After ‘Big Bang Theory’ Censorship, No Mass Viewer Revolt

When Chinese censors abruptly pulled the plug on four U.S. TV shows from websites in China in late April, the move left China watchers scratching their heads.

After all, the banned TV shows included “The Big Bang Theory,” “The Good Wife,” “NCIS” and “The Practice” — all of which pale in their depictions of violence, sex and/or political scandal when compared to other foreign shows that can still be streamed online in China. “House of Cards,” for example, is by far the most transgressive when it comes to violence and scandal, yet it’s so far evaded the honor of being banned.

But for those who’ve been following the moves of China’s censors more closely, the ban shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Here’s the backstory. In March, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television reissued two internet content regulation notices that the SARFT had previously rolled out, which together aimed to root out excessive violence and sex from shows and required more pre-approval for programming. Though the online content guidelines were mostly targeted at domestic programming, Chinese social media users quickly began voicing concerns that their access to U.S. shows might be next to be jeopardized.

Such backlash was clear in an online poll conducted by Sina in March in which more than 130,000 respondents — or 95% of those polled — voted against banning U.S. TV dramas, which prompted the government to explicitly say that the regulations would not apply to foreign programs.

The regulator’s inaction on foreign exports agitated domestic content providers, who appealed to censors for fair treatment so that they’d be able to compete with foreign producers on an equal footing. And in April, Chinese president Xi Jinping launched a campaign to rid Internet of porn, rumors and other unruly contents, which soon saw the ban of four U.S. dramas.

In response to the ban, Chinese viewers took to social media to openly mock and ridicule censors. The outpouring of disbelief and outrage recalled another incident three year ago, when censors removed Avatar from China’s 2D theaters to make room for China’s heavily promoted domestic film, Confucius. At the time, Chinese fans rose to Hollywood’s defense, publicly snubbing Confucius. They had a key ally on their side during that episode: the market. Many theaters driven by bottom line, in fact, simply ignored the government’s order to remove Avatar. The government eventually backed down, restoring Avatar to more screens.

But this year, it doesn’t look like any such victory is forthcoming. The reason is simple economics. Chinese local producers want to keep a lion’s share of the massive domestic online content market, and they want to cultivate their own fans instead of siding with the fans of US or UK shows. Though such shows may be popular, they are preferred not by the masses, but but by sophisticated urban elites who are wealthier, better-educated and pride themselves on having cultivated a taste for quality Western programs, as opposed to the East Asia pop culture devoured by what the elites see as viewers with less discerning tastes. And of course for elites, Chinese domestic TV dramas are further down the food chain still. Social snobbery is the very fabric of the global elite, which ascending members of China’s elite society yearn to be a part of.

Foreign TV shows are also a threat to state-owned broadcasters, who have seen new media undermine both their political control and revenue streams. So perhaps it isn’t surprising that since March, authorities have required that U.S. and U.K. shows obtain approval from censors before they are posted on video streaming sites. In the meantime, a sanitized version of “The Big Bang Theory” is scheduled to run on China Central Television, the state-run TV network with close financial ties to the country’s censors. So the battle is on the home turf, between the relatively freewheeling new media and the tightly controlled broadcast media, both vying for preferential policies from the state, which will inevitably lead them to more capitulation and further self-censorship.

The only thing that might change the equation is, perhaps, Chinese viewers. But let’s not fool ourselves about the motivations of those protesting the ban on the four U.S. shows. The backlash is more about a desire to connect with cutting-edge global trends than it is an effort to, say, demand more political openness within China. The motivation is similar to wanting access to French wine and cheeses, Italian fashion and German cars — access to such goods brings about instant consumer gratification.

The moaning and mourning of the loss of instant access to a few U.S. TV dramas for Chinese viewers might seem like a trivial matter. But for the Communist Party, the rise of millions of active viewers in defense of their consumer rights may pose a serious challenge.