Russia to Ban Simpsons, Southpark
Adrian Blomfield
The Telegraph Online
The move came as Russia’s broadcast watchdog began hearings on whether or not to revoke the license of a cartoon network as punishment for transmitting episodes of South Park, The Simpsons and Family Guy.
The American cartoons, all of which have adult themes, have been fallen foul of recently tightened extremism laws that critics say have been used to muzzle opponents of the Kremlin.
The State Duma, Russia’s parliament, said that the frequency given to the 2×2 cartoon channel would instead be given to new government network that “reflects the state position in the area of youth policy”.
In place of foreign cartoons, Russia’s children would instead watch programmes teaching them patriotism, respect for family values and the importance of sport, the Duma’s youth committee said.
The move comes as MPs are also considering the compulsory introduction of patriotism classes in all Russian schools. Under one proposal lessons in Russian literature could be scaled back to find room on the curriculum.
The proposal to create a new state channel, criticised in some quarters as an attempt to seize lucrative frequency rights from a private broadcaster, was likened by some activists to Soviet era moralizing that fettered the minds of the young.
“The wish to create a youth patriotic channel is one of many attempts by the authorities at indoctrinating and brainwashing the young,” said Lev Ponomarev, a veteran human rights activist and member of Garry Kasparov’s outlawed opposition party.
“The authorities are accelerating their own death by all this.”
The Kremlin has also come under criticism for creating nationalist youth movements like Nashi, whose members have sworn allegiance to Vladimir Putin, the prime minister, and have been used to disrupt opposition protests.
The anticipated closure of 2×2, which will learn its fate within days, has also raised questions over the manner in which Russia’s authorities are interpreting legislation ostensibly introduced to fight xenophobia.
The channel is facing a criminal investigation for broadcasting an episode of South Park that allegedly promoted religious hatred.
The episode, titled “Mr Hankey’s Christmas Classics” featured a taking faeces that emerges from a lavatory every Christmas Eve to give presents to children whose diet is suitably fibre-rich. Mr Hankey led a variety show of Christmas songs whose lyrics had been twisted to include profanities and digs at organised religion.
Prosecutors also alleged, without elaborating, that The Simpsons and Family Guy violate the rights of children.
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