China Arrests 20 for writing slash fiction

[WindKnight]

http://www.dailydot.com/geek/in-china-20-people-women-arrested-for-writing-slash/

Specifically, those arrested were 'mostly introverted, polite women in their 20's', who were arrested for writing male on male (or male/male, hence the term slash) erotic fiction.

This is just... crazy. I mean, I know we're talking different culture and attitudes here, but kind of a struggle to understand why this was seen as being so heinous to the Chinese authorities.

 

[Zontar]

Never was a fan of slash fiction, in fact, I'd say it's near the bottom of the list of fiction I enjoy, deep in the "do not" zone, but still, this is just beyond words. I also had no idea that Chinese authorities had such a problem with homosexuality. I guess you learn something every day.

 

[Ikasury]

oh they do, least what my brother tells me who spends all day reading chinese news...

i mean i've never been a fan of m/m slash or yaoist stuff, those crazy kids, but meh~ i simply don't read it... i'm more concerned about the fact that these women were FOUND and arrested, most fanfiction is anonymous, under net-names... so yea, hooray for china-big-brother ._.

i'm sure once the even more crazy get in charge we'll be seeing the likes more often in other countries... le sigh... abuse of net-powers-ho~

 

[teqrevisited]

We're talking about a country that banned media that mentions time travel because they don't want to promote anything that would encourage people to re-write history. I am not surprised.

 

[dyre]

Porn of any kind is banned in China (seriously, you won't find online porn anywhere without circumventing the Great Firewall), so it could be that this falls under that. I imagine these women will probably get off with little more than a slap on the wrist. But yeah, the various attempts by China's numerous information ministries to crack down on things that are totally irrelevant to the security of the CCP is perplexing.

 

[Tony2077]

i guess all i can say is I'm not really surprised by this it might be better if i was

 

[Rylot]

So that's why it's called slash fiction? Learn something new everyday. As for China blatant human rights violation? That's nothing new.

 

[Jacco]

As much as I dislike China, I have to hand it to them. There's no other government on Earth that more successfully bullies and abuses its people while still keeping them convinced that it's for the best interest.

I read an article maybe a year ago that said that China's government has a higher approval rating and that more people consider it a legitimate government than any of the western governments, especially the US.

 

[Total LOLige]

We're talking about a country that banned media that mentions time travel because they don't want to promote anything that would encourage people to re-write history. I am not surprised.

that's simply not true.

i could give you half a dozen kung fu/wushu movies to watch that feature "time travel" in one way or another.

Jackie Chans "The Myth" for a start.

I think that's because it was made in Hong Kong. Hong Kong doesn't have the same laws as the rest of China, I think it is self governed. I don't know the specifics but it's something to do with when it was returned to China, part of the deal included that Hong Kong had some independence from China. I could be completely wrong though.

 

[dyre]

We're talking about a country that banned media that mentions time travel because they don't want to promote anything that would encourage people to re-write history. I am not surprised.

that's simply not true.

i could give you half a dozen kung fu/wushu movies to watch that feature "time travel" in one way or another.

Jackie Chans "The Myth" for a start.

I think that's because it was made in Hong Kong. Hong Kong doesn't have the same laws as the rest of China, I think it is self governed. I don't know the specifics but it's something to do with when it was returned to China, part of the deal included that Hong Kong had some independence from China. I could be completely wrong though.

Hong Kong does have a semi-autonomous government (which conveniently helps Chinese politicians and business owners to illegally move their money overseas by first transferring it to Hong Kong and then abroad), but in any case the "time travel ban" was really closer to an official statement "encouraging" people to stop making stupid time travel shows (which were oversaturating the market in China). Of course, that sort of thing seems absurd here in the US but over there it's more common to seeing the government regulate the media in strange "moralistic" ways that seem irrelevant to actual political matters.

As much as I dislike China, I have to hand it to them. There's no other government on Earth that more successfully bullies and abuses its people while still keeping them convinced that it's for the best interest.

I read an article maybe a year ago that said that China's government has a higher approval rating and that more people consider it a legitimate government than any of the western governments, especially the US.

From what I can tell, it's more like Chinese people are cynical to such a degree that they have no serious expectations of their government other than hoping that it doesn't lose too much money to corruption or actively fuck up their lives in any way. You might get outraged now at a ban on porn, but imagine if you were raised in an environment where it was banned from Day 1. You'd probably see it in abstract terms as a restriction of your freedoms, but I doubt you'd really get worked up about it. Why make a fuss over something as silly as porn, right? People everywhere are susceptible to accepting the status quo.

 

[Ratty]

20 people is...well it's not very much...especially in China...

That's still 20 too many though. Blame it on my American-bred love of personal liberty but this horrifies me. Not that America hasn't done or won't do far worse (like all those thousands of civilians our government tested weapons and radiation on for decades without their knowledge or consent, including pregnant women[footnote]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_experimentation_in_the_United_States[/footnote]) but just ugh, no. This is so wrong.

 

[dyre]

90% of the government is meritocratic/technocratic...only 10% are "princelings"...most advance through the ranks based on merit...

Pfft, but 100% of them are corrupt as hell and getting rich off the public dollar...don't tell me no one's getting kickbacks from all those lucrative government contracts!

The party really needs to execute a few more officials every year to make it look like they're working harder on the issue...

 

[grey_space]

Never even knew slash was a thing.

Damn I'm old.

So I looked at the link, kept reading, then two clicks later I'm reading about how TeenWolf slash fans are 'hurt and disappointed' by Posey calling their fantasies 'weird'.

From ridiculous and sad human rights abuse to emotional angsty butthurt in 2 min.

Internet you never fail to both disappoint, sadden, inform and entertain.

 

[Platypus540]

Because, while people often forget it lately, China is still run by a crazy Communist dictatorship. While they're not as crazy as the one next door, the Chinese government does weird shit sometimes.

 

[Eric the Orange]

20 people is...well it's not very much...especially in China...

It's not the number it's the fact it was done at all. If the Chinese government killed someone because they wore green would it be ok because it was only one person?

 

[Jacco]

90% of the government is meritocratic/technocratic...only 10% are "princelings"...most advance through the ranks based on merit...

Pfft, but 100% of them are corrupt as hell and getting rich off the public dollar...don't tell me no one's getting kickbacks from all those lucrative government contracts!

maybe...but its still better than getting "kickbacks from all those lucrative government contracts" and being shit at their job...

in China they worry about growth dropping "into single figures"...here in the UK we cheer about 0.7%...but then we have baron with 2:1 in modern history in charge of our economy, whos only previous job was folding towels and putting them on shelves at Selfridges...

That's because most of the west has plateaued. China is still very much a third world country in many places. The UK, US, France, etc are not. Once China plateau's, you will see a happy .07% growth rate there as well.