‘Incorrect politics’, ‘effeminate’ styles banned in China
BEIJING: China on Thursday broadened its crackdown on the entertainment industry, directing broadcasters to bar artistes with “immoral” records and “incorrect political positions”, and ban men who are “effeminate” in their performance styles.
A “patriotic atmosphere” should be cultivated and propagated in entertainment shows, China’s National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said in a notice published on its website on Thursday. It further said unhealthy content has to be regulated and television stars’ paychecks have to be capped.
“Individuals with a wrong political stance, those who go against the country and the Communist Party of China (CPC), should not be employed by the industry. The same goes for those who violate Chinese laws or social moralities,” read an English translation of the NRTA notice as reported by The Global Times.
The notice made a specific mention of banning what it called “abnormal aesthetics”, describing it as style propagated by “feminine men” on television.
Entertainment involving “vulgar” internet celebrities, scandals and flaunting of wealth should be rejected, it added.
The new rules come in the backdrop of a number of scandals - ranging from tax evasion and rape allegations - involving popular online and television actors. The stars involved have huge online following and are icons for several brands.
Last week, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said it will crack down on the chaotic culture of online celebrity fan culture as part of the campaign to correct the internet sector.
The CAC announced that it would clamp down on algorithms that encourage fans to spend large amounts of money in support of celebrities.
The call for an end to stars who are seen as too “feminine” has been on the rise in China.
Chinese news agency Xinhua, too, has denounced fan culture, arguing that fan loyalty “can turn blind and toxic, giving rise to online trolling, impulsive buying, rumour-mongering, cyberspace manhunts and other problems”.