Chinese celebrities told to “oppose decadent ideas of money worship, hedonism and extreme individualism”
DHARAMSALA, 9 Sept: China’s celebrities have been told in no uncertain terms to “oppose the decadent ideas of money worship, hedonism and extreme individualism” by the Chinese Communist Party at an entertainment industry symposium, reports the Mail Online.
According to the report, the showbusiness bosses were told to conform to social ethics, personal morality and family values at the meeting, held in Beijing on Tuesday ran with the slogan: ‘Love the party, love the country, advocate morality and art’ which was also attended by senior party officials.
Attendees of Tuesday’s conference were also told to ‘consciously abandon vulgar and kitsch inferior tastes, and consciously oppose the decadent ideas of money worship, hedonism, and extreme individualism,’ the report added citing Chinese state media.
Calling the crackdown on celebrities a part of a broader attack on China’s wealthy elite, the report further described it similar to that of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution – a purge of political opponents in the 1960s.
Movie star Zhao Wei, actress Zheng Shuang and outspoken billionaire owner of Alibaba Jack Ma, who disappeared for three months were some celebrities at the receiving end of the crackdown.
China views celebrity culture and the pursuit of wealth as a dangerous Western import that threatens Communism as it promotes individualism rather than collectivism, the report said and described the new order and a raft of social changes China ordered including the Children being banned from playing online games for more than three hours a week as part of Xi’s goal of ‘common prosperity’ through which a more socialist country can be achieved.
