Songs considered not “healthy” by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be deleted from karaoke menus.
QUICK FACTS:
- China’s “Ministry of Culture” (MOC) has instated new rules that make venues offering karaoke services responsible for finding and deleting songs banned by the CCP, according to South China Morning Post.
- A draft of the guidelines states that only “healthy” songs that “promote positive energy” will be sung in parlors across China.
- Without noting any specific songs, the MOC proposed creating a centralized list of forbidden songs, including music that might “endanger national unity, sovereignty or territorial integrity, or harm national security, honour or interests.”
OPPOSITION TO THE BAN:
- Angeli Datt—senior research analyst for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House— said, “The extension of censorship and attacks on freedom of expression to these new frontiers signal ongoing CCP nervousness about any avenues for domestic dissent.”
- She added, “Targeting karaoke song libraries is part of a broader attempt to extend the Chinese government’s vast information control system into every facet of the entertainment industry.”
- “In proposing to ban songs on national security or ‘violating social ethics’ grounds, authorities will censor content that it deems foreign, religious, or politically sensitive while trying to promote a traditional and conservative culture with the party at the centre,” said Datt.
- Sorbonne University’s Grégoire Bienvenu commented that karaoke bars “provide a very useful activity to absorb the energy of the youth through popular music, dance and drinks: it diverts political thoughts away.” He added that it’s “no wonder the list of the songs provided in karaoke venues have to be monitored.”
- “Maybe it’s only part of Xi’s main plan to watch over any kind of cultural expression—which he has been doing since 2013—whether with cinema, hip-hop and now karaoke,” said Bienvenu.
WHAT HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ARE SAYING:
- The 2021 Human Rights Watch World Report on China said that “Authorities detained and prosecuted numerous netizens for online posts and private chat messages critical of the government, charging them with crimes such as ‘spreading rumors,’ ‘picking quarrels,’ and ‘insulting the country’s leaders.'”
- The report pointed out that China has “expanded their internet censorship regime to suppress content not in line with ‘core socialist values.'”
- Amnesty International’s 2020/21 world human rights report said that China’s 2020 year in general “was marked by harsh crackdowns on human rights defenders and people perceived to be dissidents, as well as the systematic repression of ethnic minorities.”
BACKGROUND:
- The proposed ban comes right after the CCP’s centenary celebrations.
- Bejing banned at least 100 songs from karaoke venues last year.
- More than 6,000 songs were banned in 2018.
- The new Karaoke ban represents part of a wider pattern of behavior by Chinese authorities, increasing its control “over a wide range of popular culture content including stand-up comedy, gaming, internet fan clubs, as well as creating a code of conduct for celebrities.”
- Titles of previously banned songs include “I love Taiwanese Girls,” “Fart,” “Beijing Hooligans,” and “Don’t Want to Go to School.”
- Human rights groups have repeatedly called out China for its continued repression of free expression.
