The latest film starring the famous teddy bear will not be screened officially in theaters for technical reasons. But the reality could be another.
China is historically a nation that employs fine-grained control over its citizens by adopting an extensive censorship policy. We also had proof of this during the most acute phases of the pandemic from Covid-19 when certain numbers on the contagion never arrived from the Asian country, let alone on its origin.
The latest victim of the censorship of the authorities is a film starring one of the most beloved Disney characters in the world: Winnie The Pooh. The horror film "Winnie the Pooh: blood and honey" directed by director Rhys Frake-Waterfiled seems to be experiencing various difficulties in being screened in cinemas in Hong Kong. Officially for technical reasons, but many suspect that the stop was dictated by a decision by the Chinese government. The reason? the excessive resemblance to the president Xi Jinping.
It is not the first time that the teddy bear has been compared in form and movements to the Chinese leader. He has already attracted the attention of censorship in the past for being associated with dissent against Xi Jinping. The non-screening could have to do with a law passed in 2021 that bans the airing of films that encourage activities that could jeopardize national security.
The comparison between Xi Jinping and Winnie The Pooh
For years, the famous teddy bear so loved all over the world has found obstacles in China due to its alleged resemblance to the leader Xi Jinping. The first time there was a comparison was in 2013 during the visit of the Chinese leader to the United States by Barack Obama.
There was an image in which the two leaders walked side by side and many noticed a certain resemblance to the characters of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger. The combination made the rounds of the network but over the years there have been other similar episodes. Like when Xi shook hands with Japanese leader Shinzo Abe in 2014. Many compared the scene to a cartoon image of Winnie shaking the paw of the dejected donkey Eeyore.
Even in the pandemic era, the famous teddy bear was used in China to criticize the restrictive policies adopted by Beijing. In a video that went around the web, a cup of cappuccino was portrayed with a gelatinous sweet in the shape of a sleeping Winnie The Pooh on top. With a teaspoon, the author of the video tried to wake him up but without success with increasingly energetic movements.
Winnie the Pooh has been banned in China since 2017 and has been trying to get the Hong Kong government to do it since 2020. In 2018, the HBO television station was even blocked for a month after the airing of a sketch in which the British comedian John Olivier parodied President Xi, also citing the resemblance to the Disney teddy bear. The Chinese government accused him of violating human rights.
Original article published on Money.it Italy 2023-03-22 22:30:31. Original title: La Cina censura Winnie The Pooh, il motivo ti sorprenderà
