Why China Banned the Simpsons

If you're interested in animation, you've probably heard about China's decision to ban popular foreign cartoons, including Pokemon, the Simpsons, and Bugs Bunny, from the hours of 5 pm to 10 pm. This is to being done to aid the Chinese animation industry.

What isn't being commented on so much is that this is more than just protectionism. The BBC story notes that "Chinese animations use traditional stories such as Journey to the West, about the adventures of the Monkey King."

In other words, they're not just putting up barriers to foreign cartoons, they're trying to ban modern pop culture, even their own.