Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) is joining the fight to hold China accountable for the coronavirus pandemic, and he’s looking to penalize film companies that censor their films for Chinese audiences.
In a series of tweets, the Texas Senator shared information regarding the legislation called “The Stopping Censorship, Restoring Integrity, Protecting Talkies Act (SCRIPT Act). Its goal is to block any cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense and any film studies that make alterations to films for Chinese audiences.
NEW from @woodruffbets: Cruz is set to introduce a bill targeting film studios’ efforts to accommodate the country’s restrictive censors. The bill would block cooperation between DoD and any studios that edit or alter their movies for audiences in China. https://t.co/o9rmauESC6
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) April 28, 2020
Commenting on the issue on Twitter, Senator Cruz expressed that “for too long Hollywood has been complicit in China’s censorship & propaganda in the name of bigger profits.”
For too long Hollywood has been complicit in China’s censorship & propaganda in the name of bigger profits. My SCRIPT Act will be a wakeup call, forcing Hollywood studios to choose b/n the assistance they need from the US gov & the $$ they want from China.pic.twitter.com/Jl4F6woEbu
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) April 29, 2020
He asserted that his “SCRIPT Act will be a wakeup call, forcing Hollywood studios to choose b/n the assistance they need from the US gov & the $$ they want from China.”
The legislation comes at a time when the relationship between the United States and China has become a strained one after criticism that China both mishandled and spread misinformation regarding the Coronavirus.
Chinese censorship has been a concern for film companies considering the strict guidelines that are enforced in the country. For example, regarding the film Bohemian Rhapsody, a scene that dealt with Freddie Mercury’s sexual orientation was cut from the film because the TV association that is linked to the Chinese Communist Party called homosexuality “abnormal.”
As a result, should Senator Cruz’s bill go through, it would call for the Pentagon to block any studios asking for help to make films from altering their films for Chinese audiences. The studios would promise to not enforce any censorship on their films before receiving any help from the Department of Defense.
