China bans ‘South Park’ in response to an episode critical of Chinese government censorship

On Oct. 2, 2019, Comedy Central aired the 299th episode of “South Park,” an animated series that first aired in 1997. The episode in question, “Band in China,” criticizes China’s policy on media censorship. In response, the  Chinese government reportedly removed any mention of “South Park” from streaming services and social media. 

Key Players

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the co-creators of the Emmy Award-winning TV show, which is based on fictional characters in the real town of South Park, Colorado. They also produced the Tony Award-winning musical “The Book of Mormon,” as well as several other short films and collaborative projects. Many have described their brand of comedy as dark and profane.

Further Details

The episode “Band in China” deals directly with the influence China wields over Western entertainment as a gatekeeper of the lucrative Chinese entertainment market. The episode follows the “South Park” protagonists — four young boys — as they travel to China with plans to make a biopic film about their newly formed metal band. A film producer they encounter states, “For this movie to make money, we need to make sure this movie clears the Chinese censors,” and specifically that they may not mention “the Dalai Lama, homosexuality, organ transplants, or Winnie the Pooh” (Winnie the Pooh was censored in China after people online noticed facial similarities between the fictional bear and Xi Jinping, president of the People’s Republic of China). Later in the episode, a central character says, “We live in a time when the only movies that us American kids go see are the ones that are approved by China.”

The episode addresses the increasing leverage China’s government holds over Hollywood, which has led major studios, including Marvel and Pixar, to abide by the country’s censorship standards.

The immense international influence of Hollywood films once functioned as a key form of soft power for the United States, providing an avenue through which American ideals could be expressed to audiences around the world, according to The Atlantic. But since World War II, the U.S. film industry has grown increasingly more dependent on sales from international markets, making it more beholden to foreign interests. This phenomenon is especially true of China, which is on track to become the world’s largest movie market, The Atlantic reports. “Beijing has a very clear idea of how a film industry should operate—namely, as an essential part of the effort to bring public opinion in alignment with the party’s ideological worldview,” The Atlantic article states. As a result, many box office hits are subject to edits that portray China in a positive light or promote its ideals.

Shortly after “Band in China” aired, all mentions of “South Park” disappeared from Chinese internet platforms, according to The Hollywood Reporter. As of Nov. 15, 2019, there was not a single mention of the show on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. Episodes and seasons that were once available on the streaming service Youku have seemingly vanished. A former “South Park” thread on discussion platform Teiba now displays: “According to the relevant law and regulation, this section is temporarily not open.”

This development comes amid growing international focus on Chinese censorship, including China’s NBA controversy and the multifaceted protests in Hong Kong. 

Outcome 

Parker and Stone offer satirical “official apology” to China

The apology, broadcast through a tweet on Oct. 7, 2019, reads, “Like the NBA, we welcome the Chinese censors into our homes and into our hearts. We too love money more than freedom and democracy. Xi doesn’t look like Winnie the Pooh at all. Tune into our 300th episode this Wednesday at 10! Long live the great Communist Party of China. May the autumn’s sorghum harvest be bountiful. We good now China?”

Episode 300 of “South Park” continues firing back at China

The episode “SHOTS!!!” — which aired directly after “Band in China” — features a character who boldly states, “F–k the Chinese government.” “South Park” remains censored in China, but, for others, the episode “Band in China” can be streamed at no cost online.