Popular culture is taking another hit in China. If you can’t live without your daily fix of Bart and Homer Simpson, Teletubbies, or Pokemon you may want to hold off on traveling to the country known for its Great Wall and other cultural wonders. According to news reports, beginning September 1st, all foreign cartoons, including “The Simpsons,” “Pokemon,” and “Blues Clues” will be barred from Chinese TV during primetime (5 to 8 p.m.) in an effort to protect the country’s struggling animation studios.
According to Chinese newspapers communist leaders are said to be frustrated that so many cartoons are foreign-made, especially after efforts to build up Chinese animation studios. The ban (which hasn’t been formally announced) is already causing an uproar in China.
“This is a worrying, shortsighted policy and will not solve the fundamental problems in China’s cartoon industry,” said one of China’s leading news publications. “The viewing masses, whether adults or children, will have no choice but to passively support Chinese products.”
Most cartoons on China Central Television, the national broadcaster, are Chinese-made. However, an increasing number of local broadcasters have been showing everything from “The Simpsons” to Japanese, South Korean and European cartoons dubbed into Chinese. Newspapers say broadcasters are only doing so because it’s what viewers want. A recent study found that 80 percent of Chinese children surveyed liked foreign cartoons and disliked domestic animation.
This of course didn’t sit well with government officials who have been trying to tighten control over cartoons and other pop culture, ranging from movies to magazines. For example, Chinese TV stations have been told to “limit foreign programming, stop showing scary movies in prime time and have their hosts dress more conservatively and use fewer English words on the air.” This latest cartoon ban follows an effort made in 2004 when the government stepped up controls, saying Chinese cartoons had to account for at least 60 percent of the total shown in prime time. So, basically, Bart never stood a chance.