Finally, someone is cracking down on this brainwashing pig
China has banned many things in the past: Facebook, a free internet, ketchup on eggs, turnip juice, the list goes on. The reasons for these prohibitions have been myriad, from ensuring civil obedience, to making sure that eggs are enjoyed with little more than salt, pepper and a spritz of sriracha.
The country now appears to have a new addition to the list of things which cannot be enjoyed after its government banned popular animated swine Peppa Pig from social media channels.
Douyan, a video-sharing platform which is heavily regulated by China’s State Administration for Radio and Television, moved to ban more than 300,000 videos of Peppa and her unsuspecting family.
The reason? Is it because they saw the horrific front-facing Peppa and rightfully decided that no humans should be subjected to ever seeing it again? No, actually, it’s because Peppa, George, Mummy and Daddy Pig have been deemed a “negative influence” on the country’s children.
Do they have a point? Well, Peppa and her cadre of sentient animals can walk, talk and drive vehicles. They can appreciate the world around them and, presumably, understand it. They are an affront to creation. But it is still harsh to ban them.
An article in China’s state-run Global Times said on the decision to ban the cartoon:
The popularity of Peppa Pig in China shows a spirit of innovation […] but it could also bring negative influence to the young generation if they overindulge in such a subculture.
It continued:
Parents said that their pre-school children began oinking and jumping into puddles after watching the BBC cartoon, which has traditionally been seen as good material for early childhood education, especially for those learning English.
Maybe China sees Peppa – a pig – as a symbol of capitalism? A capitalist pig? Perhaps. Or maybe it just doesn’t like cartoons, which would explain its decision to ban Winnie the Pooh in recent times, after its president Xi Jinping, was compared to him.
