China bans Aliens

One never knew the Chinese were so faint of heart:

In a move that smacks more of "maiden auntie" than Big Brother, the Chinese government announced a ban on horror flicks and scary sci-fi videos.

The intention is to "protect the country's children and teenagers' psychological development," according to a decree posted on the general administration of press and publications' website.

The circular mentions, in particular, films featuring ghosts, monsters and aliens, as well as movies "plotted for the sole purpose of terrorizing the senses."..

What next? Banning public executions? Switching to lethal injection from a bullet in the back of the head? More on the death watch here.

Canadians are all a-twitter about conditions in Afghan prisons yet the government is bashed for souring relations with China. Go figure.

Steven Spielberg doesn't need to figure. This is one time I, no doubt hypocritically, approve of an entertainment figure's involvement in public issues:

China has dismissed Steven Spielberg’s move to link the Olympic Games with Chinese policies in Sudan, saying Thursday that sports and politics should be kept separate.

Mr. Spielberg said Tuesday that he was withdrawing from his role as the Games’ artistic adviser because he believed that Beijing had failed to use its influence to end the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan...

Mark C.

Update: The Ottawa Citizen's Dan Gardner ends a very forthright January 16 article on China (pity more Canadian columnists aren't so clear-sighted) thus:

...let's be clear about this. The problem with China's Olympics isn't China's involvement in Sudan. The problem with China's Olympics is China.

Posted by markc at February 15, 2008 06:14 PM