South Park banned in China over episode mocking Government censorship

The creators of South Park have issued a sarcastic apology to the Chinese Government after the series was banned over mocking China’s censorship policies.

The Chinese Government has banned the popular and long-running cartoon series South Park after an episode criticised the Government’s censorship policies.

Episode two of South Park’s 23rd season, Band In China, depicts the characters struggling to cope with an increasingly stringent and complex list of demands from the communist state, as they become more popular in the Communist state.

But the episode has caused the show to be banned in China, according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, with censors in the country removing all episodes of the show from all online platforms in the country. The Government has also blocked mentions of South Park on social media and from discussion forums following the airing of the episode on October 2.

The episode focuses in part on the US media’s supposed pandering to Chinese censors, making mention of online crackdowns against Winnie the Pooh after the character becomes linked to president Xi Jinping.

In the episode, Stan, Jimmy, Kenny and Butters form a heavy metal band, but after finding success, they struggle to navigate the stringent rules imposed on them by the Chinese Government.

“Anyone who would betray their ideals just to make money in China isn’t worth a lick of spit,” Stan says in an argument with handlers.

Another storyline in the episode follows Randy, Stan’s father, who is placed into a work camp in China after attempting to start a marijuana business in the country. While in the camp, he meets beloved Disney characters, including Winnie the Pooh, who have been put there, in terrible conditions, for political reasons.

The all-new #SouthPark episode, “Band In China” starts now on @ComedyCentral pic.twitter.com/47OsRnzxEu

— South Park (@SouthPark) October 3, 2019

Kyle returns to South Park and gives Stan a great idea, but the boys realize they can't betray their ideals. Watch the all-new episode, “Band In China” for FREE - https://t.co/oktKSJvjxS #southpark23 #fingerbang pic.twitter.com/Bq5K6gWjOV

— South Park (@SouthPark) October 3, 2019

Since the cartoon was banned, South Park’s creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker issued a mocking apology via the South Park Twitter account, saying they “welcomed the Chinese censors” into their “homes and hearts”.

“We too love money more than freedom and democracy,” the statement continued. “Xi doesn’t look like Winnie the Pooh at all.”

Watch the full episode - https://t.co/oktKSJdI9i@THR article - https://t.co/nXrtmnwCJB pic.twitter.com/Xj5a1yE2eL

— South Park (@SouthPark) October 7, 2019

The statement made reference to an apology recently issued by the NBA after the general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, tweeted his support of protesters in Hong Kong.

“Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” Morey tweeted, with an image, before later deleting the tweet.

The NBA later apologised in a statement, saying it was “regrettable” that Morey had “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China”.