The China Thread

[The Brain]

could be considered problematic and red flags will be raised

So which is it? Pick a lane.

[Tamas]

could be considered problematic and red flags will be raised

So which is it? Pick a lane.

[The Larch]

Is the "no sissy men" rule a way to get rid of K-Pop male bands?

[Jacob]

Is the "no sissy men" rule a way to get rid of K-Pop male bands?

Not only, but yes they're definitely part of that.

[DGuller]

When reading this thread lately I'm getting on image of some kind of a Twilight Zone episode, where a 75-year old curmudgeon wakes up in a world where not only do people start listening to his "in my days" whining, but where he also has the power to make rules for other people to follow.  At first he starts of tepidly, but quickly the power goes to his head, and he bans all the newfangled nonsense that kids do these days.  It's still early in the episode, though, so we're still waiting for the punch line.

[Razgovory]

I see Xi has not enjoyed the Dragon Age franchise

China to ban video games featuring same-sex relationships, 'effeminate' men and moral choices
Lily Wakefield
Sat, 2 October 2021, 10:50 am·2-min read

China will ban video games featuring same-sex relationships, 'effeminate' men and moral choices, according to a leaked memo.

The internal memo from a recent internal training by the state-backed gaming association was revealed by the South China Morning Post, lays out new restrictions for approving video games in China.

According to the publication, the memo said that video games must not be viewed as "pure entertainment", and should instead convey "a correct set of values".

Games that feature queer relationships or "effeminate males", the memo states, should not be approved for release in China.

"If regulators can't tell the character's gender immediately, the setting of the characters could be considered problematic and red flags will be raised," it added.

Games that allow players to make moral choices between good and evil should also not be approved, according to the memo.

"Some games have blurred moral boundaries," it said.

"Players can choose to be either good or evil... but we don't think that games should give players this choice... and this must be altered."

The memo comes as China increasingly regulates its gaming industry, with the government announcing in August that it would be limiting the amount of time minors can play online games to three hours per week.

China recently banned 'sissy' effeminate men from TV

The leaked memo marks the latest move by China to crack down on the perceived decline of traditional "masculinity".

Last month, China announced that "sissy" effeminate men would be banned being on TV, insisting broadcasters must only "vigorously promote excellent Chinese traditional culture".

The official instruction was issued to broadcasters in China as part of a "national rejuvenation" campaign by president Xi Jinping to enforce traditional "morality" by tightening government control of business and society.

The government said broadcasters must "resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal aesthetics" on screen.

Really quite intrigued to see the reaction among gamers - especially those annoyed at SJWs within gaming.

So in China I can only play as evil characters?

[viper37]

I see Xi has not enjoyed the Dragon Age franchise

And the Koto series with its moral choices

Come to think of it, he wants to ban all games except for Duke Nukem and GTA?

Really quite intrigued to see the reaction among gamers - especially those annoyed at SJWs within gaming.

Yeah, I wonder where they'll lean.  I guess, they'll be split on the issue.

But what I wonder is if gaming studios will go the Hollywood way and bend over to please China.  They might even released a censored version for the chinese market and the regular version for our market.

[Valmy]

I am just happy to see Dragon Age still considered relevant, to Sheilbh anyway, after seven years with no new games.

[celedhring]

This sudden cultural turn by Xi seems a bit odd. No need to add even more layers of oppression when what you had seemed to be working allright.

Then again, I'm far from being a China expert. But it feels like the regime is trying to overplay its hand.

[Sheilbh]

I am just happy to see Dragon Age still considered relevant, to Sheilbh anyway, after seven years with no new games.

I'm just not very current

And I read that the state doesn't want same sex relationships, effeminate men or moral choice games and the last game I can think of with those elements was probably one of the Dragon Age series. I am thrilled if that's become the mainstream of modern gaming.

[Sheilbh]

This sudden cultural turn by Xi seems a bit odd. No need to add even more layers of oppression when what you had seemed to be working allright.

