iblog

A Chinese talent show similar to Pop Idol in Britain has been banned by the the state’s broadcasting watchdog for being tasteless and “vulgar”. The show, which is called The First Heartthrob had attracted about 100,000 Chinese contestants since it began last year, and was one of the few talent shows which got such high ratings. But after consideration, The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) announced that it was unacceptable to air it any longer as it was only aiming at “the low-grade interests of a minority”.

It is difficult to know whether to be appalled or amused about the cancellation, as it would be unheard of for any popular shows in Britain, such as Big Brother or X Factor, to be banned because they do not match the artistic quality of Mozart. It is also unclear what exactly was wrong with The First Heartthrob for it to apparently show a lack of social responsibility. In their own words Sarft say:

“The design of the show is coarse. The judges’ behaviour lacks grace. The programming lacks artistic standards. The tone of the show has cheapened. The songs performed are vulgar.”

Apparently the decision might have something to do with a tightening of media controls due to the Chinese Communist Party’s congress. Alternatively, it is also speculated that it might have been prompted by a contestant making a judge cry. Either way, it’s quite a confusing issue that no doubt thousands are unhappy about. Perhaps this story will mean I end up watching the new series of X Factor with pride!

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 18th, 2007 at 4:37 pm and is filed under Entertainment, Amusement, Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.