Chinese streaming platforms censor LGBTQ plot line about Ross's lesbian ex-wife and other sexually suggestive lines in 'Friends' sparking protests from fans on social media
Major Chinese streaming platforms have censored a plot line in the iconic TV series 'Friends,' which is hugely poplar in China, sparking protests from fans of the show on social media.
The show, which stars the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, has a hugely loyal fan base in China after debuting on Chinese streaming platforms Sohu video and iQiyi in 2012 for one year. Several Chinese streamers have recently purchased 'Friends,' which began airing again on Friday.In an episode, a discussion was deleted over Ross's ex-wife Carol Willick, who divorced him after announcing she was lesbian. CNN reported that other sexually suggestive conversations were similarly edited out.
In another original, uncensored version, Ross says '[women can have] multiple orgasms.'
But in the current, censored version, the streaming platforms substituted the Chinese subtitle of Ross' line with 'women have endless gossips,' despite keeping the original English subtitle.
The series initially ran without any censorship and was available in uncensored form until its streaming agreement ended in 2013.
However, after the 2021 special 'Friends: The Reunion,' which saw the six main actors come together for the first time since the show ended, several major Chinese streaming platforms purchased the broadcasting rights to the show's airing rights in China.
Censorship is nothing new for those living in China, as the Chinese government tightens its control of media and entertainment and what its citizens can or cannot view.
Jennifer Aniston, from left, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Lisa Kudrow, David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc in a scene from the 'Friends' reunion special
Pictured: 'The One With Two Parts: Part 1' one of several Friends episodes to be censored in China after streaming platforms there removed any mention of lesbianism from the episode
'The One With the Breast Milk' -- another Friends episode that was censored by Chinese streaming platforms due to its depiction of lesbians, an uncensored scene pictured above
In 2016, China issued a new eight-page set of guidelines for television shows, including the likes of gay story lines and topics that 'exaggerate the dark sides of society.'
The document also referenced to 'vulgar, immoral and unhealthy content' with homosexuality, underage love, extramarital affairs, and one-night stands as being off-limits, as well.
The Chinese streaming platforms that recently purchased 'Friends' include Tencent, Bilibili, Youku, Sohu and iQiyi; they began streaming the show starting February 11.
Meanwhile, fans of the show have since taken to Weibo, a Chinese social media website, in protest of the censorship of the show.
The hashtag #FriendsCensored has become one of the top trending topics since the first episode of the show aired, receiving over 54 million views on the site on Friday night.
In response to the episode where Ross discusses the female orgasm, one Weibo user wrote 'not only does it ignore women's sexual desire and enjoyment, but also reinforces the gender stereotype of women.'
That comment received more than 81,000 likes as of Saturday.
In an ironic twist, the hashtag itself was censored on the platform by Saturday morning, with search results showing, 'this topic is not shown according to relevant laws and regulations.'
Chinese viewers were also left outraged in 2021, after three of their country's streaming services censored the highly-anticipated Friends reunion.
Services iQIYI, Youku and Tencent Video all acquired streaming rights for the blockbuster TV special, which was released worldwide on May 27, 2021.
While fans in other markets were treated to the full 104 minute show, the editions released in China were all significantly shorter.
Weibo, left, a Chinese social media website where fans of the show protested the censorship. The Chinese streaming platform Bilibili, right, began streaming the show in February
The Chinese streaming platforms that recently purchased 'Friends' include Tencent, pictured, which began streaming on the service on February 11
Cut out in China! Lady Gaga made a cameo appearance on the Friends reunion special by singing a rendition of 'Smelly Cat.' It was not featured on the Chinese special
The services cut guest appearances by Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and South Korean boyband BTS. They also removed references to the LGBTQ community, according to The New York Times.
It is currently unclear whether the broadcasts were censored due to a directive from the Chinese government.
The show is beloved by Chinese millennials - many of whom used the show to learn English, according to The Times.
