China bans same-sex romance in television series
BEIJING: China’s television industry regulators have released new rules in an attempt to sanitize programming.
Under the new rules, storylines involving gay relationships and other topics that are deemed immoral and “exaggerate the dark side of society” are banned from being featured in television programmes.
The eight-page list of new regulations on “vulgar, immoral, and unhealthy content” was posted on the website of the China Television Drama Production Industry Association. The regulations likewise bans extramarital affairs, one night stands, underage love, and homosexuality themes from television programmes.
“No television drama shall show abnormal sexual relationships and behaviours, such as incest, same-sex relationships, sexual perversion, sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual violence, and so on,” the regulations stated.
Apart from these themes, the regulations also covered a wide array of topics that should not be in television dramas such as topics that might taint the country’s image, threaten national unity, promote opulent lifestyles, promote superstitions and feudal ideas such as reincarnation and witchcraft.
Crime investigation scenes are also set to undergo additional scrutiny by regulators, with anything which could inspire criminals set to hit the cutting floor. Teenagers will not be shown on Chinese television smoking, drinking or fighting.
The new regulations issued by the Chinese censors are the latest in the country’s campaign to promote a stricter morality and a way to control public life, observers said.
Last year, over 200 songs were taken offline by China’s censors, who deemed it ‘harmful’ to the country’s youth.
In December 2014, the government pulled the plug on a TV show set in the Tang Dynasty because of the ample cleavage the stars showed in the programme. The programme was later re-aired after being edited.