40 replies to this topic

[HunterTSF]

GREAT SCOTT!

Beijing is taking action against an increasingly popular genre on Chinese television. From the China Hush blog:

In these time-travel based TV plays, usually the protagonist is from the modern time and for some reasons and via some means, travels through time and all the way back to the ancient China where he/she will constantly experience the "culture shock" but gradually get used to it and eventually develop a romance in that era. Though obviously the Chinese audience is fond of this genre of shows, the country’s authority -General Bureau of Radio, Film and Television, to be exact, is not happy about this trend and calls a halt to the making of this type of drama.[...]

The authority’s decision was made on the Television Director Committee Meeting on April 1^st. – but obviously it’s not a prank to fans of the drama genre. The authority has a good reason to go against the genre. "The time-travel drama is becoming a hot theme for TV and films. But its content and the exaggerated performance style are questionable. Many stories are totally made-up and are made to strain for an effect of novelty. The producers and writers are treating the serious history in a frivolous way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore."

The New Yorker's Richard Brody suggests that what's making censors uncomfortable, is less what these dramas say about China's history, than what they imply about its present:

What the Chinese time-travel plots, as described above, have in common is the notion of escape: leaving contemporary, Communist-dominated China for the China of another era, one where, despite mores that are, in some ways, odd and outdated, love and happiness can be found. Time travel serves here as a dream of freedom from present-day strictures—or simply as a cry for freedom, from precisely this kind of idiotic and despotic regulation.

Variety reports that several remakes of classic texts and Western-style cop shows have also been put on hold.

(Source)

So in an effort to prevent the chinese from learning about history, the chinese government bans the narrative device of time travel in fiction.

I'm sorry, but this is cartoony stupid.

What are your thoughts on this, eh? I'd throw in my two cents if I weren't so sleepy, but I'll just leave me sentiments at "Oh China, you so crazy" for now.

Edited by HunterTSF, 15 April 2011 - 10:16 AM.

[-Mark-]

Oh dear. *facepalms*

Sorry, what? I knew China was ridiculously controlling, but... what?!

This is just ridiculous. I don't see what benefits they think it'll bring. I can sort of see the basic idea behind them banning gaming consoles (which in itself backfired and made WoW-addiction much more common over there), but this? Er, no.

[Metal Gear (sting)RAY]

Why don't you just go ahead and ban imagination altogether, China?

[Inferno]

So in an effort to prevent the chinese from learning about history, the chinese government bans the narrative device of time travel in fiction.

YES- I KNEW IT!! THEY SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE BUT I---

So in an effort to prevent the chinese from learning about history, the chinese government bans the narrative device of time travel in fiction.

Awwwwww, I got so excited seeing the topic title...

[Carbo]

EDIT: Nevermind fuck you misleading title

Edited by Carbo, 15 April 2011 - 11:24 AM.

[Ekaje]

So does China also ban the concept of "being physically outside of China" in fiction as well?

Edited by Ekaje, 15 April 2011 - 11:35 AM.

[Metal Gear (sting)RAY]

Awwwwww, I got so excited seeing the topic title...

Even if that was the case, it's not like they could enforce it.

[Glenn]

Get back in that box, Doctor...!

I did have to chuckle at the massively misleading topic title, though!

[American Ristar]

I can sort of see the basic idea behind them banning gaming consoles...

I'm pretty sure this was some kind of boycott on Japan. Economic rivals/historical enemies kind of thing.

[EXshad]

Y'know, China's on to something here. Time travel shouldn't be banned because it could change the course of history, or create a paradox, or break down the fabric of time. Nope, when time travel is discovered, it will be banned because traveling to the past will further your belief of how much your country really sucks. So naturally, America's next.

*sigh* Well guys, it looks like we're actually gonna have to work our way out of our problems. Like that's fair. And here I thought I could go back in time and team up with Teddy Roosevelt to beat Richard Nixon with George Washington's corpse, but our world nations are too busy being tyrannical dicks for that to happen.






....oh, look at that, I must have been misslead by the topic title But in all sincerity, it's insanely stupid. As the old adage goes, "those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it".

Edited by EXshad, 15 April 2011 - 02:29 PM.

[Hogfather]

I couldn't resist.



Theres just really no words to describe how comic book evil the Chinese Government is right now, it's almost them admitting that they are repressing their people in the strange way, if the tv show does really depict a sense of freedom when they go back in time and the Chinese government is all "Oh my no..." then they know fully well that they're being bad... and wrong.

Edited by Hogfather, 15 April 2011 - 02:30 PM.

[American Ristar]

I just can't get my head around how a movie like Hot Tub Time Machine could be banned for ideological reasons.

[Azookara]

I have a feeling it's China being insecure about people writing about going back in time and seeing the incredibly stupid and corrupt things they have done, lolol

[Bulkhead]

Who else thought this was about Real Life Time Travel?

I did.

Now this is getting absurd :B

[Azure Yakuzu]

DAmmit, China you caught on to me, I've been secretly building a Time Machine to let the Chinese know of their history, but they must've used a spy...FOILED AGAIN.

[Axl.EXE]

China, stop trying to do it wrong. You're succeding.

[goku262002]

Lets just hope marty and doc brown don't end up in china anytime soon!

Also change the title to "fictional time travel".

[PSI Aqua]

Get back in that box, Doctor...!

I did have to chuckle at the massively misleading topic title, though!

Doctor Who was the first thing that came to my mind when I heard this.

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

o.o

Who let the crazy tinfoil hat people into power?

[Vertekins]

Just another crackpot idea that makes China a laughing stock. I mean didn't they try to pass off Top Gun footage as a military plane drill not long back?