Many of them took to Chinese social media at the time to blast the streaming services for the censorship, with one writing: 'This is insane, if you introduce the show to China, don't cut the scene. If you have to cut it, then don't introduce it. What's the point of eating this castrated content?'
Lady Gaga is currently banned from touring in China after she angered the country's officials by meeting with the Dalai Lama in 2016.
The pop icon made a cameo appearance on the Friends reunion special by singing a rendition of 'Smelly Cat' - a song made famous by Lisa Kudrow's character, Phoebe.
Meanwhile, Justin Bieber has been banned from China since 2017.
Justin Bieber has been banned from China since 2017. His appearance was cut from the Friends reunion special
He angered officials from the communist country back in 2014 after he posted a photo of himself at a shrine honoring Japanese military leaders. The two countries have long had a hostile relationship.
Bieber's bad boy antics - including his reported visit to a Brazilian brothel - earned him further disapproval from the Chinese government.
China's culture bureau released a statement in 2017 revealing that the pop star was no longer welcome in the country, saying: 'In order to maintain order in the Chinese market and purify the Chinese performance environment, it is not suitable to bring in badly behaved entertainers'.
BTS also angered Chinese officials when they last year spoke of South Korea's shared 'history of pain' with the United States over the Korean War.
China supported North Korea during the three-year conflict which lasted from 1950 - 1953.
The Chinese market has become increasingly important to Hollywood producers over the past decade, but the country's government is all-too-happy to censor actors and productions that are critical of their politics.
China has also recently censored the movie Fight Club, radically editing the original ending of the cult classic film Fight Club to comply with the country's restrictive censorship rules.
A version of David Fincher's 1999 film, starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, was made available in China on streaming platform Tencent Video over the weekend.
A version of David Fincher's 1999 film, starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, was made available in China on streaming platform Tencent Video
In the closing scenes of the 1999 film Fight Club, Norton's character watches multiple buildings explode with Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter)
But much to the dismay of fans in China, Fight Club had been radically edited so as to transform the anarchist, anti-capitalist message that made the film a global hit.
Instead of multiple buildings exploding, as in the original ending, the authorities win in the new censored version.
China has some of the world's most restrictive censorship rules with authorities only approving a handful of foreign films for release each year - sometimes with major cuts.
In the closing scenes of the original, Norton's character The Narrator, kills off his imaginary alter ego Tyler Durden - played by Pitt - and then watches multiple buildings explode with Marla Singer (Helena Bonham Carter), suggesting his character's plan to bring down modern civilisation is underway.
In the censored version released in China, The Narrator still kills off Durden, but the exploding buildings scene is replaced with a written message on black screen: 'The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding.'
It then adds that Tyler - a figment of The Narrator's imagination - was sent to a 'lunatic asylum' for psychological treatment and was later discharged.
The new ending in which the state triumphs sparked outrage among many Chinese viewers - many of whom would likely have seen pirated versions of the unadulterated version film.
But in the censored version released in China, the exploding buildings scene is replaced with a written message on black screen: 'The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding'In 2021, actor John Cena was slammed by Chinese officials after he inadvertently waded into a political dispute when promoting his new movie, Fast & Furious 9.
The star said on Taiwanese television that Taiwan would be 'the first country' to see the new film.
The seemingly-innocent remark angered Chinese officials, who do not consider Taiwan an independent nation.
Cena, feeling the heat of the criticism from Chinese fans, recorded an apology video which he released on Tuesday on Weibo, where he has 600,000 followers.
He groveled: 'Hi China, I’m John Cena... I made one mistake... I love and respect China and Chinese people. I’m very, very sorry about my mistake.'
He was slammed as 'pathetic' and 'spineless' for the message, which critics say is just the latest example of Hollywood and big business bowing to China for fear of retaliation.
Last year, Pen America - a free speech organization based in New York - issued a damning report about how Hollywood had been repeatedly bowing to pressure from China for fear of losing out on the money it represents for the industry.
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