China bans 'Simpsons' from prime time TV

In summary: I have to say that I really enjoy the freedom to speak my mind, and the lack of censorship.In summary, China has banned foreign cartoons from TV from 5 to 8 p.m. in an effort to protect China's struggling animation studios. This move allows the Monkey King and his Chinese pals to get the top TV viewing hours to themselves. This is ironic, as our government doesn't even restrict unfair trade practices [on the part of the Chinese] that are killing US industry. Canada has more freedom than the United States, in my opinion.
  • #1
Evo
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We're really lucky to be living in a free country, no matter how flawed it may be.

"BEIJING - D'oh! China has banished Homer Simpson, Pokemon and Mickey Mouse from prime time. Beginning Sept. 1, regulators have barred foreign cartoons from TV from 5 to 8 p.m. in an effort to protect China's struggling animation studios, news reports said Sunday. The move allows the Monkey King and his Chinese pals to get the top TV viewing hours to themselves."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060813/ap_on_en_tv/china_cartoon_ban
 
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  • #2
Evo said:
We're really lucky to be living in a free country, no matter how flawed it may be.
I wholeheartedly agree. :approve:
 
  • #3
Talk about irony! Our government doesn't even restrict unfair trade practices [on the part of the Chinese] that are killing US industry.
 
  • #4
Huh? I think we do the same thing to foreign competitors, obvious example would be foreign cars.
 
  • #5
Im glad I don't live in China
 
  • #6
mattmns said:
Huh? I think we do the same thing to foreign competitors, obvious example would be foreign cars.
And in addition to quotas, you have subsidies, import duties and a whole host of non-tariff based import barriers in place to protect local industry/agriculture.
 
  • #7
I'm so never going to speak to the Peoples Republic of China. Yes, the extra was sarcasm :P
 
  • #8
Cool the monkey King is part of the chinese culture anyways. Good for the chinese.
 
  • #9
neurocomp2003 said:
Cool the monkey King is part of the chinese culture anyways. Good for the chinese.
Sounds like the Chinese are tired of it and would like something more innovative for a change. I mean I love lentils, but I can't eat them all of the time. People need variety.
 
  • #10
my wife doesn't let me watch the simpsons either. some people are too intelligent to appreciate the simpsons.how can anyone not appreciate a show where ned (the kindly christian neighbor) is actually the devil in one episode, and when the convenience store guy, apu, is asked whether having the entrance to paul mccartneys secret garden located behind the non alcoholic beer ever causes a problem, he says "it has never come up".

woohoo!
 
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  • #11
mattmns said:
Huh? I think we do the same thing to foreign competitors, obvious example would be foreign cars.
All countries stack the deck, but there is a difference between stacking the deck and outright banning the competing products.
 
  • #12
Come on. We all know Family Guy is waaayyy better. :)

I love the Simpsons too and Futurama. Why did it die? :(
 
  • #13
Does the US even have any non-American programming on its primetime networks? Of course that's not a manifestation of extreme nationalism in government; it's merely a sign of a very decrepit culture.
 
  • #14
Rach3 said:
Does the US even have any non-American programming on its primetime networks? Of course that's not a manifestation of extreme nationalism in government; it's merely a sign of a very decrepit culture.

What about BANZAI? That was there for a while.
 
  • #15
JasonRox said:
Come on. We all know Family Guy is waaayyy better. :)

I love the Simpsons too and Futurama. Why did it die? :(
Family Guy is good, but Futurama died because it sucked...
 
  • #16
russ_watters said:
All countries stack the deck, but there is a difference between stacking the deck and outright banning the competing products.
The competing product is not completely banned - only restricted to certain times (all but 3 hours in a day). One might argue that that's a gentler restriction than a quota, and comparable to a import tariff.

Really, there are far worse restrictions on basic freedoms that China is responsible for - it's silly to pick on them for pushing the Simpsons beyond 8pm! :rolleyes:
 
  • #17
I don't mean to sound anti-patriotic, but the impresson I get is that we're free because our government oppresses other nations. I certainly don't feel free to go to just any other country and announce I'm a US citizen.
 
  • #18
Pythagorean said:
I don't mean to sound anti-patriotic, but the impresson I get is that we're free because our government oppresses other nations. I certainly don't feel free to go to just any other country and announce I'm a US citizen.

Exactly.

We generally have a lot more freedom than they do.

As a Canadian, I honestly think I have more freedoms than an American has though.
 
  • #19
Gokul43201 said:
The competing product is not completely banned - only restricted to certain times (all but 3 hours in a day). One might argue that that's a gentler restriction than a quota, and comparable to a import tariff.

Really, there are far worse restrictions on basic freedoms that China is responsible for - it's silly to pick on them for pushing the Simpsons beyond 8pm! :rolleyes:

True, and besides it plays at 8pm here.
 
  • #20
JasonRox said:
Exactly.

We generally have a lot more freedom than they do.

As a Canadian, I honestly think I have more freedoms than an American has though.

been to Canada. agree.
 
  • #21
russ_watters said:
Family Guy is good, but Futurama died because it sucked...

Yes, there is a new series of Futurama coming in 2008 to piss you off then.:smile:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurama

While Futurama was never officially cancelled, Fox decided not to buy the fifth season and the program fell apart soon after.[1] On June 22, 2006, Comedy Central officially announced that they have ordered 13 new episodes of the series.[2] In the meantime, currently Futurama is syndicated in many countries around the world.

Competition is best, if Chinas animation sucks then it needs to get better, should be a level playing field.
 
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  • #22
The French do the exact same.
 
  • #23
simpsons is way beter than Family Guy, and it can be laughed at by anyone. futureama is good as well, it didnt suck!
 

What is the reason behind China's ban on "Simpsons" from prime time TV?

The Chinese government has not given an official statement on the reason for banning "Simpsons" from prime time TV. However, it is speculated that the show's satirical and critical themes towards authority and government may have played a role in the decision.

When did China implement the ban on "Simpsons" from prime time TV?

The ban on "Simpsons" was implemented in 2006, but the show continued to air on a smaller cable TV channel until 2018. After that, it was completely removed from all Chinese TV networks.

Is "Simpsons" completely banned in China?

No, "Simpsons" is not completely banned in China. It is still available for streaming on some Chinese video platforms, but it is heavily censored and only a limited number of episodes are available.

Have any other American TV shows faced a similar ban in China?

Yes, other American TV shows such as "South Park" and "Family Guy" have also been banned in China for similar reasons. China has strict censorship laws and any content that is deemed sensitive or offensive to the government is often banned or heavily censored.

How have "Simpsons" creators and cast responded to the ban in China?

The creators and cast of "Simpsons" have not made any official statements regarding the ban in China. However, some have expressed disappointment and frustration over the censorship of their show in China.

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