China cracks down on children on reality TV shows

Children can be cute, giggly and prone to tantrums. But according to China's top broadcast regulator, what they can no longer be is featured on Chinese reality television.

孩子们可以是可爱的，蠢萌的，容易闹脾气的。但根据中国广播电视行业最高监管机构的规定，有一件事他们再也不可以做了，那就是成为中国电视真人秀的主角。

In new guidelines issued by the State Administration for Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, children — especially children of celebrities —have been banned from participating in reality television shows.

国家新闻出版广电总局给出新的指导方针，禁止孩子——尤其是名人的孩子——参加电视真人秀节目。

The aim of the ban, said the state-run news agency, Xinhua, which first reported the guidelines on Sunday, is to protect the children from the pitfalls of "overnight fame."

率先报道此事的官方通讯社新华社称，该禁令旨在防止儿童落入"一夜成名"的陷阱。

The regulations are the latest in the government's continuing efforts to rein in the fast-growing online television industry. Last month, new rules issued by two industry associations, including one state-sanctioned organization, outlined a comprehensive policy that included a ban on depictions of gay relationships, underage romance, extramarital affairs, smoking, witchcraft and reincarnation.

出台上述监管规定，是中国政府持续收紧对快速增长的网络电视行业的控制而采取的最新举措。两家行业协会——其中一家是官方认可的机构——上月发布的新规，呈现出一项综合性政策，其中包括禁止出现描述同性恋、未成年人早恋、婚外情、吸烟、巫术和轮回转世的内容。

Some experts said the latest guidelines appeared to be aimed specifically at hugely popular shows like Hunan Television's "Where Are We Going, Dad?" and Zhejiang Television's "Dad Is Back," both of which feature children of celebrities.

一些业内人士称，最新的指导方针似乎直指湖南电视台的《爸爸去哪儿》、浙江台的《爸爸回来了》等广受欢迎的节目。这两档节目都以名人的孩子为主角。

Based on a South Korean television show with the same name, "Where Are We Going, Dad?" took off after its premiere in China in 2013. The show, which follows five celebrity fathers and their children as they travel to rural destinations and complete assigned tasks like cooking meals, attracted more than 75 million viewers for the first episode of its latest season. It has led to spinoff films, multiple parenting books and millions in advertising revenue.

2013年，以韩国同名电视节目为蓝本的《爸爸去哪儿》在中国首次亮相，旋即大红大紫。这个节目主要是跟拍五位名人爸爸和他们的孩子到乡间旅行，并完成做饭等指定任务，最新一季的第一集吸引到了逾7500万名观众。该节目衍生出了若干电影和亲子图书，还带来了大量广告收入。

The former N.B.A. basketball player Yao Ming and the actor Liu Ye have both appeared on the show. Several of the children on the program have received lucrative endorsement deals. The third and most recent season ended in October.

前NBA球员姚明和演员刘烨都曾现身《爸爸去哪儿》。节目里的几个孩子获得了金额巨大的代言合约。最新一季为第三季，在去年10月播完。

Ma Xue, a Beijing-based reality television producer, said she thought the broadcast regulator issued the new guidelines "because they don't want people to see differences between classes."

北京的真人秀节目制作人马雪说，她认为广电监管机构之所以发布新的指导方针"是因为他们不想让人看到不同阶层之间的差异"。

"On these shows, if you are the child of a celebrity, then you become a celebrity by birth," she continued.

"在此类节目上，如果你是名人的孩子，那你天生就是名人，"她还说。

"This could have a negative social impact," she added. "You can't have class differences starting from childhood."

"这可能会造成负面的社会影响，"她又说道。"你不能从童年开始就有阶层差异。"

Both shows are said to have halted future production because of the new guidelines, according to Xinhua. Some experts said that the new ban might also affect shows that don't feature celebrity children, including some imported foreign programs like Fox's "MasterChef Junior," which is airing on the Chinese online streaming website iQiyi.

新华社的报道称，因为新指导方针的缘故，这两个节目据说均已停止录制新一季节目。有专家称，新禁令或许也会对并非以名人的孩子为主角的节目产生影响，其中包括一些从国外引进的节目，例如由Fox制作、正在中国流媒体网站爱奇艺播出的《小小厨神》(MasterChef Junior)。

Government regulators appear to have been closing in on reality television shows for months. The broadcast regulator hinted at the new restrictions in a notice issued last July that was made public only in March. That document was broader in scope and specified general guidelines for the management of reality shows in China, calling for them to "actively incorporate socialist values" and "pay attention to the masses and avoid being overly focused on celebrities."

数月来，政府监管部门似乎一直在收紧对电视真人秀节目的控制。在新闻出版广电总局去年7月便已下发但直到今年3月才公之于众的一份通知中，曾就这些新出台的限制性规定做出过提示。那份文件涉及的范围更为广泛，其中特别提到了管理真人秀节目的总体指导方针，敦促此类节目"主动融入社会主义核心价值观"、"关注普通群众，避免过度明星化"。

Minors should be excluded from reality programs as much as possible, the guidelines went on to say.

该指导方针还要求尽量减少未成年人参与真人秀。

The extra focus on reality television appears to be in line with the broadcast regulator's tendency to apply extra scrutiny to video personalities who go viral or to programs with large followings. On Monday afternoon, the state-owned People's Daily newspaper reported that a hugely popular online celebrity and comedian nicknamed Papi Jiang had been censored by the broadcast regulator for the frequent use of vulgar language in her satirical videos.

总局对真人秀的额外关注，看上去恰好符合该机构严加审查通过视频走红的人物或受众广泛的节目这一倾向。周一下午，官方媒体《人民日报》报道，广受欢迎的网络名人兼喜剧表演者Papi酱，因为在其颇具讽刺意味的视频中频繁爆粗口而遭到新闻出版广电总局的审查。

On Monday evening, Ms. Jiang posted a response on her public WeChat account.

周一晚上，Papi酱在其微信公号上做出了回应。

"As an independent media worker, I will pay more attention to my language and image, resolutely respond and rectify and reform according to online video requirements so that I can transfer positive energy to all," she wrote.

"作为一个自媒体人，我也会更加注意自己的言辞与形象，坚决响应网络视频的整改要求，为大家传递正能量，"她写道。

Still, the growing hostility toward "Where Are We Going, Dad?" in recent months is something of a reversal for the government.

虽说如此，近几个月以来，政府部门对《爸爸去哪儿》的敌意似乎与日俱增，其态度可以说出现了大逆转。

In a 2013 op-ed published in People's Daily, which is an official mouthpiece of the government, the commentator Liu Yang praised the show for placing "family love at its core."

政府的官方喉舌《人民日报》曾在2013年发表过一篇时评，评论员刘阳盛在文中称赞了《爸爸去哪儿》"以亲情为核心"的定位。

"The deep affection on display in the show," the op-ed added, "is heartwarming and ignites a desire in people to return home to loved ones."

"节目中体现的浓浓亲情让人心存暖意，"文中还表示，"也点燃了人们心中回归家庭的渴求。"