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China Bans Horror Movies

Posted by Zonk on from the won't-someone-think-of-the-braaaaaiiinnnnsss dept.

KublaiKhan writes "According to an article on Reuters, the Chinese censors have decided that horror movies are verboten. 'Offending content included "wronged spirits and violent ghosts, monsters, demons, and other inhuman portrayals, strange and supernatural storytelling for the sole purpose of seeking terror and horror," the administration said. This is apparently a sort of Chinese version of the Jack Thompson effect, as the "mental health of adolescents" is cited as one of the reasons for the ban. Presumably, this ban — much like the spitting ban — is intended to improve China's image in the rest of the world before the Olympics open; but given the Streisand effect, would this ban perhaps unintentionally spur a surge of horror movie popularity in China?" Blizzard has had trouble with skeletons in World of Warcraft , and I imagine this decision stems from similar objections.

7 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. What is the problem here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    We are two entirely different cultures and what are you doing passing judgement on the Chinese? It is quite acceptable, and in fact expected, for Chinese people to spit in public places and around their homes, something which you Western people find disgusting. That is the only reason for the ban--we don't want to look foolish in the 2008 Olympics.

    1. Re:What is the problem here? by F34nor · · Score: 0, Troll

      It has been shown that watching porn will make people more likely to allow another person to be hurt. Basically if you shown porn to a group and then run the Milgram experiment the subjects are even less likely to step in while another person is getting shocked. So if watch porn is actually damaging to our ability to be decent to those around us how can horror be better? If something makes causes widespread brain damage in society do we as a society want to allow it? We have "freedom of speach" but we don't have freedom of drugs because "its bad for us." Dictatorship allows for unpopular decisions to be made. A enlightened democracy might archive the same end but remember most Americans are fuck wits. Fuck wits who are stupid enough to borrow money at 23.5% interest rates to buy plastic shit made in China using oil and then bitch about expensive gas. We as a society, oh wait no... that is, an unelected body created by constitutionally dubious administrative law decides what we can and cannot see what's the difference between the FCC and the Chinese decision? Nothing, nothing at all.

    2. Re:What is the problem here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

      You want to spit around your homes, fine. Go nuts.

      But don't you f***ing dare spit on our soil, or we'll wash it out with your blood.

  2. the next world power by Zork+the+Almighty · · Score: 0, Troll

    These guys are the next world power. America: you had a good run, but in the end it was more about SUVs and extra fries than liberty and democracy. Just think, we'll all be choking on this "harmony" and "what's good for society is good for you" shit for the next 100 years. Not something to look forward to.

    --

    In Soviet America the banks rob you!
  3. Great by Plutonite · · Score: -1, Troll

    Every step a totalitarian government takes against the freedoms of its people is a step toward the annihilation of that regime. The more unbearable the violations of basic rights (like the right to watch a horror movie, you commie bastards) the more blatant the violations of those rules will be by the populace, and the closer that will bring the populace to an inevitable clash with its sadistic oppressors. So I am sorry to say: I am actually happy if this goes into effect.

    Karl Marx was a gullible fool.

  4. Re:Geography 101 by ed.mps · · Score: 0, Troll

    American refers to anyone from the America continent, North American refers to USA/Mexico/Canada people.

    --
    !sig
  5. Re:What a worthless government by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Most people in China would like to have more civil/political rights, ARE aware of abuses by their government, but nevertheless loathe any foreign attempts to meddle with the problems. Basically it's "fsck off, we'll fix the problems ourselves".

    That's absolutely disgusting. It's just like those people in the south were killing civil right activists from the north. not because they were against desegregation and were hating blacks, but because they didn't want civil rights activists, liberals and Jews from the north to meddle in their affairs.

    It's nationalist motherfuckers like YOU that are the problem. Go to hell.