The Business Press – July 04, 2023 at 08:10PM
The upcoming Barbie movie has found itself at the center of a heated debate in Southeast Asia, with authorities in Vietnam recently announcing a ban on its cinematic distribution.
The controversy stems from the inclusion of a map displaying the disputed “nine-dash line,” which has been used by China to assert its territorial claims over the South China Sea. The Philippines is also deliberating whether or not to permit the film’s release, citing concerns over the promotion of the contentious border. This move highlights the growing resistance in the region against subtle political propaganda and China’s influence in popular culture.
The alleged depiction of the “nine-dash line” in the Barbie movie is just the latest in a series of similar incidents of censorship in the region. In 2020, both the Philippines and Vietnam banned Sony’s Uncharted due to a brief scene featuring the disputed border. Additionally, the DreamWorks film Abominable faced bans in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2019 for refusing to remove a scene showcasing the nine-dash line.
Similar instances have occurred with other films, such as Crazy Rich Asians and episodes of the Australian spy drama Pine Gap.
China’s enormous market of 1.4 billion people has made it crucial for Hollywood studios to navigate the country’s strict censorship rules in order to access its box office success. However, this acquiescence has faced growing pushback. Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick initially removed Taiwanese and Japanese flags to appease Chinese censors, but their reappearance in the film was demanded following public backlash.
Moreover, a recent U.S. Defense Department memo revealed that producers would not receive military support if they altered their movies to comply with Chinese censorship demands.
Southeast Asian states’ resistance to subtle political propaganda reflects their heightened vigilance against Chinese influence. The bans on Hollywood films come at the cost of disappointed viewers who miss out on highly anticipated blockbusters, but they also serve as a means to highlight these countries’ stance against perceived Chinese manipulation.
Critics argue that the bans may be seen as “petty oversensitivity,” but proponents believe that shedding light on the issue is crucial to ensuring that Chinese state propaganda has no place in supposedly innocuous productions like Barbie movies.
The controversy surrounding the ban of the Barbie movie in Southeast Asia underscores the region’s resistance to China’s influence and subtle political messaging in popular culture. As authorities in Vietnam and the Philippines take a firm stand against the inclusion of the disputed “nine-dash line,” it prompts a wider discussion about the relationship between Hollywood studios and China.
While the bans may be seen by some as petty, they serve as reminders that outside political influences should not compromise the creative integrity of films and highlight the need for transparency and independence in the global entertainment industry.
The Business Press 