Oblivious to the ugly authoritarianism inherent in unelected leaders with multiple executive titles handing down marching orders to conclaves of State- directed “artistic” institutions, the Global Times gushed over Xi’s “advice” to content creators:
Chinese literature and art should not become a creator, follower or advocator of an unhealthy social climate, Xi said, noting that art cannot be the slave of the market, and artists should abide by moral standards.Writers and artists should cherish their social influence, seriously consider the social effects of their works and, if they commit misconduct, the people will not accept it.
“In November, China’s top internet regulator announced it established a ban list to prevent celebrity-related content from promoting distorted values, including abnormal aesthetics, vulgar scandals, and content that induces fans to blindly idolize celebrities or hypes the comeback of entertainers who have illegal and unethical records,” the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) paper recalled…
The prohibited “abnormal aesthetics” the Global Times referred to include “girlie” or “sissy” behavior by male TV and movie personalities. The edict from China’s television regulators in September specifically instructed broadcasters to “resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal esthetics.”
However… the one thing I don’t feel obliged to castigate Beijing for is its unwillingness to adopt the artistic and cultural ‘values’ of the contemporary West. These can no longer even be defended as at least ‘free for all.’ In the UK, Europe, North American and Australia, the dictatorship of relativism described by Pope Benedict XVI now reigns – as an unconstrained but compulsory depravity. The Chinese are not that stupid. They are not suicidal.