Fans Outraged Over China Censoring ‘Friends’

Friends received critical acclaim throughout its run, and it went on to become one of the most popular television shows of all time. The series was nominated for 62 Primetime Emmy Awards, with its eighth season winning the Outstanding Comedy Series award in 2002. Recently, Chinese fans of the hit comedy series Friends have complained about the censorship of several episodes, particularly those containing LGBTQ content.

According to Reuters, multiple streamers, including Tencent, Youku, and Bilibili, began streaming episodes from Season 1 on Friday after fans noticed that scenes from the American version had been edited out.

The fans’ outcry on social media sites such as Weibo is also limited. According to the report, the hashtag #Friendshasbeencensored has been buried and currently yields no results.

The Chinese Communist Party heavily censors the media for content that is not in the national interest. Censorship is justified for a variety of reasons, including disparaging cultural traditions, undermining religious policy, and jeopardising social morality, among others.

The People’s Republic of China banned TV shows and films depicting “unnormal sexual relationships,” including homosexuality, in 2015. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on thirsty.

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