Fed up with its citizens retreating into the fantasy of traveling back to a simpler, less oppressive era, the Chinese government has called for a halt to all movies and TV shows that use time travel as a plot point, an escapist genre that has become increasingly popular among the populace for reasons that are probably pretty clear. But while some have characterized this as yet more evidence that government is suppressing a “cry for freedom,” as reported on China Hush, the crux of the complaint stems from the feelings of the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television that such forms of entertainment “are treating the serious history in a frivolous way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore.” A later statement quoted by the New York Times elaborates that they "casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation." And China doesn’t even have movies where Harry Houdini plays buddy cop with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, or Sitting Bull hires Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday to go on a magical Wild West adventure. Freedom! Horrible, horrible freedom! [via Vulture]
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