Then again, I'm far from being a China expert. But it feels like the regime is trying to overplay its hand.

In a very weird way - it all feels a little like a Chinese "ok boomer" policy. I have no idea of the generational stereotypes in China.

But off the top of my head he's banned effeminate haircuts for men, restricted young people to one hour of gaming a day, now he's going after morally and sexually ambiguous games. Add in the stuff about not really being a fan of financial magic in the economy v the "real" economy of making things, and spends a big deal of rhetoric re-enshrining Mao and making sure he doesn't get canceled. It's not a million miles away from a national populism with Chinese characteristics

[Valmy]

I am just happy to see Dragon Age still considered relevant, to Sheilbh anyway, after seven years with no new games.

I'm just not very current

And I read that the state doesn't want same sex relationships, effeminate men or moral choice games and the last game I can think of with those elements was probably one of the Dragon Age series. I am thrilled if that's become the mainstream of modern gaming.

I didn't think any of the men in Dragon Age were particularly effeminate...but then I am not particularly sensitive to those kinds of issues.

It could just be my corrupt and decadent western ways that unless they are over the top I don't even think about it.

Hopefully sometime in the next five years we finally get the next Dragon Age game and it doesn't suck.

But back to our regularly scheduled Chinese dystopia.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Sounds to me like Xi has been using the internet to read the Daily Mail and the Daily Express 

[Jacob]

In a very weird way - it all feels a little like a Chinese "ok boomer" policy. I have no idea of the generational stereotypes in China.

I'm not a China expert either, but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is. Certainly it is not (typically) men of Xi's generation who consume fanfic (the authors of which were the first targets in this sweep, IMO), Japanese manga & K-Pop & Chinese dramas with "girly" men and so on.

But off the top of my head he's banned effeminate haircuts for men, restricted young people to one hour of gaming a day, now he's going after morally and sexually ambiguous games. Add in the stuff about not really being a fan of financial magic in the economy v the "real" economy of making things, and spends a big deal of rhetoric re-enshrining Mao and making sure he doesn't get canceled. It's not a million miles away from a national populism with Chinese characteristics

That's exactly what this is, IMO. I mean, there could obviously be other factors in play but the the facts fit the thesis so far.

IMO, he's finding that the typical levers of Chinese nationalism ("Japan bad!!!!") is insufficient to distract from lacklustre economic growth, corruption, and incompetence so he's stepping it up a level or three by finding more internal targets. It's not like it's a new playbook or anything.

[Berkut]

In a very weird way - it all feels a little like a Chinese "ok boomer" policy. I have no idea of the generational stereotypes in China.

I'm not a China expert either, but I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is. Certainly it is not (typically) men of Xi's generation who consume fanfic (the authors of which were the first targets in this sweep, IMO), Japanese manga & K-Pop & Chinese dramas with "girly" men and so on.

But off the top of my head he's banned effeminate haircuts for men, restricted young people to one hour of gaming a day, now he's going after morally and sexually ambiguous games. Add in the stuff about not really being a fan of financial magic in the economy v the "real" economy of making things, and spends a big deal of rhetoric re-enshrining Mao and making sure he doesn't get canceled. It's not a million miles away from a national populism with Chinese characteristics

That's exactly what this is, IMO. I mean, there could obviously be other factors in play but the the facts fit the thesis so far.

IMO, he's finding that the typical levers of Chinese nationalism ("Japan bad!!!!") is insufficient to distract from lacklustre economic growth, corruption, and incompetence so he's stepping it up a level or three by finding more internal targets. It's not like it's a new playbook or anything.

I would say it is more concerning then as what will come next.

These kinds of things tend to escalate. When you are trying to distract the people with other bullshit, and you are a nationalistic, authoritarian state, that tends to not end with bitching about media. It tends to end with bangie-bangie-shooty-shooty.