‘The Big Bang Theory‘ is one of the greatest success stories in the history of television by Chuck Lorre and Bill Pardy. The series aired from 2007 to 2019, concluding with 12 seasons winning 10 Grammy Awards. The show allowed the nerds to be comfortable with their geekiness and not to comply with the notion of a ‘macho man’. It allowed geeks from all over the world the chance to show off their intelligence and be comfortable with it.
Some say that ‘The Big Bang Theory‘ is the new-age ‘F.R.I.E.N.D; substituting coffee with physics. Comic books and video games are the preferred forms of entertainment and theories of physics are normal dinner conversation. When heroes for people here are Iron Man and Caption America, these four geeky physicist heroes are Stephen Hawkings and Autthur Jerrfers. Meanwhile, the group learns social skills, romance, and street smartness from a bubbly waitress Penny, who lives across the hall. So, what irked China about it so as to ban it for a while?
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Why Did China Ban ‘The Big Bang Theory’?
While the Americans fell in love with Sheldon’s quickness, Raj’s punny eyes, and Leonard dealing with his mother’s judgments, China’s government felt indifferent. It was for a short time, but China banned ‘The Big Bang Theory‘. In 2014, the entertainment industry was shocked to find out that the Chinese State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT) was banning the show from Sohu, the country’s largest streaming service.
After the show received 1.3 billion views, it was suddenly pulled. Show’s producer Chuck Lorre considered it “the move of another communist strike against individualism.” Others speculated that the controversial move was an attempt by SARFT to limit Western influences. Some accused the government of not wanting “losers to be trendy.”
The ban brought attention to how popular ‘The Big Bang Theory was in China, with some saying it brought about a cultural trend that met the needs of Chinese audiences. According to Mic, men far outweigh the number of women in China, which could explain the show’s popularity. The Chinese term diaosi was trending, when the series was banned. It is the slang for a loser, viewers used the word to describe the group of friends on ‘The Big Bang Theory‘. People believed it was a “quiet form of protest” against widespread corruption among the wealthier population.
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Is The Ban Still In Effect?
According to the South China Morning Post, the brief ban was lifted in July 2015. The show returned to the Sohu TV streaming service, and China’s media watchdog allowed the show for further viewing in the country. The Chinese government drew concern for the future of its economic well-being when the gaofushuai (translates to tall, rich, and handsome) was replaced by the diaosi (unattractive person who is basically a loser).
Still, the question remains as to why ‘The Big Bang Theory‘ is as popular as it is with Chinese audiences. New York Magazine took an in-depth look at why the show is so popular in the U.S., citing casting, the time slot, the network, the catchphrases, the pacing, and the anti-hero, among other reasons. The show’s success in China may be due to many of those same ingredients that made ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S‘ a massive hit in China as well, but due to cultural differences and social trends, China put an end to the show.
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