VIDEO | Sex, drugs and homosexuality censored in the Chinese version of "Friends"
The series "Friends", since its broadcast in 1994 has built a loyal audience that keeps it alive regardless of its declining artistic value.
The audience of "Friends" in China was offended by the "aggressively" censored version of the adored sitcom, with modified lines and completely removed narratives related to the LGBTI theme, writes "Vice".
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The country's major video platforms, including Tencent Video, Alibaba's Youku and Bilibili, began airing the first season of Friends on Friday, two years later. But fans soon discovered that the new version was very different. For example, it is never mentioned that Ross's ex-wife, Carol, is a lesbian. Joey and Chandler's New Year's kiss in episode 10 never happens.
絕 絕 了 ， 砍到 劇情 都 連不上# 你 可能 是 正版 影視 的 受害者 pic.twitter.com/zjCzNVtqEB
- Chris 𓃠 (@notmyChris) February 12, 2022
When Joey advises Ross to "go to strip clubs," the Chinese version is "go to the show." And when Ross says that women can experience "multiple orgasms" in the fifth episode, the line is translated as "women have endless gossip."
In the 15th episode, "The One with the Stoned Guy", Phoebe says that their guest "Smoked a joint, you know? "Burn grass, hemp, ganja." But the Chinese translation says "he smoked a very strange drug."
Imported films and TV shows are often edited when they are approved for publication in China, where the Communist Party demands that all media content reflect what it considers to be proper aesthetics, morals and ideology. When "Friends: The Reunion" was released in China last year, the scenes with Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and BTS were removed, probably due to past political controversy.
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Although scenes of violence, drug use and sex are often removed from foreign shows, people are still shocked and angry at the great censorship of sitcoms that premiered almost 28 years ago.
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