Comment by forkLding | Hacker News Reader

Comment by forkLding | Hacker News Reader

I think Naomi Wu is trying to protect herself from being attacked by conservative Chinese trolls on the internet who can draw the attention of Chinese companies who will censor her to appease the Chinese govt. which doesn't like scandalous content related to sexuality, etc to be broadcast on public media or likely the Chinese govt. will call for her content to be censored or shut down for sexual or illegal content (Remember technically using/blogging on Twitter and Youtube in China is a grey zone, as firstly its banned in China but you can do it quietly but if you get found out you're saying stuff the Chinese govt. doesn't like, you can be shut down. Its a grey zone because I think the rules depend on what you're saying and I think you are evaluated by individual groups of monitors or something because even Chinese state television has an official youtube channel they update).

Seen it happen before with a popular web series depicting gay love:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addicted_(web_series)

http://time.com/4236864/china-gay-drama-homosexuality/

that got two actors banned from appearing on screen.

Scandalous Chinese rappers have also been censored in media and caused a varying degree of hip hop culture to be banned on Chinese media (although still alive and well on the web):

https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2142444/chinas-hi...

Basically if Naomi Wu is seen depicting values that the Chinese govt. doesn't like (like criminality, sexuality, traitorous behaviour, drugs, discrimination, democratic/human rights, etc.), they will censor her and tell the web to shut her down. And then companies won't work with her and every message she posted will be taken down in seconds and she will stay home all day scared and frustrated.

I still remember how the female lead in Ang Lee’s 2007 “Lust, Caution”, was blacklisted (the film itself was banned from mainland China). Though Googling her just now out of curiousity, it looks like she’s been able to make a comeback:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-tang-we...

“Lust, Caution” was not banned from mainland China. I saw it in Shanghai in theatres at the end of 2007. Some scenes were edited out (mostly sex scenes iirc). Please edit your comment to reflect the fact.

I can't edit my comment (past the time limit) but thank you for the correction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lust,_Caution

> The version released in the People's Republic of China was cut by about seven minutes (by the director himself) to make it suitable for younger audiences, since China has no rating system.

One of the things I don't understand is why Wu agreed to participate in this story at all? Surely the extra exposure from an international feature article -- even as glowing as the VICE article turned out to be -- is going to draw scrutiny from Chinese authorities?

I think thats her personality and I think the Chinese authorities will at least allow her that but if she starts drawing too much "controversy" to herself, she will either have to start supporting "socialist values" in public or delete her content.

She did not expect Vice to dishonor the agreement; she thought it would help her following in China despite it being illegal. Things should've ended by getting her YouTube video taken down but if the allegations of them getting Patreon to terminate her account are true, then that's a line that's been crossed.

> she thought would help her following in China despite it being illegal.

This is what I'm interested in -- what she imagined a positive puff-piece (which this VICE article basically is) to look like that wouldn't draw unwanted attention from Chinese authorities. Isn't it more or less standard practice for authorities to be suspicious of Chinese non-mainstream citizens who get positive press in American media, nevermind from an outlet that is literally named "VICE"?

I understood that the issue is her relationship. The article is very vague, but there are clues between sentences.

That's exactly the problem. She knew she had to be very careful what and how to say to get western exposure without waking any sleeping dogs in China. She requested there is absolutely no mentions or suggestions about gender equality, sexual orientation, relationship issues in the article. Vice still included this, defending it as being just vague hints being no big deal while Naomi says it's already too dangerous. I think if in doubt one should definitely leave the judgement to the person taking the risk.

I don't think anyone is disputing that Vice legal went to Patreon to get her account terminating using the anti-doxing TOS.

well, as it says in the article, she's had good experiences with other western media outlets. she wasn't expecting vice to buck the trend.

It is flattering to be an object of attention of a large US national media outlet. And for a social activist, gaining the platform as wide and loud as Vice is very tempting. And, having positive past experience with western media, she probably was a bit naive about what could happen if things go wrong.

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