China: Avatar in 2D
While the army in Avatar is undoubtedly American, the idea of people
siding
with an indigenous population against an imperialistic force is
something that China was not comfortable with. That's why shortly after
the release of the movie in China, the authorities decided the movie
could only be shown in 3D. Since there are very few 3D theaters in
China, the move was effectively a ban on the film.
(Link | Photo)
China: Reincarnation Without Prior Consent
On the face of it, the idea of banning someone from reincarnating
without obtaining the state's permission is preposterous and something
they absolutely can't control. In reality though, the measure is their
way to trying to take control of the Tibetan Buddhists (including the
Dali Lama himself) by trying to rule over one of their most sacred
beliefs.
China: Jasmine
After the “Jasmine Revolutions” in Tunisia, Chinese protestors were
inspired to spark their own revolution. As a result, authorities cracked
down not only on the rebels, but on the flower itself. The plant is now
banned in the country, as are songs about the flower and text messages
including the word “jasmine.”
Russia: Emo Clothing
Plenty of people don't like emo fashion, but while it's not that weird
for a parent to tell their kids they can't wear that crap outside the
house, it's entirely different when the whole government takes such a
drastic stand. When the Russian government was trying to stop high
suicide rates amongst teens though, they decided emo fashion were to
blame.
The government went so far as to dub the style “a threat to national stability” before banning people from wearing
emo clothing
to public schools or government buildings. Don't worry sullen teens of
Russia, you can still listen to all the forlorn emo music you want, you
just can't dress like you listen to it.
(Link | Photo)
Iran: “Western” Hair Cuts
Like many Middle Eastern governments, Iran hates the impending spread of
decadent Western culture. In order to better protect their people from
the depraved culture of Europe and North America, the government of Iran
has banned all
hair cuts that are not included in their list of government-approved styles. Banned styles include mullets, ponytails and spikes.
Barber shops that fail to follow the law can be shut down and penalized in the years since the law took effect.
(Link | Photo)
Saudi Arabia: Valentine's Day
Similarly, Saudi Arabia finds Valentine's Day to be in violation of
Muslim beliefs. In order to ensure residents don't secretly send gifts
to their Valentine's, the government orders all florists and gift shops
to remove anything red or otherwise considered to be a symbol of romance
prior to the holiday. Apparently the ban on the holiday isn't entirely
successful and the country now has a thriving Valentine's Day black
market where lovers can buy red roses and other tokens of romance at around six times their ordinary prices.
(Link | Photo)
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