www.zerohedge.com By Tyler Durden
The CCP’s push to reshape China’s economy and society has moved from a crackdown on its biggest technology companies, to imposing the most restrictive rules in the world surrounding minors access to video games, while reshaping industries from the private education space to ride-sharing to – its latest focus – entertainment.
After Beijing purged one of China’s most popular actresses (she was edited out of movies and TV shows) from its Internet in a manner that some likened to being “wiped from history”, it’s continuing with its crackdown on the entertainment industry, declaring Thursday that broadcasters must shun artists with “incorrect political positions” or “effeminate styles”, according to Reuters.
Here’s more on the crackdown, which is being led by two government regulators, from Reuters:
Two government ministries, including the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), and an industry association published fresh guidelines on Thursday,
The NRTA, a ministry level body, said it will strengthen regulation of stars’ salaries and punish tax evaders. It also said it would weed out any content in cultural programmes that it deems to be unhealthy.
Last week, China’s internet regulator said it was taking action against what it described as a “chaotic” celebrity fan culture.
The selection of actors and guests should be carefully controlled, with political literacy and moral conduct included as criteria, NRTA said, adding that performers should be encouraged to participate in public welfare programmes and assume social responsibilities.
The notice further said that programmes portraying “effeminate” behaviour and other content deemed “warped” should be stopped, along with shows built around scandals, ostentatious wealth and “vulgar” internet celebrities.
Unhealthy fan culture should be deterred and strict controls placed on programmes with voting segments, and any that encourage fans to spend money to vote should be forbidden, the notice added.
Regulators also issued new guidelines for film and TV calling for directors to avoid using male actors who wear makeup, claiming it makes them look “effeminate” and undermined the credibility of the Chinese military.
Separate notices also published on Thursday by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the China Association of Performing Arts said that performers, like livestreaming stars, should undergo periodic training on professional ethics while agencies should terminate contracts with performers who “lack moral discipline.”
Besides criticising the culture of celebrity worship, authorities and state media have criticised male stars who favour heavy make-up andcarefully styled hair and project a feminine image, saying Chinese boys should become more manly.
Some “effeminate” stars are immoral and can damage adolescents’ values, according to an opinion piece in the state-run Guangming Daily on Aug. 27, written by a former official at a military newspaper.
When such stars act as soldiers fighting in the war against the Japanese – a popular setting for Chinese movies and TV shows – they also make the “righteous” and “heroic” characters appear childish, said the piece.
One popular video-maker on Douyin, a short video platform, had his account suspended in late August after complaints that he was too “effeminate”.
Moving on: After paying a nearly $3 billion fine earlier this year, Alibaba announced on Thursday that it would commit 100 billion yuan ($15.5 billion) over five years toward Xi Jinpingâs “common prosperity” vision, the latest sign that the CCP is depending on Big Tech companies to bankroll its new vision for lifting hundreds of millions more Chinese out of poverty. According to Bloomberg, Alibaba will spread the money between 10 initiatives encompassing technology investment and support for small companies, the government-backed Zhejiang Daily reported Thursday. Tencent, which said last month that it would double the amount of money itâs allocating for social responsibility programs to about $15 billion.
Finally, Chinese regulators ordered Didi, Meituan, Alibaba and other companies with ride-hailing services to rectify instances of misconduct when it comes to safeguarding consumer’s data, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the ride-sharing industry just as shares of Didi, the embattled US ride sharing company,
