Underwear! In the Streets! | Tragic Comedy

Scott Hardie | May 16, 2006
Today in the news:

There was more bad news today (Monday) for the producers of Mission: Impossible III as the Shanghai newspaper Xinmin Evening News reported that the movie may not be given an import license that would allow it to be screened in China. Although numerous scenes were shot in Shanghai, the newspaper indicated that authorities were upset at the filmmakers for "tarnishing the image" of the city by showing scenes of rags and underwear drying on side streets and depicting police as bumbling.

Not to make light of what I think is a very serious subject, abuse of massive power by China's government, but seriously. Underwear drying on side streets? Dear god no. Suddenly we'll think a booming civilization with the largest population on Earth has poor people. Apparently that's worse for us to think than that they're monsterous tyrants who crush any speech or art that's even vaguely negative about them.

Jackie Mason | May 17, 2006
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John E Gunter | May 17, 2006
But isn't China a 'communist' society, where they take care of all of their people? ;-)

Kris Weberg | May 17, 2006
China's brand of Communism is Maoist, in which "perpetual revolution" is the watchword. In other words, all the authoritarianism, none of the lip service to social services.

Jackie Mason | May 17, 2006
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