China Bans Hip-Hop And Other 'Sub-Cultures' From State Television

[misskit]

China's media regulator has banned the country's top hip-hop artists from appearing on television, saying the music genre represents "non-mainstream culture" that is "decadent."


A directive from the State Administration of Press, Publications, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) published as "special content" on the entertainment pages of news portal Sina.com calls on state broadcasters to avoid hiring any performers who embody "hip-hop culture" or other sub-cultures.


Performers with tattoos are also a no-no, along with anyone representing the emo-esque 'sang' culture popular with Chinese millennials, according to SAPPRFT spokesman Gao Changli.


Those who have low levels of taste, morality or who are "vulgar and obscene" should also be avoided at all costs, Gao said.


Above all, talent must show clear loyalty to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, he said.


"Never use performers who aren't psychologically and morally aligned with the party," Gao was quoted as saying.


Performers embroiled in scandals, smears or who have problematic morality and integrity must also never be booked, he said.


Political journalist Gao Yu said the move seems similar in tone to the "anti spiritual pollution" censorship campaigns of the 1980s, when rock'n'roll stars like Cui Jian were the target.


If both the hip-hop spirit and the unique expression are considered opposite to the "core values of socialism," and then come up with a "no-hip-hop in China," then it is a reduction of cultural ugly and farce, , "Clear mental pollution" mistakes.


"If they are trying to make out that the spirit of hip-hop as a unique form of expression run counter to the 'core values of socialism' ... then that would be an ugly and farcical reduction of culture," Gao told RFA.


"It is similar to the mistakes of anti spiritual pollution campaign and 'smash the four olds'," she said in a reference to political campaigns that smashed anything reminiscent of traditional Chinese culture during the Mao-era Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).



'No basis in law or aesthetics'


Wu Fan, editor in chief of the U.S.-based Chinese-language magazine Chinese Affairs, said there was no basis in law or aesthetics for the move.


"What benchmark are they supposed to use for this phrase 'morally and psychologically aligned with the party'?" Wu said. "It's very hard to come up with definitions for such things, so it will be left to the organizations, or their immediate superiors, to make a subjective decision."


Wu said the Chinese government appears to be moving to control anything that is widely popular among ordinary people.


"My feeling is that they are going back to the Cultural Revolution era, or the period just before it," he said. "Back then, they had 'clean-up' campaigns too, and you couldn't sing or perform anything that wasn't in accordance with Mao Zedong Thought."


"Eventually, the entire cultural and arts sector was whittled down to eight revolutionary model operas and nothing else," he said. "Is that the direction we are heading in right now?"
The directive comes as Chinese hip-hop artists Wang Hao, known as "PG One" and Zhou Yan, known as "GAI" were sanctioned in recent weeks.


GAI has been cut from hit Hunan TV talent show "The Singer," while rapper Vava was cut from the "Happy Camp," produced by the same station.


The Global Times newspaper commented that the prospects for hip-hop in China now look gloomy.


It has also said that hip-hop - which it called a "tool for people to vent their anger, misery, complaints" was unsuited to China, and couldn't thrive there.


The official assault on hip-hop began under President Xi Jinping in 2015, when the culture ministry banned 120 songs - mostly rap - for "promoting obscenity, violence, crime or threatening public morality."


The president's brand of political ideology, known as "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" was enshrined in the party constitution at the 19th party congress last October, and now looks set to be inscribed in the national constitution in March.


Since then, higher education institutions have scrambled to show their loyalty to the country's new "core leader," by setting up research institutions devoted to the study of Xi Jinping Thought.

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/chi...018105320.html

[Norton]

China Bans Hip-Hop

Proof authoritarian government is not all bad.

[SKkin]

Did Jerry Heller do his thing in China before he died?

[Thailandbound]

Wu said the Chinese government appears to be moving to control anything that is widely popular among ordinary people.

And so many people are not listening to the government and are using vpn's and listening to hip hop and finding out about the world for themselves. The Chinese people are more westernized (especially in the bigger cities), than the government cares to know about. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that the government is still trying to hold down their people and treat them like they are living in the Mao age. The cultural revolution happened a long time ago. The government is modernizing it's infrastructure and putting in western stores in most malls.

I feel sorry for many people here in China. I talk to the locals a lot. It is a pittance what some of these people make who work 10-12 hours a day. The government doesn't care diddly squat about their people, and only care about keeping them spiritless and oppressed.

[VocalNeal]

Proof authoritarian government is not all bad.

+1 (five characters)

[kmart]

Proof authoritarian government is not all bad.

Summary execution for anyone wearing a baseball cap backwards and starting a conversation with "Yo.."

[Wilsonandson]

Hip Hop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rILKm-DC06A

Tradditional music



I prefer the tradditional, but I'm an old fuddy duddy. You can't ban music genres, it's up to the person what they listen to. This will only stir hate in the younger generation of their communist rulers. XI JINGPING and PUTIN are becoming more and more ruthless, authoritarian, power mad, controling, meglomaniacs.

[DJ Pat]

Yet they're perfectly happy knocking out millions of fake Dr. Dre headphones, to be sold to the idiots who believe they are anything near the real thing. All the different varieties at different prices you see in the markets/stalls all have the exact same earphone speaker in them. But surely most have half a brain to realise that.

The real, genuine Dr. Dre headphones are overpriced, overrated but the sheep love them....

Panasonic do a set for 990 Baht in Cantral that are better than all of those sold there up to 4000 Baht, including the Marshall brand. I know because I've been buyng headphones for almost 30yrs

[CaptainNemo]

Hip Hop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rILKm-DC06A

Tradditional music



I prefer the tradditional, but I'm an old fuddy duddy. You can't ban music genres, it's up to the person what they listen to. This will only stir hate in the younger generation of their communist rulers. XI JINGPING and PUTIN are becoming more and more ruthless, authoritarian, power mad, controling, meglomaniacs.

Genie's out of the bottle now..


This is one cultural revolution the CCP probably can't win...

If you can't beat 'em...

[Thailandbound]

^Nice.... lol..


Good shit

[Wilsonandson]

[CaptainNemo]

That last one - he can't seem to make his mind up what he thinks about foreigners... but chances are he'd be thrown around like a ragdoll in prison block with brothers in it from a place like Compton.

[SKkin]

Tradditional music

Like that much better. More soothing to the mind.

[CaptainNemo]

How about a hybrid?

[Thailandbound]

^^^^That guy has got a serious grudge. Who pissed in his cornflakes? Shit.


I actually like this hip hop song as it is mixed with traditional Chinese instruments and music.

I'm not sure what they are saying, but I like the beat.

[CaptainNemo]

It looks like the same set for that "higher brothers" one... fortunately she's put subtitles on, so get yo' dickshunary out laowai... the trouble with hip hop for the authorities is that it is by definition anti-authority, and exciting for the young, it's a bit of a problem for them.. how do they navigate through prosperity whilst keeping control of so many young people who are naturally curious and excited about the world outside...?
...it'll be interesting if hybrid anglo-mandarin pop starts breaking through into western charts... gangnam sty...

[Thailandbound]

^Right, but Hip-hop is gaining a huge following in the mainstream now, because of the reality internet tv show, 'RapofChina' which brings in so much money and is hugely popular, or should I say, was hugely popular. Hip-hop artists have really struggled in China before this as they had an underground subculture. Now that Hip-hop is more mainstream and popular, the government is cracking down and banning it. I'm sure it will continue to flourish if only underground.

Read more about it.

Hip-hop takes centre stage in China for the first time - BBC News