China announced on 2 September that it will ban “sissy” idols and “effeminate” men from all media. This is seen as a part of the current cultural crackdown to promote President Xi Jinping’s call for a “national rejuvenation”, with tighter control of business, education, culture and religion by the Communist Party.

According to the BBC, The National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) said that “effeminate” aesthetics in entertainment shows as well as “vulgar influencers” should be avoided because it is considered as “unhealthy content”. 

In the newly-introduced set of rules, the NRTA states that broadcasters must “resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal esthetics”, using an insulting slang term for effeminate men - niang pao, or literally, “girly guns.” 

The Chinese government will also ban “idol audition shows”, and broadcasters should avoid airing anything that is “overly entertaining”. The notice states: “Unhealthy fan culture should be deterred and strict controls placed on programmes with voting segments, and any that encourage fans to spend money to vote should be forbidden.”

The NRTA also said that political and moral conduct should also be included as criteria in the selection of actors. Broadcasters have to put more emphasis on traditional Chinese culture, revolution culture and socialist culture. 

The media masculinity rule is seen as an addition to China’s long-list of censorships. These censorships affect the whole entertainment industry, even outside China. For example, Hollywood films are struggling to enter China. 

Last week, the Chinese government also announced that it will reduce children’s access to online games, limiting them from playing more than three hours of online games a week. The regulation puts tech/gaming companies, such as Tencent, in a tight spot. Anyone who breaks the rules or offends public morals is likely to be blacklisted.