinese pop stars, influenced by the sleek, girlish look of some South Korean and Japanese singers and actors, are failing to encourage China’s young men to be masculine enough.

Broadcasters should avoid promoting “vulgar internet celebrities” and admiration of wealth and celebrity, the regulator said. Instead, programs should “vigorously promote excellent Chinese traditional culture, revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture.”

Chinese Government Also Tightens Control on Internet Usage

Xi’s government also is tightening control over Chinese internet industries.

It has launched anti-monopoly, data security and other enforcement actions at companies including games and social media provider Tencent Holding and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group that the ruling party worries are too big and independent.

Rules that took effect Wednesday limit anyone under 18 to three hours per week of online games and prohibit play on school days.

Game developers already were required to submit new titles for government approval before they could be released. Officials have called on them to add nationalistic themes.

Celebrities Targeted for Not Being ‘Positive Role Models’

The party also is tightening control over celebrities.

Broadcasters should avoid performers who “violate public order” or have “lost morality,” the regulator said. Programs about the children of celebrities also are banned.

On Saturday, microblog platform Weibo Corp. suspended thousands of accounts for fan clubs and entertainment news.

A popular actress, Zhao Wei, has disappeared from streaming platforms without explanation. Her name has been removed from credits of movies and TV programs.

Thursday’s order told broadcasters to limit pay for performers and to avoid contract terms that might help them evade taxes.

Another actress, Zheng Shuang, was fined$46 million last week on tax evasion charges in a warning to celebrities to be positive role models.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Coffee Pot Fire Is 13% Contained but Grows to 10,164 Acres

DON'T MISS

CA Lawmakers Pass Landmark Bills to Atone for Racism, but Hold Off Funding

DON'T MISS

49ers Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall Shot in Attempted Union Square Robbery

DON'T MISS

Will Gov. Newsom Call a Special Session to Deal With Gas Prices?

DON'T MISS

Red Wavers Go the Extra Mile to Make It a Party Before the ‘Dogs Play Michigan

DON'T MISS

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

DON'T MISS

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

DON'T MISS

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

DON'T MISS

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

DON'T MISS

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

UP NEXT

Palestinian TikTok Star Who Shared Details of Gaza Life Under Siege Is Killed by Israeli Airstrike

UP NEXT

Aid Group Says Israel Hit Convoy to Hospital in Gaza. Israel Says It Hit Gunmen Who Seized the Car

UP NEXT

One of the F-16s Helping Ukraine Fight Russia Has Crashed. Here’s What to Know About Their Role

UP NEXT

Israel’s Hostage Rescue Highlights Challenge of Hamas Tunnels in Gaza

UP NEXT

UN Secures Humanitarian Pauses With Israel for Polio Vaccinations in Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict

UP NEXT

Baby in Gaza Has Strain of Polio Linked to Mistakes in Eradication Campaign, Experts Say

UP NEXT

Israeli Forces Launch a Big Operation in the West Bank and Kill at Least 10 Militants

UP NEXT

French Prosecutors Say Telegram Messaging App CEO Has Been Freed From Custody, Will Appear in Court

UP NEXT

With Hezbollah-Israel Conflict Contained, Iran’s Next Move May Be Modest

UP NEXT

Ukraine’s Daring Offensive Intensifies Pressure on US to Ease Cautious Approach to the War

Will Gov. Newsom Call a Special Session to Deal With Gas Prices?

2 hours ago

Red Wavers Go the Extra Mile to Make It a Party Before the ‘Dogs Play Michigan

3 hours ago

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

10 hours ago

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

13 hours ago

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

15 hours ago

Labor Day Quiz: What Did Elvis Do Before He Was the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’?

15 hours ago

Why Black Students Are Still Disciplined at Higher Rates: Takeaways From AP’s Report

15 hours ago

Top Brazilian Judge Orders Suspension of X Platform in Brazil Amid Feud With Musk

1 day ago

Trump Reverses Course, Opposes Florida Abortion Rights Measure After Conservative Backlash

1 day ago

How a Real Estate Boom Drove Political Corruption in Los Angeles

1 day ago

Coffee Pot Fire Is 13% Contained but Grows to 10,164 Acres

As of 7 p.m. Saturday, the Coffee Pot Fire in Tulare County had grown to 10,164 acres with 13% containment, incident managers said. It is be...

20 mins ago

A view of the Coffee Pot Fire in Tulare County California
20 mins ago

Coffee Pot Fire Is 13% Contained but Grows to 10,164 Acres

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, right, talks to members of Coalition for a Just and Equitable California about two reparations bills in the rotunda on the last day of the legislative year Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Tran Nguyen)
1 hour ago

CA Lawmakers Pass Landmark Bills to Atone for Racism, but Hold Off Funding

Police officers secure the area and investigate the scene of a shooting at Union Square in San Francisco, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
2 hours ago

49ers Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall Shot in Attempted Union Square Robbery

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at an event in anticipation of signing a bill on his proposed oil profit penalty plan in Sacramento on March 28, 2023. (CalMatters/ Miguel Gutierrez Jr.)
2 hours ago

Will Gov. Newsom Call a Special Session to Deal With Gas Prices?

Fresno State dancers cheer on the Bulldogs against Michigan, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
3 hours ago

Red Wavers Go the Extra Mile to Make It a Party Before the ‘Dogs Play Michigan

10 hours ago

Voting Rights Under Fire in Texas: Over a Million Purged From Rolls, ACLU Warns

13 hours ago

Bettors Banking on Eagles Resurgence, Cowboys Regression as NFL Season Begins

A black poodle's face with his tongue sticking out
15 hours ago

Abandoned Poodle Mix Adam Survives the Wild and Seeks a Forever Home

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend