China censors LGBTQI scenes from ‘Friends’

Broadcast since Friday, February 11 on Chinese platforms, the American series has seen scenes that allude to lesbian love amputated. Censorship that caused an explosion of discontent on social networks.

After the film’s alternate ending scandal Fight Club, modified to meet the requirements of the Chinese authorities, it is the turn of Friends to be controversial. The American series, very popular in China, has been broadcast since February 11 on several Chinese streaming platforms, including the Tencent Video site.

“But fans who had already watched the series quickly realized that several scenes were missing., report it Guardian. In particular, we mightn’t see the scenes in which the character of Ross explains that his ex-wife Carole is a lesbian. Incorrect translations of dialogues evoking the community LGBTQI were also detected.

“Friends is very popular in China, says the British newspaper. The series was broadcast online, without any censorship, until 2018.” On Chinese social networks, the recent cuts have therefore caused a reaction. Tens of thousands of messages including the hashtag #Friendscensored were posted on the Weibo platform, before being deleted by the Chinese authorities. “That protest itself has been censored and replaced with a more positive hashtag: ‘why Friends is so popular’.”

Increased censorship

For the Guardian, “censorship has been more present in recent years in the Chinese entertainment sector” and cultural productions. In a tense political context, Xi Jinping’s regime is thus placing more and more emphasis on traditional family values, rejecting any allusion to other forms of family organization.

“The 2016 regulations banning gay characters, extramarital affairs and one-night stands on television have tightened further, explains the London title. Last year, authorities ordered broadcasters to avoid any portrayal of what they call ‘effeminate’ or ‘abnormally aesthetically pleasing’ characters. Several works, including the 2018 biopic regarding Freddy Mercury, Bohemian Rapsodywere also partly censored.

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