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China bans movies about time travel

Doc Brown and Marty McFly

According to a report a few days ago on the website ChinaHush (reported in The New Yorker), Chinese authorities have banned movies dealing with time travel. Because they "disrespect history," which, it's been pointed out, sounds like an Onion headline making fun of a Confucian dictate more than an actual policy. But it is: 

Usually the protagonist is from the modern time and for some reasons and via some means, travels through time and all the way back to the ancient China where he/she will constantly experience the “culture shock” but gradually get used to it and eventually develop a romance in that era. Though obviously the Chinese audience is fond of this genre of shows, the country’s authority… is not happy about this trend and calls a halt to the making of this type of drama.

Chinese censorship is nothing new. If you live under a repressive regime in a country with huge income disparities and little chance of advancement for the enormous lower class (I'm talking about China...), the allure of imagining a simpler, better past must be strong. But it still seems silly. Are they banning all period pieces too? What about time-travel to the future? A future where China has surpassed the U.S. as a global superpower and sheep live happily with lions?  

Commentarium (14 Comments)

Apr 12 11 - 4:31pm
Moops

We should do something similar here in the US. How about banning remakes.

Apr 13 11 - 10:09am
thinkywritey

And anything that involves slingshotting around the sun.

Apr 13 11 - 12:42pm
jynn

Any movie description that uses the words "gritty reboot" or "irreverent romantic comedy"

Apr 13 11 - 12:44pm
jynn

And any movie description that uses the words "gritty reboot" or "irreverent romantic comedy"

Apr 13 11 - 12:44pm
jynn

damn, apologies for the doubles.

Apr 18 11 - 6:48pm
Lawrence

Just ban a 3rd remake of The Great Gatsby. Please.

Apr 12 11 - 4:52pm
ANONYMSMYNONA

yeah or anything with Dane Cook

Apr 13 11 - 12:43pm
jynn

this is win.

Apr 12 11 - 5:24pm
Secret Character

China is the funniest kind of crazy.

Apr 12 11 - 11:42pm
Me Ole China

and North Korea is the insanist kind of crazy. And they live on each other's doorstep. Go figure.

Apr 12 11 - 7:53pm
Apparent Character

I don't know, aside from the nuclear missiles and all that North Korea may still have them beat...

Apr 13 11 - 12:23pm
faulknersaysrelax

What about pocket dimensions? Wormholes? WHERE DOES IT END?

Jul 21 11 - 9:15pm
Jacalyn

You got to push it-this essetnial info that is!