China bans time travel

[Gorn Captain]

Yeah, I know, we're still a bit away from making that actually happen, but it's the mention of time travel in movies, books, etc.
They figure that Chinese Society is perfect the way it is, and that talking about rewriting it constitutes treason.
So no Back to the future, Star Trek, Terminator, etc...

A British stand-up comedian noted that Doctor Who will be the worst TV ever in China.
"Where are we going, Doctor? Skaro? Mondas?"
"Nope. We're not going anywhere. They clamped the Tardis...."

So China is a perfect society, hey?
Yeah, ten year old kids working themselves to death in an unsafe coal mine is my idea of heaven as well...

[Mikey]

Wonder if going into the FUTURE time travel counts ?

[johnmiic]

We are all Time Travelers! We go into the future one day at a time. It's not as sexy as a DeLorean or a Tardis but it's true.

[Gorn Captain]

I think China would love their own time traveler, Dr. Mao.
His quest would be to go back in time and undo Capitalism...

[Mikey]

I think China would love their own time traveler, Dr. Mao.
His quest would be to go back in time and undo Capitalism...

or Dr Lao
His quest would be to go back in time and undo Love Sidney

Man, that sounded like something Dennis Miller would say

[theantiquetiger]

We are all Time Travelers! We go into the future one day at a time. It's not as sexy as a DeLorean or a Tardis but it's true.

I am actually 5 seconds ahead in time than the rest of the world!!!! As a kid, I built a time machine out of a Slinky, silly putty, and the crank mechanism used on an Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle.

[kingdom warrior]

I am actually 5 seconds ahead in time than the rest of the world!!!! As a kid, I built a time machine out of a Slinky, silly putty, and the crank mechanism used on an Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle.

[Gorn Captain]

As a kid, I built a time machine out of a Slinky, silly putty, and the crank mechanism used on an Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle.

And what were the results?

[Brazoo]

Wha?!! So do they also ban scientific discussion, like the theory of relativity and theories that involve multiverses? Or just in fiction?

[Mikey]

They're communist, so basically everything is banned.

[hobub]

I heard somewhere where they look toward ever thousands of years as to where they will be in relation to the world and keep that as a concern. Not a generation or few down the road, like Americans. And if you think about it, America owes them allot and who knows what happens in a thousand years from now or if countries like we know them will still exist but China concerns themselves with that. So what you say makes sense to me.

[Brazoo]

After a quick google search it seems like the focus of their ban is just in popular culture:

In China… well, in China, many weird things happen. The Chinese government, in another strange episode, has decided to ban time travel. Well, at least when it comes to television shows and movies.
With the way things are run, the state controls and monitors everything shown on your television or your computer. So yeah, China can randomly go back in time and say Marty McFly never existed. Scary, huh? Fortunately, that's not what they're saying.
Somehow, though, the government has taken a sudden disliking to the idea of distorting certain historical events, things and people. (Cough.)
The idea of time-travel has soared in popularity recently, and it seems like the authorities have just gotten sick of it. Common themes revolve around protagonists going back to ancient times, with script writers often taking liberties with plots and events. Even worse than just being an annoyance, some people fear a real disrespect for China's history.
The decision was made earlier this month, with the country's State Administration for Radio, Film & Television stating that "The producers and writers are treating the serious history in a frivolous way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore."
What's wrong with these shows? They “casually make up myths, have monstrous and weird plots, use absurd tactics, and even promote feudalism, superstition, fatalism and reincarnation.”


Read more: China Decides to Ban Time Travel - Techland - TIME.com

Still weird, but whatever.

[Adam West]

It is a different culture altogether. I have never visited China but just visiting what I would think are very similar countries like Canada, Mexico, England, France, and Germany; I would think the culture is very similar to ours but it is not. The closest from my experience is Canada. There are so many luxuries that we have here in the USA and take for granted that don't exist in most of the world. As a specific example, I was in a medium sized German town years ago and found it strange that I had one choice if I wanted to go to purchase something specific and multiple shops for groceries. I also found it strange that most people would walk over a mile to catch a bus or train while I have personally witnessed neighbors driving their kids from the top of the cul-de-sac which isn't more than 50 meters in a car to catch the school bus on a nice not too hot or too cold day.....

[johnmiic]

Really this smacks of Politics. I'm hoping this can be discussed as long as we keep it on Chinese Politics. The ban has to do with the fact that the population is not happy with Communism on the whole. Time Travel stories allow them to temporarily escape the oppression they live under. People who can read or see stories/films/TV shows based on Time Travel can imagine alternate possibilities and imagine a China without Communism. What if Communism did not control the people and country? This train of thought might lead people to actually devise a way of disposing the Communist regime. The Communists in charge fear that. I'm surprised North Korea had not thought of this first. This article by, of all publications, The Hollywood Reporter, makes a very good case:


China Bans Time Travel Films and Shows, Citing Disrespect of History - The Hollywood Reporter

Excerpt:

“Most time travel content that I’ve seen (in literature and theater, that is) is actually not heavy on science, but an excuse to comment on current affairs,” Zhou told The Hollywood Reporter. Apparently unhappy with film and TV presenting even the fictional notion that China’s ability to provide happiness is a thing of the past for the average man, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television posted its guidance about time travel. “Producers and writers are treating serious history in a frivolous way, which should by no means be encouraged anymore,” SARFT said. This sort of guidance, while not a black-and-white ban, commonly acts as an effective catalyst for filmmakers’ self-censorship.