According to reports, the People’s Republic of China banned former EXO member and China’s teen idol Lu Han on the accounts that he doesn’t look masculine enough and that younger men shouldn’t look up to such effeminate figures which can taint their masculinity.
Chinese pop stars influence femininity to the male population
On September 4, the People’s Republic of China banned the teen idol Lu Han because, according to the government, the idol doesn’t look masculine enough to be on TV. This is also mostly due to the government actions to promote “revolutionary culture” in broadcasting programmes.
Moreover, President Xi Jinping also emphasized the influence of South Korean Culture and Japanese singers over time which according to him has created a problem as the youth are not able to build their own identity.
Lastly, President Xi’s could also have come from the fact that the now-banned idol, Lu Han used to be a former member of the K-Pop group EXO which is still famous even in China even after his departure from the group.
Chinese government bans effeminate men on TV
The Chinese government told broadcasters on Thursday to promote “revolutionary culture” as they put a ban on effeminate men on TV. Promoting “revolutionary culture” is part of their campaign to execute their control over businesses, society and to enforce official morality.
President Xi Jinping’s call for “national rejuvenation” with more strict norms and to increase pressure in order to fulfil his vision of a more powerful China. Such an example will be the government’s ban on online gaming where minors are put under strict rules and guidelines to curb online gaming addictions.
Following this, the government has decided to curb and discourage what they see as unhealthy attention to celebrities such as actors, actresses and mostly teen idols.
According to a TV regulator, broadcasters must put an end to “sissy men and other abnormal aesthetics, moreover, he also used a Chinese slang for effeminate men i.e., “niang pao” which literally translates to “girlie guns”.
Furthermore, he added that broadcasters should avoid promoting “vulgar internet celebrities” and their “unhealthy” obsession for wealth and popularity. Instead, broadcasters should air programs that “promote excellent Chinese traditional culture, revolutionary culture and advanced socialist culture.”
Xi’s tightening control over every aspect of China
Till now, data security, anti-monopoly and other enforcement actions at companies including games and social media provider Tencent Holding and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group have been launched due to it being too independent and big according to the ruling party.
Other than the restriction of gameplay hours on minors, game developers also require approval from the government before they can be released and the process to add nationalistic themes are in progress.
It is not only just the gaming industry but also the film industry as the party is now tightening their control over celebrities. The broadcast regulator says that those performers who “violate public order” or have lost “morality” shouldn’t be allowed to perform.