Imagethief

One of the fascinating things about living in China is that some of the laws and restrictions seem, for lack of a better word, looney. "Looney", as in "Looney Tunes",  is a particularly appropriate word in this case, as the ban-du-jour applies to cartoons. Although it won't actually apply to completely animated cartoons, such as Looney-Tunes (Bugs Bunny and other classic Warner Bros. cartoons, for the culturally deprived among my readership). Instead, the finally-targeted ban will apply only to foreign shows that mix animated characters with live ones. As reported by AP:

The government's main television and film regulator sent notice Feb. 15 to broadcasters and theaters that such films and shows could no longer be shown and that violators would be punished. It did not say what the penalties would be.

It also did not give examples of banned programs but described them as "so-called cartoons that mainly feature real people and only occasionally have computer-generated elements."

Communist authorities are eager to expand the country's animation industry and also are worried about the influence of foreign pop culture on Chinese children.

The cartoon ban is intended to "promote the development and prosperity of the cartoon industry in China," said the statement issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

The broadcast administration's statement said it planned to review programs that had previously been granted licenses to make sure none of the banned programming is aired.

Phone calls to the administration's main office on Thursday weren't answered.

Japanese and Western animated programs have gained a foothold in China but the government wants to develop its own industry.

China already limits foreign cartoons on television to 40 percent of all cartoons broadcast. It has said it might ban all foreign cartoons from prime time television once the quantity and quality of domestic productions is considered adequate.

"So-called cartoons"? You couldn't make it up. You'd think that Chinese censors had stumbled onto seditious, foreign cartoon porn where animated wolves are boning live starlets. Or, worse, animated starlets boning live wolves. But in the end it appears to simply be intended to give the local animation industry a prod.

Now, I am not disposed to get too wound up about this. I don't have any kids, so access to the Teletubbies isn't going to be a major concern for me. As for controls on movies, well we all know how much influence the censors and customs department have over what is available from your local pirate DVD shop.

Certainly if you are going to boost the local animation industry, it would seem to make more sense to simply limit the overall amount of foreign cartoons or children's shows that can be broadcast on Chinese television, rather than throwing out bizarre, arbitrary-sounding micro restrictions. One can imagine how this debate might have unfolded down at SARFT, the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television. In fact, join me now as we look in on that discussion:

Flunky: Your worship, the local animation industry is struggling. We must find a way to give it a boost.
Director (stroking long beard): Indeed? This is serious news. I would not wish to see our supply of "Journey to the West" retreads interrupted. What can be done?
Flunky: I suggest we limit foreign cartoons to just twenty percent of animated shows rather than 40 percent.
Director: We cannot. The local industry could not fill the gap soon enough. Television screens would go blank, sugar-infused children would riot in the streets, and there would be social unrest.
Flunky: Good thinking your eminence. We could, then, be more selective. Let us ban all Japanese cartoons. Nobody likes the Japanese, and yet our airwaves are lousy with poorly-animated Japanese cartoons.
Director: Tricky. My grandchildren do love that Pikachu from Pokemon. And I hear that Hello Kitty is coming. We must bring in Hello Kitty, in order to punish the foreign journalists.
Flunky: I hadn't thought of that, your grace.
Director: Of course not. That's why you are a flunky, and I get the big chair. Now speak! What other ideas doth thou possess?
Flunky: We could ban all foreign shows with cartoon rabbits. Bugs Bunny is a clear vessel for seditious, anti-authoritarian American ideals. He is nothing but a western propaganda rabbit, and stands against everything that our Marxist revival is trying to achieve.
Director: Hmm. You're onto something with this. I reject everything Bugs Bunny stands for. He is the enemy of humorless bureaucracy. But Rabbits are a Chinese zodiac symbol. It could be sensitive. Plus, when have you seen Bugs Bunny on Chinese television? Take this idea further.
Flunky: Well, what about if we ban shows that mix animated and live characters? They show indecisiveness, and that is an undesirable character flaw.
Director: Perfect! Those shows are mediocrities, devoid of charm or humor. And that Clutch Cargo, he is just spooky. The way the lips move...(Shudders.)
Flunky: Strike hard at Clutch Cargo and his spooky-lipped ilk!
Director: So let it be written, so let it be done.

Shocking.

I would also like to know what the penalties are. Can you imagine what might befall a movie theater owner hauled before a Chinese judge for the crime of showing Space Jam?

Judge: Chen Jing, for the crime of showing a foreign movie that mixes live action and animation, I sentence you to a fine of ten thousand renminbi!
Defense counsel: That's an outrage! He refuses to pay.
Judge: And, for the crime of showing Space Jam in particular, I sentence you to...death!
Defense counsel: He deserves it.
Chen Jing: I deserve it.

I think the government owes us all clarity on this one.

Thanks to Dave for the article.

Bonus pop culture quiz: What was the original name of the novel from which the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit was adapted? What kind of a cartoon was Roger originally? No Google!

Extra credit: What was the name of the technique by which the lips were animated in the old Clutch Cargo cartoons? No Google! And no following the link above unless you've already answered or guessed.