Safety Not Guaranteed

[Caliga]

WANTED:  Someone to go back in time with me.

Girls' Time Travel Attempt Leads To Suicide In China

Two schoolgirls in China have committed suicide in an attempt to travel back in time.

The girls decided to end their lives after one of them lost a remote control to a door, China Daily reports, via People's Daily. Xiao Hua told her best friend and fellow classmate, Xiao Mei, that she was worried about coming clean to her parents. The names are reportedly pseudonyms.

In an effort to avoid potential consequences, the girls allegedly took inspiration from a popular television show and committed suicide to travel back in time.

They left notes explaining their decision before jumping -- and subsequently drowning -- in a pool.

In a note obtained by the Shanghaiist.com, one of the girls explained her reasoning for her rash decision by writing: "In my life, I have two secret wishes. One is to time-travel back to Qing Dynasty and shoot a film with the emperor, and the other is to travel to outer space," the Christian Post reports.

The chain of events has raised concerns about the influence of media on young children, and the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television has placed restrictions on airing certain shows between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., according to People's Daily.

But some aren't too sure about the story.

Anna North, a writer for Jezebel, observes that the article seems to highlight the apparent dangers of time travel-centered shows. She wonders whether the government had an influence on the direction of the article.

China Daily is a state-owned paper, described by the Committee to Protect Journalists as "straitlaced." People's Daily Online is the website of People's Daily, which until recently described itself as "the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China" — it now offers a more circumspect description: "one of the world's top ten newspapers." It's possible that Huang and China Daily were under pressure from the government to paint the girls' suicide as a direct result of the evil influence of time travel.

Additionally, the Wall Street Journal points out that media experts in China have also indicated officials might have not been crazy about the "themes of the shows, which centered on escaping discontent in the current era to journey back in time to a better life."

[Tamas]

 

[Neil]

They pushed it to the limit.

[KRonn]

          Sad, a couple of dead kids now.   

[Monoriu]

"Travel back in time to live with the Qing emperor" is probably the most popular TV drama themes right now.  These are big budget, A-list star productions in China.  My wife has watched quite a number of these shows and she is crazy about them. 

[Malthus]

"Travel back in time to live with the Qing emperor" is probably the most popular TV drama themes right now.  These are big budget, A-list star productions in China.  My wife has watched quite a number of these shows and she is crazy about them.

Nostalgic for the good old days of the Opium Wars and the Tai Ping Rebellion ? 

[Darth Wagtaros]

I'd have thought any interaction with the emperors would be seen as counter revolutionary and end with a bullet.

[Ed Anger]

They should have brought their own weapons.

[Monoriu]

"Travel back in time to live with the Qing emperor" is probably the most popular TV drama themes right now.  These are big budget, A-list star productions in China.  My wife has watched quite a number of these shows and she is crazy about them.

Nostalgic for the good old days of the Opium Wars and the Tai Ping Rebellion ? 

Historical drama is very popular in China.  Especially those on the Qing dynasty.  There is an entire replicated forbidden city just for filming.  The target audience are females and housewives.  So there are no battles, few fights, but lots of love triangles, succession struggles and court conspiracies.  History is also easier to get past the censors. 

The problem is most of the well-known history has been done to death.  Time travel provides a fresh perspective.  What if someone who is vaguely familiar (but without complete knowledge) with Qing history becomes a concubine of the emperor?  Can she change history and help someone else become emperor? 

[CountDeMoney]

They pushed it to the limit.

I don't see the reference of dead Chinese schoolgirls to a Scarface montage.

[Josquius]

"Travel back in time to live with the Qing emperor" is probably the most popular TV drama themes right now.  These are big budget, A-list star productions in China.  My wife has watched quite a number of these shows and she is crazy about them. 

You mean there's more than one show about people travelling back in time to visit the emperor?
That is....strange.


I wonder what this show with killing yourself to time travel is. It sounds animeish...

[CountDeMoney]

You mean there's more than one show about people travelling back in time to visit the emperor?
That is....strange.


I wonder what this show with killing yourself to time travel is. It sounds animeish...

There's a ton of historical content like that on hulu.com from the Far Least.  Japanese and Korean, no Chicom stuff though.

[Monoriu]

You mean there's more than one show about people travelling back in time to visit the emperor?
That is....strange.


I wonder what this show with killing yourself to time travel is. It sounds animeish...

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

[HisMajestyBOB]

You mean there's more than one show about people travelling back in time to visit the emperor?
That is....strange.


I wonder what this show with killing yourself to time travel is. It sounds animeish...

There's a ton of historical content like that on hulu.com from the Far Least.  Japanese and Korean, no Chicom stuff though.

I like the Korean stuff, but can never be bothered to sit down and watch a whole show. I just tune in for the hot chicks and people hitting each other with swords. 

[CountDeMoney]

I just tune in for the hot chicks and people hitting each other with swords. 

And who the hell doesn't, my friend.