Beijing — Effeminate men are now banned on TV to promote “revolutionary culture,” China’s government told broadcasters on Thursday (Sept 2).
China’s President Xi Jinping has expanded the campaign of tightening control over private enterprise and society to enforce official morality, calling for “national rejuvenation.”
Tighter Communist Party control over businesses, education, religion and culture is being enforced, such as reducing children’s access to online games.
Children under the age of 18 are no longer allowed to play on weekdays, with a limited game time of three hours on weekends.
Minors will only be allowed to play for an hour between 8 pm and 9 pm on Fridays, weekends and public holidays, said Chinese media watchdog, the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA).
At the same time, the government is attempting to eradicate “unhealthy attention to celebrities,” reported BBC.
Broadcasters are now mandated to “put an end to sissy men and other abnormal esthetics,” the National Radio and TV Administration announced.
The agency used the insulting term “niang pao,” meaning “girlie guns” in its statement.
Asian pop stars, such as Japanese and South Korean idols, influence Chinese artists. They are known for their sleek, “soft masculine” personalities.
However, there is concern that this trend fails to encourage China’s young men to be masculine.
Broadcasters should also avoid airing content that admires wealth and celebrities, as well as “vulgar internet celebrities.”
Instead, programs should “vigorously promote excellent Chinese traditional culture, revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture.”
As a result, businesses and the public are under increasing pressure to uphold the government’s vision for a “more powerful China and healthier society.”
Other restrictions were imposed on internet industries and celebrities.
The government launched an anti-monopoly, data security, among other policies on enterprises that it deems too independent and large-scale such as games and social media provider Tencent Holdings and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.
Game developers must also submit new titles to the government for approval before release. They are ordered to include nationalistic themes in gameplay.
Celebrities who “violate public order” or have “lost morality” are not permitted to perform. The same goes for the children of banned celebrities.
Actress Zheng Shuang was recently fined 299 million yuan (S$62 million) for tax evasion charges. It serves as a warning to celebrities to be positive role models for society. /TISG
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