China Bans Cartoons That Blend With Live Action., page 1

In an effort to promote local animation, China has placed a ban on Cartoons that feature live actors. China is eager to see growth in the Chinese animation industry and is worried about the influence of foreign culture on Chinese children. They are also considering banning foreign cartoon altogether. Foreign Animation on Chinese television is already limited to 40%.

www.washingtonpost. com
China has announced a ban on TV shows and movies that blend animated elements with live-action actors, a move aimed at nurturing local animators and apparently curbing the use of foreign cartoons.

Besides "Roger Rabbit," the 1988 feature film in which actor Bob Hoskins performed beside several animated characters, popular children's TV shows featuring human hosts and animated elements such as "Blue's Clues" from the United States and Britain's "Teletubbies" could be included in the ban. And "Space Jam," the 1996 film featuring basketball great Michael Jordan alongside Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck could also be shelved.

The government's main television and film regulator sent notice Feb. 15 to broadcasters and theaters that such films and shows could no longer be shown and that violators would be punished. It did not say what the penalties would be.

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Wanting to preserve your country’s identity and limit out side influence is understandable. In Canada the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) regulates that a certain percentage of television must have Canadian content. With out such a regulation Canadian television would be completely flooded with content from the United States.

However what is happening in China seems to be more about controlling the population. Making a ban on blended animation is silly and really serves no purpose. Placing a ban on all outside animation really seems like a way to feed children propaganda.

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[edit on 27-2-2006 by asala]