Hollywood movies ‘invisible battleground’ promoting the US, thunders China’s military newspaper
Chinese audiences should be aware of bias and distortions, even when watching animated films geared for children like the box-office hit ‘Zootopia’, according to the PLA Daily
China’s official military newspaper has warned audiences to be wary of watching Hollywood movies, claiming they are an “invisible battlefield” that promote US values.
“Hollywood has long been an effective propaganda machine for the US by using blockbuster films to promote US values and global strategy,” said an editorial in the PLA Daily on Wednesday.
The article cited the box-office animated Walt Disney hit Zootopia as an example of Hollywood distorting reality and morality by spinning the roles of predator and prey in its plot.
Disney’s Zootopia topples Kung Fu Panda record as it rakes in US$170 million at China’s box office
“In a world of cruel reality, it is always a wolf that eats a sheep instead of the other way round. Such a fundamental concept that even a child could understand was easily turned around by Hollywood,” the article said.
Zootopia is set in a city inhabited by animals and tells the story of a rabbit police officer investigating the disappearance of missing predators. It became the highest-grossing cartoon released in China last month after it raked in more than 1 billion yuan (HK$1.2 billion) in ticket sales.
The newspaper editorial went on to criticise other movies such as the science fiction monster film Pacific Rim, which it claimed promoted American values and created a narrative that justified the US “pivot to Asia” policy as a righteous battle.
The article also fired a broadside at video games produced by US companies.
“In commercial games, the US is often glorified as the defender of world peace whereas the armies of other nations are often using backward equipment or painted with a bad image,” it said.
Some Japanese animated films were also accused in the article of “smearing China’s image”.
The editorial said the US put its message across effectively though entertaining and well-packaged films, which were poplar with the younger generation.
“When confronted with these forms of invisible propaganda, simply boycotting is not enough,” the article said. Audiences needed to think critically when watching the movies and should also invest in Chinese-made cultural products to compete with their Western counterparts.
Chinese TV dramas urged to copy South Korean hit to improve image of military and boost army recruitment
China’s film industry, TV stations and press are tightly controlled by censors, but the PLA Daily last month criticised the quality of state TV made dramas about China’s military.
It said directors should make more slick and professionally-produced shows such as the South Korean series Descendants of the Sun, which tells the love story between a special forces captain and a doctor.
