“Friends: The Reunion” has been censored in China, Variety reported.
China’s top streaming platforms censored around six minutes of material from HBO Max’s “Friends: The Reunion” special on the day of its debut Thursday, deleting footage of artists like BTS previously deemed to have “insulted” China, gay fans, references to pee and a shot of Matt LeBlanc in his underwear, among other moments.
Many said they were “bewildered” to find that all three of the country’s major streaming platforms with rights to officially broadcast the show had entirely cut appearances by musicians BTS, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, as well as other scenes.
Many, however, expressed support for the censorship, stating that those who have slandered China should indeed be banned.
BTS, Gaga, and Bieber are all artists who have run afoul of Beijing in the past.
All three Chinese platforms cut the musicians out of the “Friends” special entirely.
Even more troubling, perhaps, is China’s erasure of LGBTQ references. All three platforms deleted the testimony of German “Friends” fan Ricardo, who described how the show gave him a sense of belonging.
While all of China’s official “Friends” streamers censored the special for its debut, some were more heavy-handed than others.
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